NMC OSCE Medicines Management 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, which schedule requires a controlled drugs register entry for every transaction?
- Schedule 2 (Correct answer)
- Schedule 3
- Schedule 4
- Schedule 5
Correct answer: Schedule 2
Schedule 2 controlled drugs (e.g., morphine, diamorphine, oxycodone) require an entry in the Controlled Drugs Register for every administration, dispensing, or destruction. The register must be kept for two years.
Question 2: Two nurses are required for the administration of Schedule 2 controlled drugs. What is the primary purpose of this requirement?
- To share legal responsibility
- To reduce the time taken for administration
- To act as an independent check and verify the drug and dose (Correct answer)
- To comply with hospital infection control policy
Correct answer: To act as an independent check and verify the drug and dose
The requirement for two nurses to check and administer Schedule 2 controlled drugs is primarily an independent verification process to reduce the risk of errors in drug selection, dose, route, and patient identity.
Question 3: A nurse finds that the count in the controlled drugs cupboard does not match the register. What is the correct immediate action?
- Administer the medication and recount at the end of the shift
- Report the discrepancy to the person in charge immediately (Correct answer)
- Assume it is a recording error and correct the register
- Search the ward for the missing drug before reporting
Correct answer: Report the discrepancy to the person in charge immediately
Any discrepancy in the controlled drugs balance must be reported immediately to the person in charge and, if unresolved, to the pharmacy and potentially the police. Discrepancies should never be assumed to be recording errors without investigation.
Question 4: Which medication would be classified as a Schedule 2 controlled drug in the UK?
- Codeine phosphate 30mg tablets
- Temazepam
- Tramadol
- Morphine sulfate (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Morphine sulfate
Morphine sulfate is a Schedule 2 controlled drug requiring full CD register entries and double checking for administration. Temazepam and tramadol are Schedule 3 and 3 respectively, while codeine 30mg is Schedule 5 when in low concentrations.
Question 5: According to the 'five rights' of medicine administration, which combination is correct?
- Right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, right time (Correct answer)
- Right patient, right drug, right dose, right nurse, right time
- Right ward, right drug, right dose, right route, right team
- Right patient, right drug, right colour, right route, right time
Correct answer: Right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, right time
The five rights of medicines administration are: right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, and right time. These form the core safety check before administering any medication.
Question 6: A patient is prescribed paracetamol 1g QDS. The available stock is 500mg tablets. How many tablets should be administered per dose?
- 1 tablet
- 2 tablets (Correct answer)
- 3 tablets
- 4 tablets
Correct answer: 2 tablets
1g (1000mg) divided by 500mg per tablet equals 2 tablets per dose. This is a standard calculation: prescribed dose divided by available stock strength equals number of units to administer.
NMC OSCE Medicines Management 1
Under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, which schedule requires a controlled drugs register entry for every transaction?