Master of Pharmacy: Pharmacy Law and Ethics Flashcards
7 cards from real MPharm Master of Pharmacy practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Master of Pharmacy: Pharmacy Law and Ethics flashcards as text
Which of the following actions by a pharmacist constitutes 'unprofessional conduct' under most state pharmacy practice acts?
Answer: Dispensing a generic drug when a brand is prescribed without patient notification
Substituting a generic for a brand-name drug without notifying the patient (where required by state law) can constitute unprofessional conduct and a legal violation.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), pharmacy staff must provide reasonable accommodations to patients with disabilities. Which scenario BEST exemplifies this obligation?
Answer: Offering curbside prescription pickup for a patient who uses a wheelchair
Offering curbside pickup for a wheelchair user is a reasonable accommodation that ensures equal access to pharmacy services without undue burden.
The Stark Law (Physician Self-Referral Law) most directly prohibits:
Answer: Physicians from referring Medicare/Medicaid patients to entities in which they have a financial interest
The Stark Law prohibits physicians from referring Medicare and Medicaid patients to healthcare entities in which the physician or an immediate family member has a financial relationship.
A pharmacist is approached by a researcher who wants access to de-identified patient prescription data for a study. Under HIPAA, this data:
Answer: May be shared for research without authorization if properly de-identified per HIPAA Safe Harbor standards
De-identified data that meets HIPAA Safe Harbor standards (18 identifiers removed) is no longer PHI and may be shared without patient authorization.
Which principle from the Code of Ethics for Pharmacists (APhA) specifically addresses a pharmacist's obligation to act in the patient's best interest even when it conflicts with the pharmacist's own interests?
Answer: Principle of placing patient welfare foremost
The APhA Code's principle of placing patient welfare foremost requires pharmacists to prioritize patient interests above personal gain or benefit.
A pharmacist in a state that has enacted the Uniform Controlled Substances Act (UCSA) finds a conflict between state and federal controlled substance law. Which standard applies?
Answer: The stricter of the two laws applies, whether federal or state
When state and federal controlled substance laws conflict, pharmacists must comply with whichever is more stringent to satisfy both legal systems.
Which of the following best describes the concept of 'therapeutic privilege' and its ethical limitations in pharmacy practice?
Answer: Withholding information from a patient because disclosure might cause harm, which is ethically controversial and rarely justified
Therapeutic privilege (withholding information to prevent patient harm) is ethically controversial because it undermines patient autonomy and informed consent.