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
Which strategy is MOST effective at preventing errors when verbal or telephone orders must be accepted?
Answer: Read-back verification: the receiver repeats the order aloud for the prescriber to confirm
Read-back verification closes the communication loop and confirms that the order was heard correctly before it is acted upon.
A patient with a documented penicillin allergy is prescribed amoxicillin-clavulanate. What is the pharmacist's primary responsibility?
Answer: Alert the prescriber to the allergy documentation and clarify the clinical decision before dispensing
The pharmacist must contact the prescriber to confirm the allergy history was considered before dispensing a drug that shares a beta-lactam structure.
Which technology has the strongest evidence for reducing medication administration errors in hospital pharmacies?
Answer: Barcode medication administration (BCMA) systems
BCMA systems verify the 'five rights' electronically at the point of administration, significantly reducing wrong-drug, wrong-dose, and wrong-patient errors.
A caregiver brings in a 2-year-old who accidentally ingested an unknown quantity of iron tablets. What is the pharmacist's first action?
Answer: Direct the caregiver to call Poison Control (1-800-268-9017) and proceed to the emergency department immediately
Iron ingestion in young children is a medical emergency; the pharmacist must direct the family to Poison Control and emergency services immediately.
Which of the following best describes a 'near-miss' event in pharmacy practice?
Answer: An error that was caught and corrected before it reached the patient
A near-miss is an error that was intercepted before reaching the patient, providing a critical learning opportunity without patient harm.
A patient on carbamazepine is prescribed erythromycin for a respiratory infection. What patient safety concern must the pharmacist address?
Answer: Erythromycin inhibits CYP3A4, potentially causing carbamazepine toxicity
Erythromycin is a CYP3A4 inhibitor; co-administration with carbamazepine (a CYP3A4 substrate) can cause carbamazepine accumulation and signs of toxicity.
Which label information is most critical for preventing a controlled substance dispensing error related to patient identity?
Answer: The patient's full name and date of birth on both the vial and the bag
Printing the patient's full name and date of birth on both outer and inner packaging allows final verification at point of dispensing and pickup, reducing wrong-patient errors.