MPJE Licensure and Personnel Roles 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following pharmacy personnel may legally counsel a patient on the proper use of a new prescription medication?
- A certified pharmacy technician with 5 years of experience
- A licensed pharmacist (Correct answer)
- A pharmacy intern under supervision is prohibited from counseling
- Any pharmacy employee who has completed a counseling training course
Correct answer: A licensed pharmacist
Patient counseling on prescription medications is a professional act that must be performed by a licensed pharmacist.
Question 2: A pharmacist working at a hospital is asked to also manage a retail pharmacy kiosk in another building on the same campus under a single DEA registration. This arrangement is:
- Permissible if both locations are under the same hospital license
- Generally not permissible; each pharmacy location requires its own DEA registration (Correct answer)
- Allowed as long as the pharmacist is physically present at one location at all times
- Permitted only for non-controlled substance dispensing at the kiosk
Correct answer: Generally not permissible; each pharmacy location requires its own DEA registration
Each pharmacy location must have its own DEA registration; a single registration cannot cover multiple separate dispensing locations.
Question 3: A pharmacy technician certification through PTCB or NHA is:
- Required by federal law in all states for any technician handling controlled substances
- A national credential that some states require and others recognize as optional (Correct answer)
- Equivalent to a pharmacy intern license in states that accept it
- Issued by the DEA alongside a technician permit
Correct answer: A national credential that some states require and others recognize as optional
PTCB and NHA certifications are nationally recognized credentials; requirements vary by state, with some mandating certification and others making it optional.
Question 4: When a pharmacist-in-charge (PIC) accepts responsibility for a new pharmacy, they become liable for:
- Only violations that occur after they assume the PIC role (Correct answer)
- All prior violations at that pharmacy regardless of when they occurred
- Violations related to controlled substances only
- Violations that the previous PIC failed to report to the board
Correct answer: Only violations that occur after they assume the PIC role
A PIC assumes legal responsibility for compliance from the date they accept the role; they are not retroactively responsible for prior violations.
Question 5: A pharmacist is employed at two different pharmacies owned by two different corporations. Which of the following is true regarding their DEA registration?
- One DEA registration covers all employment locations for an individual pharmacist
- The pharmacist does not need a personal DEA registration; each pharmacy holds its own (Correct answer)
- The pharmacist must hold separate DEA registrations for each employer
- A DEA waiver is required to work at multiple locations
Correct answer: The pharmacist does not need a personal DEA registration; each pharmacy holds its own
Individual pharmacists do not hold DEA registrations; the pharmacy entity holds the registration, so multiple employers each have their own.
Question 6: Under the pharmacy practice act in most states, which action by a pharmacist would most likely result in mandatory license revocation rather than discretionary discipline?
- Failing to counsel a patient on a new prescription
- A second conviction for diverting controlled substances (Correct answer)
- Dispensing a prescription with a labeling error
- Failing to submit continuing education records on time
Correct answer: A second conviction for diverting controlled substances
Many states mandate revocation upon a second controlled substance diversion conviction, whereas most other violations are subject to discretionary discipline.
Question 7: A pharmacy student completing their APPE rotations is classified as a:
- Licensed pharmacy intern regardless of state intern registration status
- Pharmacy intern only if registered with the state board of pharmacy (Correct answer)
- Pharmacy technician trainee for regulatory purposes
- Non-licensed observer with no patient care authority
Correct answer: Pharmacy intern only if registered with the state board of pharmacy
Students on APPEs function as pharmacy interns only if they hold a valid state intern registration; they must be registered to perform intern activities.
MPJE Licensure and Personnel Roles 5
Which of the following pharmacy personnel may legally counsel a patient on the proper use of a new prescription medication?