APC Safety and Infection Control 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A pharmacist notices a spill of an unidentified liquid in the dispensary. What is the FIRST action to take?
- Clean it up immediately with paper towels
- Identify the substance before taking action
- Restrict access to the area and assess the hazard (Correct answer)
- Call emergency services immediately
Correct answer: Restrict access to the area and assess the hazard
Restricting access and assessing the hazard first prevents injury to staff and customers before cleanup begins.
Question 2: Which of the following is the correct order for donning personal protective equipment (PPE) when entering a contaminated area?
- Gloves, gown, mask, eye protection
- Gown, mask, eye protection, gloves (Correct answer)
- Mask, gown, gloves, eye protection
- Eye protection, gloves, gown, mask
Correct answer: Gown, mask, eye protection, gloves
The correct donning order is gown first, then mask, then eye protection, then gloves to ensure each layer is properly secured.
Question 3: A patient with confirmed MRSA requires counselling at the pharmacy counter. Which infection control measure is most appropriate?
- Refuse service until the infection clears
- Use a private consultation room and perform hand hygiene before and after (Correct answer)
- Wear a full hazmat suit during consultation
- Ask the patient to wait outside
Correct answer: Use a private consultation room and perform hand hygiene before and after
Using a private room reduces transmission risk, and strict hand hygiene before and after contact is the key infection control measure.
Question 4: What is the purpose of a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) in the pharmacy?
- To record staff immunisation history
- To document adverse drug reactions
- To provide information on hazardous chemical handling, storage, and emergency procedures (Correct answer)
- To track controlled drug dispensing
Correct answer: To provide information on hazardous chemical handling, storage, and emergency procedures
An SDS provides comprehensive information about a hazardous substance including safe handling, storage, and emergency response.
Question 5: Which hepatitis virus is most commonly associated with needlestick injuries in healthcare settings?
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B (Correct answer)
- Hepatitis C
- Hepatitis D
Correct answer: Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B has the highest transmission risk after needlestick injury, with up to 30% infection risk from a single exposure to HBV-positive blood.
Question 6: A pharmacy receives a complaint that a patient received another patient's medication. Under the pharmacy's incident reporting framework, this event is classified as:
- A near miss
- A sentinel event
- A dispensing error with patient impact (Correct answer)
- A minor administrative error
Correct answer: A dispensing error with patient impact
A dispensing error that reached the patient and had potential or actual harm is classified as a dispensing error with patient impact requiring mandatory reporting.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes the principle of 'hierarchy of controls' when managing workplace hazards?
- Using PPE as the primary line of defence
- Eliminating the hazard first, then substitution, then engineering controls, then administrative controls, then PPE (Correct answer)
- Training staff before implementing any physical controls
- Documenting the hazard and monitoring it over time
Correct answer: Eliminating the hazard first, then substitution, then engineering controls, then administrative controls, then PPE
The hierarchy of controls prioritises elimination as the most effective control, with PPE being the least effective last resort.
APC Safety and Infection Control 2
A pharmacist notices a spill of an unidentified liquid in the dispensary.
What is the FIRST action to take?