APC Compounding and Dispensing Practices Flashcards
6 cards from real APC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 APC Compounding and Dispensing Practices flashcards as text
In Australian pharmacy practice aligned with APC standards, which Schedule requires a written prescription from an authorized prescriber for supply?
Answer: Schedule 4
Schedule 4 (Prescription Only) medications require a valid written or electronic prescription from an authorized prescriber before a pharmacist can legally supply them.
A compounding log (batch record) must be retained for a minimum period after the beyond-use date of the preparation primarily to:
Answer: Enable traceability for adverse event investigation and regulatory compliance
Compounding batch records must be retained to support traceability in the event of adverse reactions, recalls, or regulatory inspections as required by APC and pharmacy board standards.
When storing cytotoxic (chemotherapy) drugs in the pharmacy, the requirements include:
Answer: Separate secure storage with hazard labeling, restricted access, and spill kits nearby
Cytotoxic drugs require segregated, clearly labeled, restricted-access storage with appropriate spill management resources to protect staff and prevent contamination.
Which property of a suppository base determines its mechanism of drug release — melting versus dissolving in rectal fluid?
Answer: The base type: fatty (cocoa butter/witepsol) melts, while water-soluble (PEG) dissolves
Fatty bases like cocoa butter melt at body temperature to release the drug, while water-soluble PEG bases dissolve in rectal secretions — the choice affects drug release rate and patient comfort.
APC assessment competency requires pharmacists to demonstrate they can identify a 'clinically significant' drug allergy before dispensing. Which response to a documented penicillin allergy (anaphylaxis) is correct?
Answer: Avoid all beta-lactams and consult the prescriber for a non-beta-lactam alternative
A history of penicillin-induced anaphylaxis contraindicates all beta-lactam antibiotics due to potential cross-reactivity, requiring consultation with the prescriber for a safe alternative.
The correct action when a pharmacist receives a forged or altered prescription is to:
Answer: Retain the prescription, refuse to dispense, and report to the relevant regulatory authority and police
APC standards and Australian law require pharmacists to retain a suspected forged prescription as evidence, refuse to dispense, and notify both the relevant authority and law enforcement.