MTM Medication Safety & Error Prevention 5

Question 1

Which of the following is the MOST effective system-level intervention to reduce medication errors compared to individual-level interventions?

Accepted Answer

Implementing computerized prescriber order entry (CPOE) with clinical decision support

Answer

CPOE with clinical decision support intercepts errors at the point of prescribing through automated alerts, a system-level control that is far more reliable than education alone.

Question 2

An MTM pharmacist is reviewing a patient's medication list and finds that the patient is taking both sertraline and tramadol. The primary safety concern is:

Accepted Answer

Increased risk of serotonin syndrome

Answer

Both sertraline (serotonergic agent) and tramadol (weak serotonin reuptake inhibitor and mu-opioid agonist) increase serotonergic activity, raising the risk of serotonin syndrome.

Question 3

When evaluating medication errors using root cause analysis (RCA), what is the goal of identifying 'root causes' rather than individual blame?

Accepted Answer

To identify systemic failures and implement corrective system changes

Answer

RCA focuses on identifying the underlying system flaws — not individual fault — so that process changes can prevent recurrence of the same error.

Question 4

A patient is prescribed warfarin and is told by a friend to take vitamin K supplements to 'improve blood health.' The MTM pharmacist should explain that vitamin K supplementation will most likely:

Accepted Answer

Antagonize warfarin's anticoagulant effect, reducing INR below therapeutic range

Answer

Vitamin K is the cofactor that warfarin antagonizes; supplementing it reduces warfarin's effectiveness and can decrease INR below the therapeutic target.

Question 5

Which of the following patient counseling strategies BEST reduces the risk of accidental overdose with acetaminophen-containing combination products?

Accepted Answer

Teaching the patient to review all OTC and prescription labels for acetaminophen content

Answer

Many patients take multiple products containing acetaminophen without realizing it; teaching label reading across all products prevents unintentional cumulative overdose.

(MTM) Medication Therapy Management Board Certification Practice Test

(MTM) Medication Therapy Management Board Certification Practice Test

MTM Medication Safety & Error Prevention 5