Pharmacy Technician Duties Flashcards

What is the correct procedure when a patient requests an early refill of a non-controlled medication but their insurance plan will not yet cover it?

Answer: Inform the patient of the insurance rejection and offer to fill it at the cash price if they wish

Patients always have the option to pay cash for medications; the technician should inform them of the rejection and the out-of-pocket cost as an alternative.

Which of the following best describes proper medication storage for a drug labeled 'Refrigerate — Do Not Freeze'?

Answer: Store in the pharmacy refrigerator at 36–46°F (2–8°C)

Refrigerated medications must be stored between 36–46°F (2–8°C) to maintain potency without freezing.

A customer wants to pick up a prescription for a controlled substance on behalf of a family member. What should the pharmacy technician require?

Answer: The pickup person must show valid photo ID and may need to sign the prescription log

For controlled substances, pharmacies require the pickup person to show valid ID and sign for the medication to create an audit trail.

What is a 'prior authorization' (PA) in the context of pharmacy dispensing?

Answer: An insurer's required approval before covering certain medications for a patient

A prior authorization is a process where a prescriber must obtain the insurer's approval before the plan will cover a specific medication.

Under HIPAA, a pharmacy technician may share a patient's prescription information with:

Answer: Another treating healthcare provider directly involved in the patient's care

HIPAA permits sharing protected health information with other treating providers involved in that patient's care without separate authorization.

A pharmacy technician is asked to process a prescription refill, but the original prescription has zero refills remaining. What is the correct action?

Answer: Contact the prescriber's office to request a new prescription or refill authorization

When authorized refills are exhausted, the prescriber must be contacted to issue a new prescription before the medication can be legally dispensed.

Which of the following is the correct way to handle an expired medication found in active pharmacy stock?

Answer: Remove it from active stock, quarantine it, and follow the pharmacy's expired medication disposal protocol

Expired medications must be removed from active inventory and disposed of according to established protocols to ensure patient safety and regulatory compliance.