MACE Medication Administration and Reporting 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A medication aide notices that the medication in the bottle looks different (different color/shape) than usual. What should they do?
- Administer it anyway since it came from the pharmacy
- Hold the medication and notify the nurse before giving it (Correct answer)
- Ask the resident if they recognize the pill
- Crush it to check if the powder looks correct
Correct answer: Hold the medication and notify the nurse before giving it
Any unexpected change in the appearance of a medication is a safety concern that requires withholding the dose and notifying the nurse before administration.
Question 2: Which of the following is the correct way to store most oral medications?
- In a warm, moist location near a sink
- In a cool, dry place away from direct light (Correct answer)
- In the refrigerator regardless of label instructions
- In an unlocked cabinet accessible to residents
Correct answer: In a cool, dry place away from direct light
Most oral medications should be stored in a cool, dry place away from direct light and heat to maintain their potency and stability.
Question 3: A resident receiving digoxin has a heart rate of 52 beats per minute. What should the medication aide do?
- Administer the dose since it is ordered
- Hold the medication and notify the nurse immediately (Correct answer)
- Give half the prescribed dose
- Document the low heart rate but administer as ordered
Correct answer: Hold the medication and notify the nurse immediately
Digoxin is typically held and the nurse notified when the apical pulse is below 60 bpm, as this indicates potential digoxin toxicity or excessive bradycardia.
Question 4: What does the abbreviation 'STAT' mean in a medication order?
- Give at a standard scheduled time
- Give immediately, without delay (Correct answer)
- Stop the medication permanently
- Give slowly over thirty minutes
Correct answer: Give immediately, without delay
STAT is derived from the Latin 'statim,' meaning immediately; a STAT order must be carried out without delay.
Question 5: Which of the following is the safest method to dispose of controlled substances that are no longer needed?
- Flush them down the toilet without documentation
- Follow the facility's controlled substance waste procedure with a witness (Correct answer)
- Return them to the pharmacy without informing the nurse
- Discard them in the regular trash after removing labels
Correct answer: Follow the facility's controlled substance waste procedure with a witness
Controlled substances must be disposed of following the facility's established protocol, which requires a witness and proper documentation to maintain accountability.
Question 6: A transdermal patch is ordered to be changed every 72 hours. The medication aide should FIRST:
- Apply the new patch to the same site as the old one
- Remove the old patch, clean the skin, then apply the new patch to a different site (Correct answer)
- Apply the new patch and remove the old one later in the shift
- Leave the old patch in place and add the new patch on top
Correct answer: Remove the old patch, clean the skin, then apply the new patch to a different site
The old patch must be removed and the site cleaned before applying a new patch to a different site, to avoid overdose and skin irritation.
Question 7: Which observation should be reported to the nurse when a resident is taking a diuretic medication?
- Increased urination during the first hour
- Ankle swelling and sudden weight gain of 3 pounds in one day (Correct answer)
- Mild thirst after the morning dose
- Slightly increased appetite at lunch
Correct answer: Ankle swelling and sudden weight gain of 3 pounds in one day
Ankle swelling and rapid weight gain in a resident on diuretics may indicate the medication is not working or fluid is accumulating, requiring nurse evaluation.
MACE Medication Administration and Reporting 4
A medication aide notices that the medication in the bottle looks different (different color/shape) than usual.
What should they do?