PEBC Patient Communication 5

Question 1

A pharmacist discovers during counselling that a patient has been combining their prescription opioid with alcohol regularly. The MOST appropriate response includes:

Accepted Answer

Providing harm reduction counselling, explaining the risk of CNS/respiratory depression, and involving the care team

Answer

Harm reduction counselling and interprofessional collaboration are ethical and effective responses to concurrent opioid and alcohol use.

Question 2

A patient with low health literacy is picking up a complex polypharmacy regimen. Which strategy is MOST effective?

Accepted Answer

Use plain language, visual aids, and simplified medication schedules; confirm understanding with teach-back

Answer

Plain language combined with visual tools and teach-back is the most effective strategy for patients with low health literacy.

Question 3

A patient discloses suicidal thoughts while picking up their antidepressant. The pharmacist's IMMEDIATE priority is to:

Accepted Answer

Assess immediate risk, provide crisis resources, and facilitate urgent care — do not leave the patient alone if in immediate danger

Answer

Immediate safety assessment and connection to crisis resources is the first priority when a patient discloses suicidal ideation.

Question 4

A patient asks the pharmacist not to tell their spouse, who is also a patient at the pharmacy, that they are taking HIV medication. The pharmacist should:

Accepted Answer

Respect the patient's confidentiality, as personal health information cannot be shared without consent

Answer

Patient confidentiality is a fundamental legal and ethical obligation; health information cannot be disclosed to third parties without explicit consent.

Question 5

When counselling a patient on a new statin, the patient says 'I heard these medications destroy your liver.' The BEST pharmacist response is:

Accepted Answer

Acknowledge the concern, correct the misconception with evidence, and explain the actual monitoring recommendations

Answer

Acknowledging and correcting health misconceptions with evidence builds trust and supports informed medication decisions.

PEBC - Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada Practice Test

PEBC - Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada Practice Test

PEBC Patient Communication 5