CVS Assessment Medication Safety and Error Prevention Questions and Answers Flashcards

What is the safest practice when a patient asks for their prescription to be filled early because they are going on vacation?

Answer: Inform the pharmacist to evaluate the request and check insurance and state regulations

Early fills involve clinical and regulatory considerations that only the pharmacist is authorized to approve.

A prescription is written for a controlled substance but lacks the prescriber's DEA number. You should:

Answer: Call the prescriber's office to obtain the DEA number before dispensing

Controlled substance prescriptions are legally invalid without a valid DEA number, so it must be obtained before dispensing.

Which behavior best describes a culture of safety in a CVS pharmacy?

Answer: Encouraging all staff to speak up about errors and near-misses without fear of blame

A just-culture safety environment requires open reporting and team accountability to continually reduce errors.

When should a pharmacy technician decline to answer a patient's question about whether a medication is safe for them?

Answer: When the question requires clinical judgment, which must be directed to the pharmacist

Clinical questions about drug safety, interactions, or dosing require a pharmacist's professional judgment and licensure.

Expiration date monitoring of pharmacy stock is important because:

Answer: Dispensing expired medication can reduce drug efficacy or cause patient harm

Expired medications may lose potency or degrade into harmful compounds, making regular stock rotation a patient safety requirement.

If a technician realizes mid-fill that the pill count on the stock bottle is lower than needed for the full prescription quantity, what is the correct action?

Answer: Dispense a partial fill if permitted, clearly label it as partial, and notify the pharmacist

Partial fills must be documented and communicated per protocol; using returns or wrong bottles are never acceptable substitutes.