Pharmacy Technician Duties Flashcards
7 cards from real CVS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Pharmacy Technician Duties flashcards as text
A customer says they are a nurse and asks a pharmacy technician for information about a patient's prescription history. What should the technician do?
Answer: Decline to share patient information without proper authorization and refer to the pharmacist
Verbal claims of professional identity are not sufficient to override HIPAA protections; the pharmacist must evaluate any legitimate need for patient records.
What does the 'sig' on a prescription refer to?
Answer: The dispensing instructions for the patient (e.g., take 1 tablet by mouth twice daily)
The sig (from Latin 'signa') contains the directions for use that are printed on the medication label for the patient.
A pharmacy technician accidentally drops and breaks a vial of chemotherapy medication. What is the most important immediate action?
Answer: Alert staff, clear the area, and follow the pharmacy's hazardous spill protocol
Chemotherapy agents are hazardous drugs; a spill requires immediate implementation of the pharmacy's hazardous material spill protocol to protect staff and patients.
When typing a prescription label, the technician enters '1 tab po qid.' What does 'qid' mean?
Answer: Four times a day
QID is the Latin abbreviation for 'quater in die,' meaning four times a day.
A patient arrives to pick up their prescription and requests that it be put in a non-childproof (easy-open) container. What should the technician do?
Answer: Honor the patient's request, as adult patients have the right to request non-childproof packaging
Under the Poison Prevention Packaging Act, patients (or their agents) may request non-childproof packaging, and their preference should be honored and noted.
What is the purpose of the 'NDC' number printed on a medication package?
Answer: It is a unique 10- or 11-digit identifier for the drug product, manufacturer, and package size used for billing and inventory
The National Drug Code (NDC) uniquely identifies every drug product and is used for insurance billing, dispensing records, and inventory management.
A pharmacy technician notices that a returned medication in the returns bin is still sealed and unexpired. Can it be returned to active stock?
Answer: No — returned medications cannot be restocked; they must be set aside for pharmacist evaluation and disposal per policy
Once a medication leaves the pharmacy, its storage conditions cannot be verified, so returned drugs cannot be restocked regardless of apparent condition.
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