Pharmacy Practice Management and Dispensing
Core concepts
This domain covers workflow, inventory, quality, and people. Know the dispensing cycle (receive, interpret, prepare, check, supply, advise, record), error-prevention strategies (independent double checks, tall man lettering, segregation of look-alike/sound-alike products), and stock management principles (FEFO - first expiry, first out; reorder levels; cold chain). Understand the elements of a prescription label and the legal requirements for records. Basic management concepts include staffing, delegation, standard operating procedures, and quality improvement. Financial concepts such as cost-effectiveness and wastage reduction appear conceptually.
Traps in questions
- Using FIFO instead of FEFO for stock rotation.
- Assuming a second check by the same person counts as an independent check.
- Overlooking cold-chain breaks when storing vaccines or biologics.
- Dispensing without confirming patient identity and allergies.
Worked example / rule of thumb
A pharmacy holds 200 units of an item, uses 40 per week, and needs a 2-week safety buffer. Reorder level = (weekly use × lead time in weeks) + safety stock. With a 1-week lead time: (40 × 1) + 80 = 120 units. Rule of thumb: rotate stock by earliest expiry, and treat any temperature excursion as a potential product loss until stability data confirm otherwise.