PTCB Patient Safety & Quality Assurance 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is an example of a 'near miss' in pharmacy?
- A patient is harmed by the wrong drug
- An error is caught before reaching the patient (Correct answer)
- A drug is dispensed to the wrong patient
- A prescription is filled with the wrong strength
Correct answer: An error is caught before reaching the patient
A near miss is an error or unsafe situation that was caught before causing harm to the patient.
Question 2: What does the term 'look-alike, sound-alike' (LASA) drugs refer to?
- Generic and brand name pairs
- Drugs confused due to similar names or packaging (Correct answer)
- Drugs in the same therapeutic class
- Drugs with identical dosage forms
Correct answer: Drugs confused due to similar names or packaging
LASA drugs are medications that can be confused with each other because their names look or sound similar, a major cause of medication errors.
Question 3: Which organization runs the MedWatch program for adverse drug event reporting?
- DEA
- ISMP
- FDA (Correct answer)
- ASHP
Correct answer: FDA
The FDA's MedWatch program is the safety information and adverse event reporting system for healthcare professionals and patients.
Question 4: What does the 'five rights' of medication administration include?
- Right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, right time (Correct answer)
- Right patient, right drug, right cost, right label, right storage
- Right drug, right dose, right frequency, right prescriber, right patient
- Right patient, right pharmacist, right drug, right time, right form
Correct answer: Right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, right time
The five rights are: right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, and right time — the foundation of safe medication administration.
Question 5: What is the purpose of a drug recall?
- To update the drug's label
- To remove a product from the market due to safety, quality, or labeling issues (Correct answer)
- To lower the drug's price
- To change the drug's schedule
Correct answer: To remove a product from the market due to safety, quality, or labeling issues
A drug recall removes a product from the market or from patients' hands because it is defective, contaminated, mislabeled, or poses a health risk.
Question 6: Which quality assurance check helps verify that compounded preparations are prepared correctly?
- Drug utilization review
- Final product verification (Correct answer)
- Prospective DUR
- Adverse event reporting
Correct answer: Final product verification
Final product verification is the pharmacist's check that a compounded preparation matches the formula, quantity, and appearance specified.
PTCB Patient Safety & Quality Assurance 2
Which of the following is an example of a 'near miss' in pharmacy?