PEBC Patient Safety Protocols 3

Question 1

Which concept describes the practice of designing pharmacy systems so a single human error cannot cause patient harm?

Accepted Answer

Forced functions and redundancy (defense-in-depth)

Answer

Defense-in-depth uses forced functions, redundancies, and barriers so that multiple safeguards must all fail before an error reaches the patient.

Question 2

A caregiver reports giving their child the wrong dose of liquid amoxicillin because they used a kitchen teaspoon. What is the best preventive strategy?

Accepted Answer

Provide an oral dosing syringe calibrated in millilitres and counsel on its use

Answer

Providing an oral syringe in mL and counselling on its use eliminates the household spoon variability that causes paediatric dosing errors.

Question 3

When conducting a root cause analysis (RCA) after a medication error, the PRIMARY goal is to:

Accepted Answer

Uncover system-level failures to prevent recurrence

Answer

RCA focuses on systemic and process failures — not individual blame — to implement durable solutions that prevent similar errors.

Question 4

A patient is prescribed digoxin 0.25 mg daily. Their serum creatinine has risen significantly since their last visit. What safety action is required?

Accepted Answer

Assess renal function and recommend dose adjustment because digoxin is renally cleared

Answer

Digoxin is primarily renally eliminated; reduced kidney function raises serum digoxin levels and the risk of toxicity, requiring dose reassessment.

Question 5

Which of the following is an example of a 'forcing function' in pharmacy safety?

Accepted Answer

A computer alert requiring the pharmacist to enter patient weight before dispensing pediatric doses

Answer

A forcing function is a system design that physically prevents an action from proceeding without a required step, such as mandatory weight entry.

PEBC - Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada Practice Test

PEBC - Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada Practice Test

PEBC Patient Safety Protocols 3