Medication Management Principles Flashcards
7 cards from real ALF practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Medication Management Principles flashcards as text
A resident's medication label reads 'Take 1 tablet by mouth twice daily.' The resident asks the med aide to crush the tablet into applesauce. What must be verified FIRST?
Answer: That the pharmacist or prescriber has confirmed the medication is safe to crush
Some formulations, such as extended-release or enteric-coated tablets, must never be crushed, so pharmacist or prescriber confirmation is required first.
Which of the following is an example of a medication error that must be documented and reported in an assisted living facility?
Answer: A dose is given two hours after the scheduled time, outside the facility's allowable window
A dose administered outside the facility's acceptable time window is a wrong-time error requiring documentation and reporting.
Under most state regulations, who may perform the initial assessment to determine whether a resident can safely self-administer medications?
Answer: A licensed health care professional, such as a nurse or physician
Determining self-administration capability is a clinical judgment that must be made by a licensed health care professional.
A medication administration record (MAR) shows initials in a time slot but the medication cart count reveals the dose was never removed. This discrepancy is BEST described as:
Answer: A documentation error suggesting the dose was charted but not given
Initialing the MAR without administering the dose is a documentation/omission discrepancy that must be investigated.
Which practice BEST reduces the risk of medication diversion of controlled substances in an assisted living facility?
Answer: Shift-to-shift counts of controlled substances by two staff members with documented reconciliation
Two-person shift counts with documented reconciliation create accountability that deters and detects diversion.
A resident returns from a hospital stay with a new medication list. What medication management process must occur before administration resumes?
Answer: Medication reconciliation comparing the new orders against the current MAR
Reconciliation identifies discrepancies between hospital discharge orders and existing facility orders before dosing resumes.
Which storage practice violates standard medication management requirements in assisted living?
Answer: A medication cart left unlocked and unattended in the hallway during rounds
Medication carts must be locked whenever they are unattended to prevent unauthorized access.