CPJE cheat sheet

Pharmacist license renewal: every 2 years; 30 hours of CE required, including 1 hour on pharmacy law and 1 hour on patient safety/medication errors.

Prescription records: must be retained for at least 3 years from the date of dispensing; electronic records acceptable if readily retrievable.

Controlled substances: Schedule II prescriptions require a handwritten or electronically transmitted prescription; no refills; valid for 6 months from date written.

Oral prescriptions for Schedule II: allowed only in emergency situations with written follow-up within 7 days; limited to a 5-day supply.

Pharmacist may administer immunizations to persons aged 3 and older per current California law (varies by vaccine and protocol).

California Pharmacists Association (CPhA) and Board of Pharmacy: the Board licenses pharmacists, interns, technicians, and pharmacies; disciplinary actions include revocation, suspension, probation, and fines.

Patient counseling: pharmacist must offer counseling on new prescriptions and when a prescription is refilled with a different strength or directions; may be declined by patient.

Drug utilization review (DUR): pharmacist must review for therapeutic duplication, drug-disease contraindications, drug-drug interactions, incorrect dosage, and allergy contraindications.

Prescription label requirements: pharmacy name, address, prescription number, date, patient name, prescriber name, directions for use, drug name/strength, quantity, expiration date, and number of refills.

Medication error prevention: use tall man lettering for look-alike/sound-alike drugs; verify patient identity using two identifiers before dispensing.

Compounding: follow USP <795> for nonsterile and <797> for sterile compounding; maintain beyond-use dates based on stability and storage conditions.

High-alert medications: independent double-check for insulin, heparin, chemotherapy, and opioids; use standardized concentrations and infusion pumps.

Patient assessment: obtain medication history, allergy history, and relevant labs; identify drug-related problems (adherence, adverse effects, interactions).

Dispensing accuracy: verify prescription against original order; check drug, strength, dosage form, quantity, and directions; use barcode scanning when available.

Adverse drug event reporting: report serious adverse events to FDA MedWatch and to the pharmacy's internal reporting system; document in patient record.

Sterile compounding: maintain ISO Class 5 environment for immediate use; follow hand hygiene, garbing, and disinfection procedures; assign beyond-use dates per USP <797>.

Pharmacist-in-charge responsibilities: ensure compliance with laws, maintain records, supervise personnel, and implement quality assurance programs.