MTM Patient-Centered Care & Communication 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An elderly patient reports they share their blood pressure medication with their spouse because they cannot afford two prescriptions. What is the pharmacist's PRIORITY response?
- Report the patient for medication misuse
- Assess affordability barriers and explore patient assistance programs or lower-cost alternatives (Correct answer)
- Tell the patient this is dangerous and they must stop immediately
- Contact the prescriber to discontinue the medication
Correct answer: Assess affordability barriers and explore patient assistance programs or lower-cost alternatives
Identifying and addressing the root cause — cost — through assistance programs is the patient-centered priority in this situation.
Question 2: The 'stages of change' model (transtheoretical model) includes which stage where a patient is aware of a problem but not yet ready to take action within the next 6 months?
- Precontemplation
- Contemplation (Correct answer)
- Preparation
- Action
Correct answer: Contemplation
Contemplation is defined as recognizing a problem exists but not planning to change within the next 6 months.
Question 3: A pharmacist uses open-ended questions during an MTM session. Which example BEST illustrates an open-ended question?
- 'Do you take your metformin every day?'
- 'Are you experiencing any side effects?'
- 'Tell me about your experience taking your diabetes medications.' (Correct answer)
- 'Is your blood sugar under control?'
Correct answer: 'Tell me about your experience taking your diabetes medications.'
Open-ended questions invite narrative responses and uncover information that yes/no questions would miss.
Question 4: When delivering a Medication Action Plan (MAP) to a patient, the document should be written at approximately what reading level for most patients?
- 10th grade level
- 8th grade level
- 5th to 6th grade level (Correct answer)
- College reading level
Correct answer: 5th to 6th grade level
Patient-facing health materials, including the MAP, should target a 5th to 6th grade reading level to maximize comprehension across populations.
Question 5: A patient from a cultural background where direct eye contact is considered disrespectful avoids looking at the pharmacist. The pharmacist should:
- Insist on eye contact as it is necessary for effective counseling
- Recognize this as a cultural norm and adjust expectations accordingly (Correct answer)
- Document the patient as unengaged in their care
- Refer the patient to a pharmacist of the same cultural background
Correct answer: Recognize this as a cultural norm and adjust expectations accordingly
Cultural competence requires recognizing that nonverbal communication norms vary and adapting the interaction accordingly.
Question 6: Which element is MOST critical to include when creating a patient's Personal Medication Record (PMR) during MTM?
- The pharmacy's dispensing history for the past 10 years
- All prescription medications, OTC drugs, herbals, vitamins, and supplements with dosing details (Correct answer)
- Only medications prescribed by the primary care physician
- Medications with their corresponding ICD-10 diagnostic codes
Correct answer: All prescription medications, OTC drugs, herbals, vitamins, and supplements with dosing details
A comprehensive PMR must include all medications — prescription, OTC, herbals, and supplements — to identify interactions and therapy gaps.
Question 7: A pharmacist practicing patient-centered care should primarily base treatment recommendations on:
- The most cost-effective drug regardless of patient preferences
- The patient's values, preferences, and individual clinical circumstances (Correct answer)
- Current clinical guidelines without deviation
- What the prescribing physician has already ordered
Correct answer: The patient's values, preferences, and individual clinical circumstances
Patient-centered care integrates the patient's values, preferences, and individual circumstances alongside clinical evidence.
MTM Patient-Centered Care & Communication 3
An elderly patient reports they share their blood pressure medication with their spouse because they cannot afford two prescriptions.
What is the pharmacist's PRIORITY response?