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PEBC Tech QE Part I study materials
PEBC Tech QE Part I study resources

PEBC Tech QE Part I practice questions

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Question 1Professional Practice and Patient Care

On a prescription, the abbreviation "PO" indicates that the medication should be taken:

  1. By mouth Correct answer.
  2. By injection
  3. By rectum
  4. Under the tongue

Explanation

PO is derived from the Latin per os, meaning by mouth, and is the standard route abbreviation for oral administration. Route abbreviations should always be checked against the dosage form dispensed so the auxiliary labels match the intended route.

Question 2Professional Practice and Patient Care

A person who is not the patient telephones the pharmacy and asks whether a particular individual is a patient there and which medications that person takes. What is the most appropriate response?

  1. Confirm the person is a patient but refuse to list the medications
  2. Neither confirm nor deny that the person is a patient, and explain that information cannot be released Correct answer.
  3. Read the profile aloud once the caller gives the patient's date of birth
  4. Provide the medication list if the caller says they are a family member

Explanation

Personal health information may only be disclosed with the patient's consent or as specifically permitted by privacy legislation. Even confirming that someone is a patient is a disclosure of personal health information, so the pharmacy should give no confirmation either way.

Question 3Professional Practice and Patient Care

A prescription reads "Take 1 tab PO ac breakfast." The abbreviation "ac" means:

  1. At bedtime
  2. Before meals Correct answer.
  3. After meals
  4. With meals

Explanation

ac stands for ante cibum, meaning before meals, while pc (post cibum) means after meals. Mixing up these two abbreviations changes the timing instructions given to the patient.

Question 4Professional Practice and Patient Care

Which auxiliary label is most appropriate for a bottle of oral amoxicillin suspension?

  1. May cause drowsiness; avoid driving or operating machinery
  2. Take with a full glass of water and avoid dairy products
  3. Do not take with grapefruit juice
  4. Shake well before each dose and keep in the refrigerator Correct answer.

Explanation

Oral suspensions settle on standing, so the bottle must be shaken before each dose to deliver an accurate amount of drug. Reconstituted amoxicillin suspension is also stored in the refrigerator per the manufacturer's directions.

Question 5Professional Practice and Patient Care

A patient collects a new insulin pen and asks how to store the pen that is currently in use. The correct advice is to keep it:

  1. In the freezer compartment
  2. In the refrigerator with the needle attached
  3. In a bathroom cabinet above the sink
  4. At room temperature, away from heat and direct sunlight Correct answer.

Explanation

An in-use insulin pen is kept at room temperature, away from heat and light, and is discarded after the manufacturer's in-use period. Unopened pens are refrigerated, but insulin must never be frozen.

Question 6Professional Practice and Patient Care

At the start of a shift, a technician counts the narcotic safe and finds six tablets of hydromorphone 1 mg fewer than the perpetual inventory record shows. What is the most appropriate action?

  1. Wait until the end of the month and include the difference in the routine report
  2. Notify Health Canada before telling anyone in the pharmacy
  3. Adjust the inventory balance to match the physical count and initial the record
  4. Report the discrepancy to the pharmacist in charge immediately and leave the records unchanged until the count is verified Correct answer.

Explanation

A narcotic discrepancy is potentially a diversion or documentation problem and must be investigated promptly by the pharmacist in charge. Inventory adjustments are made only after verification, and the event is documented according to pharmacy policy and provincial requirements.

Question 7Professional Practice and Patient Care

Twelve days after receiving a 30-day supply of a chronic medication, a patient requests a refill and says the bottle was spilled. What is the technician's most appropriate action?

  1. Refuse the refill and tell the patient to wait until the next scheduled date
  2. Cancel the prescription and tell the patient to obtain a new one from the prescriber
  3. Process the refill immediately to support adherence
  4. Refer the situation to the pharmacist to assess before anything is dispensed Correct answer.

Explanation

Early refills, lost or spilled medication, and third-party coverage limits require a professional assessment and documentation. The pharmacist decides whether to replace the supply and how to record the reason.

Question 8Professional Practice and Patient Care

Medication reconciliation performed at hospital admission is primarily intended to:

  1. Reduce the total number of medications the patient takes
  2. Confirm that the patient can afford all of the medications
  3. Identify and resolve unintended differences between the medications the patient was actually taking before admission and the new inpatient orders Correct answer.
  4. Ensure that allergy information is entered into the record

Explanation

Medication reconciliation compares a best possible medication history with current orders to catch omissions, duplications and dose changes. The goal is to prevent unintended discrepancies, not to reduce the number of drugs.

Question 9Professional Practice and Patient Care

Which strategy best reduces the risk of selecting the wrong product when two look-alike, sound-alike drugs are stocked in the pharmacy?

  1. Store the products apart and apply tall-man lettering to shelf and dispensing labels Correct answer.
  2. Order only one of the two products in a large bulk container
  3. Rely on the brand name alone when picking the product
  4. Store both products side by side so staff become familiar with the pair

Explanation

Physical separation and tall-man lettering increase visual discrimination between confusable names at the point of selection and checking. These are recognized error-prevention strategies for look-alike, sound-alike products.

Question 10Professional Practice and Patient Care

A patient who takes warfarin asks for an over-the-counter product for a headache. What is the most appropriate action?

  1. Recommend ibuprofen 200 mg every six hours as needed
  2. Refer the patient to the pharmacist before any product is recommended Correct answer.
  3. Recommend acetylsalicylic acid 325 mg as needed
  4. Suggest taking an extra dose of warfarin with the headache product

Explanation

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and acetylsalicylic acid increase bleeding risk in patients taking warfarin, so product selection requires a pharmacist's assessment. The technician's role is to recognize the interaction risk and refer.

Question 11Professional Practice and Patient Care

Which statement about adverse reaction reporting in Canada is correct?

  1. Serious adverse reactions to marketed drugs may be reported to Health Canada through the Canada Vigilance Program Correct answer.
  2. Only physicians are permitted to submit reports
  3. Reports must be sent to the provincial college of pharmacy
  4. Reporting is mandatory for every non-prescription product sold in a pharmacy

Explanation

The Canada Vigilance Program collects and evaluates reports of adverse reactions to health products, and health professionals and consumers may submit them. Market authorization holders have mandatory reporting obligations, but reporting by practitioners is voluntary.

Question 12Professional Practice and Patient Care

When a prescription is received verbally over the telephone, which practice best reduces transcription errors?

  1. Writing quickly and asking the prescriber to call back later to confirm
  2. Asking the prescriber to spell the drug name and repeat the dose
  3. Reading the entire prescription back to the prescriber for confirmation Correct answer.
  4. Recording the call and filing the recording with the prescription

Explanation

A complete read-back of the drug, strength, dose, frequency and quantity lets the prescriber confirm or correct the transcribed order immediately. Read-back is a recognized method for preventing verbal order errors.

Question 13Professional Practice and Patient Care

When a dry powder for oral suspension is reconstituted, the expiry date assigned to the dispensed bottle is determined by:

  1. The original expiry date printed on the bulk powder container
  2. The date on which the prescription was written
  3. A standard 90-day dating applied to all oral suspensions
  4. The manufacturer's directions for the reconstituted product Correct answer.

Explanation

Reconstitution shortens the usable life of the product, and the manufacturer specifies the storage conditions and discard time after mixing. The original bulk expiry no longer applies once water has been added.

Question 14Professional Practice and Patient Care

A patient brings a bag of unused and expired medications to the pharmacy. What is the most appropriate handling?

  1. Instruct the patient to place them in the household garbage in their original containers
  2. Return them to the patient in case a family member needs them later
  3. Accept them into the pharmacy's medication take-back program for safe disposal Correct answer.
  4. Flush the medications down the toilet

Explanation

Pharmacy take-back programs are the accepted route for disposing of unused medications, keeping drugs out of the environment and away from others. Segregation and destruction then follow the pharmacy's policy and provincial environmental rules.

Question 15Professional Practice and Patient Care

Which information should be confirmed with the patient each time a prescription is dispensed?

  1. The patient's occupation
  2. The patient's preferred pharmacy location
  3. The patient's allergies and date of birth Correct answer.
  4. The patient's insurance plan number

Explanation

Allergies and at least two patient identifiers, such as name and date of birth, should be verified at every dispensing encounter. These checks confirm the right patient and prevent dispensing a drug to which the patient is allergic.

Question 16Professional Practice and Patient Care

A prescription for a three-year-old child reads "amoxicillin 250 mg/5 mL, give 5 mL three times daily." Before the prescription is released, the technician should verify:

  1. The child's weight and the calculated mg/kg dose with the pharmacist Correct answer.
  2. The colour of the suspension that will be dispensed
  3. Whether the child can swallow tablets
  4. Whether the parent would prefer a chewable tablet

Explanation

Pediatric doses are weight-based, so the child's current weight is needed to check that the ordered dose falls within the recommended mg/kg range. The pharmacist performs this clinical check before the product is dispensed.

Question 17Professional Practice and Patient Care

Which statement best describes the difference between generic substitution and therapeutic substitution?

  1. Generic substitution replaces a drug with a chemically equivalent product, while therapeutic substitution replaces a drug with a different drug expected to have a similar effect Correct answer.
  2. Generic and therapeutic substitution are interchangeable terms for the same process
  3. Generic substitution changes the active ingredient, while therapeutic substitution keeps the same active ingredient
  4. Generic substitution requires prescriber approval in all cases, while therapeutic substitution never does

Explanation

A generic substitute contains the same active ingredient and is considered bioequivalent to the brand product, whereas a therapeutic substitute is a different molecule chosen for a comparable clinical effect. Therapeutic substitution generally requires prescriber authorization or a collaborative agreement.

Question 18Professional Practice and Patient Care

A patient who has trouble swallowing asks whether an enteric-coated tablet can be crushed and mixed with applesauce. The correct advice is:

  1. Do not crush the tablet; ask the pharmacist about alternative dosage forms Correct answer.
  2. Split the tablet in half before taking it
  3. Crush the tablet and mix it with applesauce
  4. Chew the tablet thoroughly before swallowing

Explanation

The enteric coating protects the drug from stomach acid and protects the stomach from the drug, so crushing or chewing defeats its purpose and can cause irritation or reduced effect. The pharmacist can identify a suitable alternative formulation.

Question 19Professional Practice and Patient Care

A shipment of refrigerated vaccine arrives with a data logger showing exposure to 12 degrees Celsius for six hours during transit. What should the technician do?

  1. Return it to the wholesaler without documenting the temperature excursion
  2. Quarantine the product, label it do not use, and notify the pharmacist to assess it against the manufacturer's stability data Correct answer.
  3. Discard the vaccine immediately because it is no longer usable
  4. Place it in the refrigerator and use it first to avoid waste

Explanation

A temperature excursion does not automatically mean the product is unusable, but it cannot be released until its viability is assessed. Quarantine and documentation protect patients and preserve the ability to investigate or claim credit.

Question 20Professional Practice and Patient Care

A technician discovers that a wrong-strength product reached a patient. Which action best reflects a culture of safety?

  1. Correct the problem quietly without telling the pharmacist
  2. Report the event through the pharmacy's incident reporting system so the cause can be analyzed and the system improved Correct answer.
  3. Report the event only if the patient later complains
  4. Avoid documenting the event so no one is blamed

Explanation

Incident reporting captures errors so underlying system causes, such as look-alike packaging or workflow gaps, can be corrected. Reporting is non-punitive and is a professional obligation when a patient may be harmed.

Question 21Professional Practice and Patient Care

A prescription reads "methotrexate 2.5 mg tablets, take 7 tablets by mouth once weekly." Which verification is most important before dispensing?

  1. Confirming whether the tablets may be split
  2. Confirming that the patient can swallow seven tablets at one time
  3. Confirming that the frequency is once weekly, because daily methotrexate dosing can be fatal Correct answer.
  4. Confirming that the patient has never taken methotrexate before

Explanation

Methotrexate for inflammatory conditions is dosed once weekly, and daily administration has caused fatal toxicity. The weekly interval must be confirmed with the prescriber and reinforced with the patient at counselling.

Question 22Professional Practice and Patient Care

Which abbreviation appears on error-prone abbreviation lists because it can be misread as a number?

  1. daily
  2. PO
  3. U Correct answer.
  4. tab

Explanation

"U" for units can be mistaken for a zero or a four, producing a ten-fold overdose, so the word "unit" should be written in full. Error-prone abbreviation lists exist to eliminate these ambiguous forms from prescriptions.

Question 23Professional Practice and Patient Care

A patient with a documented anaphylactic allergy to penicillin presents a new prescription for cephalexin. What is the most appropriate action?

  1. Bring the allergy to the pharmacist's attention and ensure it is documented before the prescription is dispensed Correct answer.
  2. Substitute azithromycin without contacting the prescriber
  3. Tell the patient to stop the antibiotic if a rash develops
  4. Dispense as written because penicillins and cephalosporins never cross-react

Explanation

Penicillins and cephalosporins share structural features, and patients with penicillin allergy may be at risk of cross-reactivity, particularly with earlier-generation cephalosporins. The pharmacist must assess the allergy and decide whether to contact the prescriber.

Question 24Professional Practice and Patient Care

When a technician refers a patient to the pharmacist for advice on an over-the-counter product, which information is most useful to pass along?

  1. The price the patient is willing to pay
  2. The patient's home address
  3. The pharmacy's current stock level for the product
  4. The patient's symptoms, how long they have had them, other medications, and relevant medical conditions Correct answer.

Explanation

The pharmacist needs the reason for the request, the duration and severity of symptoms, and the patient's medication and medical history to judge whether self-treatment is appropriate. This information supports a safe recommendation or a referral for further care.

Question 25Professional Practice and Patient Care

Which new prescription should prompt the technician to have the pharmacist clarify the order with the prescriber before dispensing?

  1. Lisinopril 100 mg once daily Correct answer.
  2. Amoxicillin 500 mg three times daily for seven days
  3. Atorvastatin 20 mg at bedtime
  4. Metformin 500 mg twice daily

Explanation

The usual maximum lisinopril dose is well below 100 mg daily, so this order is far outside the normal range and must be verified. The other orders fall within commonly accepted dosing.

Question 26Professional Practice and Patient Care

A person telephones the pharmacy and asks whether a prescription for a family member is ready for pickup. The caller is not listed on the patient's file. What is the most appropriate response?

  1. Explain that privacy rules prevent sharing the information and ask the patient to contact the pharmacy directly. Correct answer.
  2. Provide the information because the caller is a family member.
  3. Ask the caller to verify the patient's address and then provide the pickup status.
  4. Confirm whether the prescription is ready, but do not name the medication.

Explanation

Pharmacy staff may not disclose prescription information, including whether a prescription is ready, to an unauthorized caller. The technician should protect privacy and direct the patient to contact the pharmacy personally.

Question 27Professional Practice and Patient Care

Which technique best confirms that a patient understands how to take a new medication?

  1. Speaking more slowly and using medical terminology.
  2. Providing a printed leaflet with the prescription.
  3. Asking the patient to repeat the instructions in their own words. Correct answer.
  4. Asking the patient whether they have any questions.

Explanation

Teach-back asks the patient to explain or demonstrate the instructions in their own words, which reveals misunderstandings. It is a validated way to confirm comprehension rather than assuming it.

Question 28Professional Practice and Patient Care

Which auxiliary label is most appropriate for a medication that commonly causes drowsiness?

  1. Keep out of reach of children.
  2. May cause drowsiness; avoid driving or operating machinery. Correct answer.
  3. Shake well before use.
  4. Take with food.

Explanation

Drowsiness is a common adverse effect of many medications, and an auxiliary label warns the patient to avoid driving or operating machinery. This supports safe use and prevents injury.

Question 29Professional Practice and Patient Care

Refrigerated medications should generally be stored at which temperature range?

  1. 8 to 15 degrees Celsius
  2. 2 to 8 degrees Celsius Correct answer.
  3. 15 to 25 degrees Celsius
  4. 0 to 4 degrees Celsius

Explanation

Most refrigerated medications, including many vaccines and insulins, are stored between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius. Temperatures outside this range can reduce stability or potency.

Question 30Professional Practice and Patient Care

A patient using insulin at home asks how to dispose of used pen needles. What should the technician advise?

  1. Flush them down the toilet.
  2. Place them in the household garbage wrapped in paper.
  3. Return them to the pharmacy in a plastic bag for sterilization.
  4. Put them in a puncture-resistant sharps container and follow local disposal rules. Correct answer.

Explanation

Used needles and pen needles are biohazardous sharps and must go into a puncture-resistant sharps container. Local municipal or pharmacy take-back programs then handle final disposal.

Question 31Professional Practice and Patient Care

A patient requests a refill, but the prescription has no refills remaining. What is the most appropriate action?

  1. Dispense a small emergency supply without prescriber authorization.
  2. Contact the prescriber for authorization and tell the patient when a response is expected. Correct answer.
  3. Increase the refill count in the pharmacy system so the refill can be processed.
  4. Tell the patient that no further refills are possible and close the file.

Explanation

A prescription cannot be refilled beyond the authorized number of refills without prescriber authorization. The technician should contact the prescriber and keep the patient informed about the expected timeline.

Question 32Professional Practice and Patient Care

Which instruction is written in the clearest plain language for a prescription label?

  1. Instill one tablet q.d. orally.
  2. Administer one tablet per os every 24 hours.
  3. Take one tablet PO daily as directed.
  4. Take one tablet by mouth once daily. Correct answer.

Explanation

Plain-language labels use common words, avoid Latin abbreviations, and give a clear frequency. 'Take one tablet by mouth once daily' is unambiguous for most patients.

Question 33Professional Practice and Patient Care

A patient who is 8 weeks pregnant asks the technician whether a prescribed antibiotic is safe for the baby. What should the technician do?

  1. Refer the patient to the pharmacist for assessment and advice. Correct answer.
  2. Tell the patient to stop the antibiotic immediately.
  3. Provide the manufacturer's package insert and say nothing more.
  4. Answer that the antibiotic is safe because it is commonly prescribed.

Explanation

Questions about medication safety in pregnancy require clinical assessment of risks and benefits. The technician should refer the patient to the pharmacist rather than provide reassurance or advise stopping therapy.

Question 34Professional Practice and Patient Care

A prescriber's office leaves a new prescription on the pharmacy voicemail after hours. What is the best action when the pharmacy opens?

  1. Ask another patient in the waiting area to listen and verify the drug name.
  2. Transcribe the prescription directly into the patient's file from the voicemail.
  3. Call the prescriber's office to confirm the prescription details and document the conversation. Correct answer.
  4. Delete the message after writing the prescription on a notepad.

Explanation

Verbal or voicemail prescriptions must be confirmed directly with the prescriber's office to ensure accuracy and to document the order. Transcribing from a recording without confirmation risks errors.

Question 35Professional Practice and Patient Care

A technician catches a dispensing error before the medication reaches the patient. What is the most appropriate action?

  1. Discard the prescription and ask the patient to return another day.
  2. Report the near miss through the pharmacy's incident reporting system. Correct answer.
  3. Correct the error quietly and do not report it because no harm occurred.
  4. Blame the technician who made the error in front of other staff.

Explanation

Near misses are reported so the pharmacy can identify system weaknesses and prevent future errors. Reporting is nonpunitive and supports a culture of safety.

Question 36Professional Practice and Patient Care

A vial of hazardous chemotherapy drug breaks on the pharmacy floor. What should be done first?

  1. Wipe up the spill with a paper towel and place it in the regular garbage.
  2. Spray the area with disinfectant and mop it into the drain.
  3. Continue working and clean the area at the end of the shift.
  4. Evacuate the immediate area and alert staff, then use the hazardous drug spill kit. Correct answer.

Explanation

Hazardous drug spills require immediate containment, evacuation of the area, and use of a designated spill kit with appropriate PPE. Staff should follow the pharmacy's hazardous drug spill procedure.

Question 37Professional Practice and Patient Care

Before beginning sterile compounding in a laminar airflow hood, what must the technician do?

  1. Clean and disinfect the work surface with an appropriate agent and allow it to dry. Correct answer.
  2. Wipe the surface with tap water only.
  3. Place items in the hood while the blower is off.
  4. Turn on the ultraviolet light and work under it.

Explanation

The work surface of a laminar airflow hood must be cleaned and disinfected with an approved agent and allowed to dry before compounding. This reduces microbial contamination of sterile preparations.

Question 38Professional Practice and Patient Care

A patient has run out of a chronic medication, has no refills, and cannot reach the prescriber. What should the technician do?

  1. Tell the patient to go to the emergency department.
  2. Dispense the medication without authorization because it is a chronic medication.
  3. Substitute a different medication in the same class.
  4. Refer the situation to the pharmacist to assess whether an emergency supply is permitted. Correct answer.

Explanation

Emergency supply rules allow a pharmacist, under specific provincial conditions, to provide a limited quantity when therapy cannot be interrupted. The technician should refer the decision to the pharmacist.

Question 39Professional Practice and Patient Care

A patient who speaks limited English brings an adult child to interpret. The patient needs counselling on a new prescription. What is the best practice?

  1. Use the adult child to interpret all medication instructions.
  2. Provide written instructions in English and skip verbal counselling.
  3. Use a trained medical interpreter when possible and confirm the patient's understanding. Correct answer.
  4. Speak only to the adult child and avoid involving the patient.

Explanation

Trained medical interpreters provide accurate communication and protect confidentiality better than family members. Confirming understanding with teach-back helps ensure safe medication use.

Question 40Professional Practice and Patient Care

A patient mentions that they sometimes skip doses because the medication is too expensive. What should the technician do?

  1. Tell the patient to take half the dose to make the supply last longer.
  2. Recommend an over-the-counter substitute without checking with the pharmacist.
  3. Ignore the comment because it is not a pharmacy issue.
  4. Inform the pharmacist so coverage options and alternatives can be reviewed. Correct answer.

Explanation

Cost-related nonadherence should be addressed because it can lead to treatment failure. The pharmacist can review insurance coverage, generic options, or other strategies.

Question 41Professional Practice and Patient Care

A patient returns an unopened, sealed bottle of medication that was dispensed one week ago. What should the pharmacy do?

  1. Do not return it to stock; follow the pharmacy's disposal policy. Correct answer.
  2. Keep it in the fridge for future emergency use.
  3. Return it to stock because the seal is unbroken.
  4. Sell it at a discount to another patient.

Explanation

Medication that has left the pharmacy cannot be returned to stock because storage conditions and product integrity cannot be guaranteed. The pharmacy should follow its disposal policy.

Question 42Professional Practice and Patient Care

While entering a new prescription, the pharmacy software displays a major drug interaction alert. What should the technician do?

  1. Ignore the alert if the prescriber is a specialist.
  2. Delete the interacting medication from the patient's profile.
  3. Override the alert and continue dispensing.
  4. Stop processing and notify the pharmacist for assessment. Correct answer.

Explanation

A major interaction alert requires pharmacist assessment before the prescription is dispensed. The technician should pause processing and escalate the alert rather than override it.

Question 43Professional Practice and Patient Care

A patient tells the technician that they developed a rash after starting a new medication. What should the technician do?

  1. Add the medication to the patient's list of preferred products.
  2. Tell the patient the rash is unrelated to the medication.
  3. Advise the patient to stop the medication without speaking to anyone.
  4. Record the reaction in the patient's profile and notify the pharmacist. Correct answer.

Explanation

A new rash after starting a medication may be an adverse reaction and must be documented and assessed. The pharmacist can determine whether the reaction is serious and what action is needed.

Question 44Professional Practice and Patient Care

A prescription for a high-strength opioid is presented with unusual handwriting and a prescriber address that does not match the pharmacy's records. What should the technician do?

  1. Notify the pharmacist discreetly and follow the pharmacy's verification process. Correct answer.
  2. Change the prescriber's address in the system to match the prescription.
  3. Dispense the prescription because the patient is waiting.
  4. Confront the patient and accuse them of forgery.

Explanation

Suspicious prescriptions for controlled substances should be handled discreetly and verified through the pharmacist and prescriber. This protects the patient and helps prevent fraud.

Question 45Professional Practice and Patient Care

Before dispensing a controlled substance, what role does a prescription monitoring program play in many Canadian provinces?

  1. It provides the patient's complete medical history.
  2. It automatically approves all refills for controlled substances.
  3. It replaces the need for a prescriber's authorization.
  4. It helps identify possible duplicate prescriptions or inappropriate use. Correct answer.

Explanation

Prescription monitoring programs collect dispensing data for controlled substances and help identify duplicate prescriptions, high-risk combinations, or inappropriate use. They support clinical decisions but do not replace prescriber authorization.

Question 46Professional Practice and Patient Care

When assigning a beyond-use date to a nonsterile compounded preparation, which factor is most important?

  1. The date the prescription was received by the pharmacy.
  2. Whether the preparation contains water and a preservative, and its storage conditions. Correct answer.
  3. The expiration date of the most expensive ingredient.
  4. The dosage form name printed on the prescription.

Explanation

Beyond-use dates for nonsterile compounds depend mainly on the formulation's water content, preservative, dosage form, and storage conditions. These factors influence microbial growth and chemical stability.

Question 47Professional Practice and Patient Care

Which medication is classified as high-alert and should receive an independent double-check before dispensing?

  1. Insulin Correct answer.
  2. Saline nasal spray
  3. Acetaminophen 500 mg tablets
  4. Vitamin D 1000 IU capsules

Explanation

Insulin is a high-alert medication because dosing errors can cause severe hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia. High-alert medications warrant independent double-checks and careful verification.

Question 48Professional Practice and Patient Care

A technician sustains a needlestick injury while cleaning a compounding area. What should be done first?

  1. Wait until the end of the shift to see whether symptoms develop.
  2. Cover the wound with a bandage and continue working.
  3. Finish cleaning the area before leaving to report the injury.
  4. Wash the site with soap and water and report the exposure according to policy. Correct answer.

Explanation

After a needlestick, the site should be washed with soap and water and the exposure reported immediately according to workplace policy. Prompt assessment helps determine post-exposure prophylaxis and follow-up.

Question 49Professional Practice and Patient Care

An insurance company requests a patient's medication history. What is required before the pharmacy releases the information?

  1. Nothing, because insurers are entitled to all pharmacy records.
  2. Valid consent from the patient or legal representative, following privacy legislation. Correct answer.
  3. Approval from the prescriber only.
  4. The patient's verbal permission given to any staff member.

Explanation

Patient health information may be released only with valid consent or as permitted by privacy legislation. Insurance requests do not override the need for patient authorization.

Question 50Professional Practice and Patient Care

A manufacturer issues a recall for a medication stocked in the pharmacy. What is the technician's most appropriate action?

  1. Return the product to the shelf after crossing out the lot number.
  2. Tell patients to stop all medications immediately without pharmacist involvement.
  3. Remove the affected stock, follow the recall instructions, and notify the pharmacist. Correct answer.
  4. Continue dispensing the product until the stock is used up.

Explanation

A recall requires removal of affected stock and adherence to the manufacturer's or regulator's instructions, with pharmacist involvement for patient notification. This prevents further dispensing of a potentially unsafe product.