CVS Pharmacy Technician Duties 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When a customer drops off a prescription, what is the first step a pharmacy technician should perform?
- Begin counting the medication immediately
- Verify the patient's identity and check for any allergies on file (Correct answer)
- Check if the medication is in stock before speaking to the patient
- Calculate the copay and collect payment
Correct answer: Verify the patient's identity and check for any allergies on file
Verifying patient identity and reviewing allergies at drop-off is a critical safety step that prevents dispensing errors.
Question 2: A pharmacy technician receives a prescription for a Schedule II controlled substance with a quantity of 120 tablets. The pharmacy only has 90 in stock. What is the correct action?
- Dispense 90 and issue a partial fill note for the balance
- Call another pharmacy to transfer the prescription
- Ask the pharmacist for guidance, as Schedule II partials have specific legal requirements (Correct answer)
- Refuse to fill until the full quantity is available
Correct answer: Ask the pharmacist for guidance, as Schedule II partials have specific legal requirements
Schedule II controlled substance partial fills are governed by specific DEA regulations and require pharmacist oversight.
Question 3: Which of the following is NOT a typical duty of a pharmacy technician at CVS?
- Entering prescription data into the dispensing system
- Counseling patients on drug interactions (Correct answer)
- Processing insurance claims
- Pulling and counting medications for verification
Correct answer: Counseling patients on drug interactions
Patient counseling on drug interactions is a duty reserved for licensed pharmacists, not pharmacy technicians.
Question 4: A customer asks the pharmacy technician whether their new antibiotic will interact with their blood pressure medication. How should the technician respond?
- Provide the information if they know the answer
- Look it up in a drug reference book and advise the customer
- Direct the customer to speak with the pharmacist (Correct answer)
- Tell the customer to ask their doctor
Correct answer: Direct the customer to speak with the pharmacist
Drug interaction counseling must be provided by a licensed pharmacist; technicians should always refer clinical questions to the pharmacist.
Question 5: What does the abbreviation 'DAW' mean on a prescription, and how does it affect the technician's dispensing process?
- Dispense as written — the brand name drug must be dispensed, not a generic substitute (Correct answer)
- Dispense any way — the technician may choose brand or generic
- Dispensed and waiting — the prescription is ready for pickup
- Drug authorization waiver — prior authorization is not needed
Correct answer: Dispense as written — the brand name drug must be dispensed, not a generic substitute
DAW (Dispense as Written) is a prescriber instruction requiring the exact brand-name drug to be dispensed without generic substitution.
Question 6: During a workday, a pharmacy technician notices a vial of medication on the counter that has no label. What is the safest action?
- Set it aside and continue working — the pharmacist will handle it later
- Attempt to identify the medication by its appearance
- Immediately alert the pharmacist and quarantine the unlabeled vial (Correct answer)
- Dispose of it in the medication waste bin
Correct answer: Immediately alert the pharmacist and quarantine the unlabeled vial
An unlabeled medication is a patient safety hazard; it must be quarantined and reported to the pharmacist immediately to prevent a dispensing error.
Question 7: A technician is processing a new prescription and the system flags a duplicate therapy alert (patient already takes a similar drug). What should the technician do?
- Override the alert and continue processing — duplicates are common
- Cancel the prescription and tell the patient to return to their doctor
- Bring the alert to the pharmacist's attention before proceeding (Correct answer)
- Check if the alert is from the same prescriber and proceed if so
Correct answer: Bring the alert to the pharmacist's attention before proceeding
Clinical drug alerts must always be reviewed and resolved by the pharmacist, who has the authority to override or act on them.
CVS Pharmacy Technician Duties 2
When a customer drops off a prescription, what is the first step a pharmacy technician should perform?