MCQ Flashcards
7 cards from real ISMP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 MCQ flashcards as text
Which ISMP designation indicates a drug that bears a heightened risk of causing significant patient harm when used in error?
Answer: High-alert medication
ISMP defines high-alert medications as drugs that bear a heightened risk of causing significant patient harm when used in error.
A pharmacist receives an order for 'MTX 10 mg weekly.' What is the primary safety concern ISMP identifies with this order?
Answer: Methotrexate ordered daily instead of weekly can cause fatal toxicity
ISMP warns that methotrexate is frequently dispensed or administered daily instead of weekly, resulting in fatal overdoses.
According to ISMP, which practice best reduces errors with look-alike/sound-alike (LASA) drug names on medication labels?
Answer: Using tall man lettering to differentiate similar drug names
ISMP recommends tall man lettering (e.g., DOBUTamine vs. DOPamine) to visually differentiate look-alike drug names.
ISMP's guidelines on verbal orders recommend which of the following to reduce miscommunication?
Answer: Read back and verify the complete order after receiving it verbally
ISMP recommends a read-back process where the receiver repeats the verbal order to the prescriber for verification before acting on it.
Which of the following is an example of an independent double-check as recommended by ISMP?
Answer: One nurse checking a drug and a second nurse independently checking the same drug without knowledge of the first check
An independent double-check requires the second checker to perform the check without knowing the first checker's findings to avoid confirmation bias.
According to ISMP, which is the most error-prone method of medication administration that should be avoided when other options exist?
Answer: Compounded epidural infusions drawn from large-volume bags
ISMP identifies compounded solutions drawn from large-volume bags (especially for epidural or intrathecal use) as highly error-prone due to concentration variability and wrong-route risk.
ISMP recommends that insulin pens used in hospitals should be labeled with which critical warning?
Answer: 'For single patient use only — do not share'
ISMP warns that sharing insulin pens between patients can transmit bloodborne pathogens and requires clear 'for single patient use only' labeling.