APC Documentation and Record Keeping 4

Question 1

A pharmacist discovers that the S8 register balance does not match physical stock. What should be done FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Conduct an immediate investigation, document the discrepancy, and notify the relevant authority as required by state legislation

Answer

Adjust the register to match stock without further investigation

Answer

Assume a counting error and recount tomorrow

Answer

Dispose of excess stock to reconcile the balance

Question 2

Which of the following best describes a 'dispensing record' as required by Australian pharmacy legislation?

Accepted Answer

A record of each dispensed item including patient, prescriber, medicine, quantity, date, and dispensing pharmacist

Answer

A marketing log showing which products were promoted to patients

Answer

A summary of daily revenue from prescription dispensing

Answer

A list of medicines ordered from wholesalers

Question 3

A patient requests access to their own dispensing history. Under the Privacy Act, what is the pharmacist's obligation?

Accepted Answer

Provide the patient access to their records, unless a specific exception applies

Answer

Refuse, as dispensing records are pharmacy property and cannot be shared

Answer

Charge a mandatory fee before any records can be released

Answer

Require a court order before releasing records to the patient

Question 4

When transferring a prescription between pharmacies, which information MUST be documented on the transferred prescription?

Accepted Answer

Date of transfer, transferring and receiving pharmacy details, quantity already dispensed, and remaining repeats

Answer

The original pharmacy's ABN only

Answer

Only the number of remaining repeats

Answer

Nothing — electronic transfer systems handle all documentation automatically

Question 5

A locum pharmacist dispenses a medicine under their own name in the dispensing system rather than the supervising pharmacist's name. Why is this important for documentation?

Accepted Answer

Professional accountability requires the dispensing record to correctly identify who is responsible for each supply

Answer

It is not important; any pharmacist name can be used for efficiency

Answer

Only the owner pharmacist's name can legally appear in records

Answer

The locum's name must only appear in the staff schedule, not dispensing records

Question 6

What is the significance of 'brand substitution' notation on a dispensing record?

Accepted Answer

It documents that a different brand was supplied under the PBS brand substitution provisions, with the prescriber's or patient's consent noted

Answer

It records that the pharmacist changed the dose without prescriber approval

Answer

It indicates the medicine was compounded on-site

Answer

It shows the medicine was dispensed at a discounted price

Question 7

Under Good Pharmacy Practice standards, how should corrections to handwritten dispensing records be made?

Accepted Answer

Draw a single line through the error, write the correction, and initial and date the change

Answer

Use correction fluid (white-out) to completely conceal the error

Answer

Tear out and discard the erroneous page and rewrite from scratch

Answer

Leave the error uncorrected to preserve the original record