CMT Controlled Substances Management 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which schedule of controlled substances has the highest potential for abuse and no accepted medical use in the United States?
- Schedule I (Correct answer)
- Schedule II
- Schedule III
- Schedule IV
Correct answer: Schedule I
Schedule I drugs have the highest abuse potential and no currently accepted medical use, making them illegal for most purposes.
Question 2: Which federal agency is responsible for regulating controlled substances in the United States?
- FDA
- CDC
- DEA (Correct answer)
- OSHA
Correct answer: DEA
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) enforces the Controlled Substances Act and regulates the manufacture, distribution, and dispensing of controlled substances.
Question 3: When a portion of a controlled substance must be wasted, the medication technician should:
- Dispose of it in the regular trash
- Return it to the dispensing pharmacy
- Have a licensed staff witness the waste and co-sign (Correct answer)
- Store the remainder for the next scheduled dose
Correct answer: Have a licensed staff witness the waste and co-sign
A witness must observe the wasting of any unused controlled substance and co-sign the documentation to maintain accountability and prevent diversion.
Question 4: According to DEA regulations, controlled substance records must typically be retained for a minimum of how many years?
- 1 year
- 2 years (Correct answer)
- 5 years
- 10 years
Correct answer: 2 years
DEA regulations require controlled substance records to be maintained for at least 2 years and made available for inspection upon request.
Question 5: A Schedule II controlled substance prescription requires which of the following?
- A verbal order with nurse documentation
- A written or electronic prescription with no refills permitted (Correct answer)
- Refills allowed up to five times within six months
- A simple phone order to the pharmacy
Correct answer: A written or electronic prescription with no refills permitted
Schedule II drugs require a written or electronic prescription and cannot be refilled; a new prescription must be issued for each dispensing.
Question 6: Which of the following medications is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance?
- Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
- Lorazepam (Ativan)
- Oxycodone (OxyContin) (Correct answer)
- Tramadol (Ultram)
Correct answer: Oxycodone (OxyContin)
Oxycodone is a Schedule II opioid with high abuse potential and accepted medical use only under severe restriction.
Question 7: If a discrepancy is found in the controlled substance count, the medication technician's FIRST action should be to:
- Wait until the end of shift to document the difference
- Administer the next scheduled dose before reporting
- Immediately notify the supervisor and initiate an incident report (Correct answer)
- Recount independently to confirm before telling anyone
Correct answer: Immediately notify the supervisor and initiate an incident report
Any count discrepancy must be reported immediately to a supervisor so an investigation can begin promptly, which is required by facility policy and regulatory standards.
CMT Controlled Substances Management 1
Which schedule of controlled substances has the highest potential for abuse and no accepted medical use in the United States?