PSI Patient Safety

Question 1

What is a 'near miss' in the pharmacy context?

Accepted Answer

A dispensing error that is detected and corrected before the medicine reaches the patient

Answer

A patient who nearly missed collecting their prescription

Answer

A delivery of medicines that nearly arrived late

Answer

A prescription that was nearly written incorrectly

Question 2

What is the LASA (Look-Alike, Sound-Alike) issue in pharmacy?

Accepted Answer

The risk of medication errors caused by medicines with similar names, similar packaging, or both, leading to potential selection errors during dispensing

Answer

A quality assessment tool for pharmacy labels

Answer

An inventory management system

Answer

A patient classification system

Question 3

What is the pharmacist's role in adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting in Ireland?

Accepted Answer

To identify, document, and report suspected ADRs to the HPRA through the national ADR reporting system, especially for new medicines and serious reactions

Answer

ADR reporting is only the doctor's responsibility

Answer

ADRs do not need to be reported

Answer

Only report ADRs that cause hospitalisation

Question 4

What safety checks should a pharmacist perform when dispensing a new prescription for a patient already on other medications?

Accepted Answer

Check for drug-drug interactions, therapeutic duplication, contraindications based on the patient's medical history, appropriate dose for age/weight/renal function, and allergies

Answer

Only check the patient's name matches the prescription

Answer

No additional checks are needed

Answer

Only check the expiry date of the medicine

Question 5

What is the importance of patient counselling at the point of dispensing?

Accepted Answer

It improves medication adherence, helps patients understand their treatment, reduces errors in self-administration, and identifies potential problems before they cause harm

Answer

Patient counselling is a waste of time

Answer

Counselling should only be provided if the patient asks for it

Answer

Written labels are sufficient — no verbal counselling is needed

Question 6

What is the 'high alert medications' concept and which medicines fall into this category?

Accepted Answer

Medicines that bear a heightened risk of causing significant patient harm when used in error, including anticoagulants, insulin, opioids, and chemotherapy agents

Answer

Any medicine that costs over €100

Answer

Only medicines administered by injection

Answer

Medicines that have been recalled