Medicines Management and Safety Flashcards
7 cards from real NMC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Medicines Management and Safety flashcards as text
A nurse discovers a discrepancy in the controlled drug register at the end of a shift. What is the correct action?
Answer: Report the discrepancy immediately to the senior nurse and pharmacy, and complete an incident report
Any discrepancy in the controlled drug register must be reported immediately; it may indicate diversion, theft, or an administration error requiring urgent investigation.
A patient is taking St John's Wort herbal supplement and is prescribed sertraline. What is the primary concern?
Answer: Risk of serotonin syndrome due to combined serotonergic effects
St John's Wort has serotonergic properties; combining it with SSRIs like sertraline can precipitate serotonin syndrome, a potentially life-threatening condition.
When should a nurse withhold a prescribed antihypertensive medication?
Answer: If the patient's blood pressure is below the threshold specified in the prescription parameters
Most antihypertensive prescriptions include parameters (e.g., hold if systolic <90 mmHg); the nurse should withhold the drug if the reading falls outside these limits and notify the prescriber.
What is the primary purpose of a medicine reconciliation process on patient admission?
Answer: To ensure the patient's pre-admission medications are accurately identified and continued or adjusted appropriately
Medicines reconciliation on admission identifies all pre-admission medications to prevent unintended omissions, duplications, or interactions during the hospital episode.
A patient is prescribed a transdermal fentanyl patch. Which site preparation is correct before application?
Answer: Clean the skin with soap and water, dry thoroughly, and apply to non-irritated, non-irradiated hairless skin
The application site must be clean, dry, and hairless; soap and water are used (not alcohol, which can alter absorption), and the patch must be placed on intact, healthy skin.
Which of the following best describes a 'near miss' in medication safety?
Answer: An error that was intercepted before it reached the patient
A near miss is an error or unsafe condition that was caught and corrected before it reached the patient; reporting near misses helps prevent future harm.
A patient requires 250mg of a drug. The stock available is 125mg tablets. How many tablets should be administered?
Answer: 2 tablets
Using the formula: dose required ÷ dose available = 250 ÷ 125 = 2 tablets.