FREE BCACP Patient Adherence and Education Questions and Answers

Question 1

A patient with uncontrolled hypertension states, "I know I should take my blood pressure pills, but I hate the side effects and I don't feel any different when I take them." Which response from the pharmacist best demonstrates the spirit of motivational interviewing?

Accepted Answer

"It sounds like you're frustrated that the medications make you feel worse without any noticeable benefit."

Answer

"If you don't take your medication, you're at a very high risk for a stroke or heart attack."

Answer

"Let's switch you to a different medication that has fewer side effects. That will solve the problem."

Answer

"Why aren't you taking them? Don't you understand how important this is?"

Question 2

A 45-year-old patient with prediabetes has been advised to start a regular exercise program. During a follow-up visit, he states, "I know I need to exercise, and I've been thinking about joining a gym for the past few months, but I haven't taken any steps yet." According to the Transtheoretical Model of Change, which stage is this patient most likely in?

Accepted Answer

Contemplation

Answer

Precontemplation

Answer

Preparation

Answer

Action

Question 3

An ambulatory care pharmacist wants to quickly screen a new patient for potential health literacy challenges. Which of the following is a validated, single-question screening tool for this purpose?

Accepted Answer

"How often do you have problems learning about your medical condition because of difficulty understanding written information?"

Answer

"What is your highest level of education completed?"

Answer

"Can you read this prescription label and tell me how you would take the medication?"

Answer

"Do you always take your medications exactly as prescribed?"

Question 4

A managed care organization wants to use pharmacy claims data to evaluate patient adherence to statin therapy across its entire member population. Which of the following is the most appropriate and objective metric to calculate for this purpose?

Accepted Answer

Proportion of Days Covered (PDC)

Answer

Patient self-report surveys

Answer

Pill counts at clinic visits

Answer

Clinician assessment of adherence

Question 5

A pharmacist is counseling a 72-year-old patient on starting a new direct oral anticoagulant. After explaining the dosing and key precautions, the pharmacist wants to assess the patient's understanding. Which of the following statements is the most appropriate use of the teach-back method?

Accepted Answer

"Just to be sure I did a good job explaining, can you tell me in your own words how you are going to take this new medicine?"

Answer

"Do you have any questions about what we just discussed?"

Answer

"Did you understand everything I just told you about the bleeding risks?"

Answer

"So, you'll take one tablet twice a day. Is that clear?"

Question 6

A pharmacist is developing a program to improve medication adherence for a population of older adults with complex, multi-drug regimens for various chronic conditions. Which single intervention is most effective for specifically addressing non-adherence due to regimen complexity?

Accepted Answer

Using multi-dose packaging or pill organizers.

Answer

Providing generic medication alternatives to reduce cost.

Answer

Sending daily automated text message reminders.

Answer

Conducting one intensive education session at the start of therapy.