Patient Safety Protocols Flashcards
7 cards from real PEBC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Patient Safety Protocols flashcards as text
A pharmacist receives a prescription for methotrexate 2.5 mg tablets with instructions to take 'one tablet daily.' What is the most important safety intervention?
Answer: Contact the prescriber to clarify — methotrexate for non-oncology use is typically dosed weekly, not daily
Methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis or psoriasis is dosed weekly; daily dosing is a well-known, potentially fatal prescribing error.
Which error-reporting system principle is central to improving patient safety in pharmacy practice?
Answer: Blame-free, voluntary reporting to identify systemic issues
Blame-free, voluntary reporting encourages disclosure of errors and near-misses, enabling systemic improvements without fear of punishment.
A patient is prescribed warfarin and asks if they can take naproxen for knee pain. What is the primary safety concern?
Answer: NSAIDs displace warfarin from plasma proteins and increase bleeding risk
NSAIDs such as naproxen potentiate warfarin's anticoagulant effect and increase GI bleeding risk through antiplatelet and anticoagulant mechanisms.
In the ISMP high-alert medication list, which insulin formulation is considered highest risk due to look-alike/sound-alike confusion?
Answer: Insulin glargine (Lantus) confused with other insulin types
Insulin glargine is frequently confused with NPH insulin due to similar appearance, leading to hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia when the wrong product is dispensed.
A pharmacy technician brings a filled prescription to the pharmacist for final verification. Which checking technique best reduces dispensing errors?
Answer: Check the label matches the original prescription using an independent double-check
An independent double-check by the pharmacist comparing the filled product against the original prescription is the gold standard for catching dispensing errors.
Which strategy is most effective for preventing wrong-patient errors during prescription dispensing?
Answer: Use at least two patient identifiers (e.g., full name and date of birth)
Using two independent identifiers such as full name and date of birth minimizes the risk of dispensing to the wrong patient.
A pharmacist notices a drug recall notice for a lot number already dispensed to patients. What is the immediate priority action?
Answer: Quarantine remaining stock and notify affected patients to return the product
The pharmacist must quarantine remaining recalled stock immediately and proactively contact patients to prevent continued use of a potentially unsafe product.