PSI Dispensing Practice

Question 1

What is the correct sequence of steps in the dispensing process?

Accepted Answer

Receive prescription → clinical check → label → dispense → accuracy check → counsel patient

Answer

The standard dispensing process: receive and validate the prescription, perform a clinical check, generate a label, select and dispense the product, accuracy check, then counsel the patient on proper use.

Question 2

Which label requirement is mandatory on all dispensed medicines in Ireland?

Accepted Answer

Patient's name, medicine name/strength/form, dose instructions, pharmacy name and date

Answer

Irish pharmacy regulations require labels to include: patient name, drug name, strength, form, directions for use, quantity, pharmacy details and dispensing date at minimum.

Question 3

When conducting a clinical check on a prescription, the pharmacist should assess:

Accepted Answer

Drug, dose, frequency, route, duration, interactions, allergies and patient appropriateness

Answer

A comprehensive clinical check covers the 'seven rights': right patient, drug, dose, route, frequency, duration and documentation — plus interactions and contraindications.

Question 4

A prescription written for 'co-codamol 30/500 tablets' — what does 30/500 represent?

Accepted Answer

30 mg codeine + 500 mg paracetamol per tablet

Answer

Combination product naming convention places the lower-dose or adjunct drug first: co-codamol 30/500 = 30 mg codeine phosphate + 500 mg paracetamol. This is a Schedule 5 CD in Ireland.

Question 5

Which calculation gives the number of tablets required for a prescription reading 'take 2 tablets THREE times a day for 7 days'?

Accepted Answer

42 tablets (2 × 3 × 7)

Answer

2 tablets per dose × 3 doses per day = 6 tablets/day × 7 days = 42 tablets total. Accurate calculation prevents under or over-supply.

PSI Pharmacy Practice Test

PSI Pharmacy Practice Test

PSI Dispensing Practice