PTCE Inventory Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A pharmacy receives a shipment where the invoice quantity does not match the physical count. What is the FIRST step the technician should take?
- Dispense from the shipment and adjust records later
- Notify the pharmacist and contact the wholesaler to report the discrepancy (Correct answer)
- Return the entire shipment without documentation
- Accept the shipment and update the perpetual inventory to match the invoice
Correct answer: Notify the pharmacist and contact the wholesaler to report the discrepancy
Discrepancies between invoice and physical count must be reported to the pharmacist and wholesaler before the inventory is accepted.
Question 2: Which inventory system automatically reorders stock when the quantity on hand falls to a predetermined level?
- Periodic order system
- Manual requisition system
- Par-level (min/max) system (Correct answer)
- First-in, first-out system
Correct answer: Par-level (min/max) system
A par-level (min/max) system triggers automatic reorders when stock drops to the minimum threshold.
Question 3: Under DEA regulations, Schedule II controlled substances that are damaged or unusable must be disposed of using which form?
- DEA Form 41 (Correct answer)
- DEA Form 106
- DEA Form 222
- DEA Form 224
Correct answer: DEA Form 41
DEA Form 41 is used to document the destruction/disposal of controlled substances.
Question 4: A pharmacy technician notices that a bottle of medication has a beyond-use date that has passed. The technician should:
- Continue dispensing as long as the original manufacturer expiration date is valid
- Remove it from the dispensing shelf and quarantine it per pharmacy policy (Correct answer)
- Relabel it with a new beyond-use date
- Return it to stock without action
Correct answer: Remove it from the dispensing shelf and quarantine it per pharmacy policy
Medications that have passed their beyond-use date must be removed from stock and quarantined according to pharmacy policy.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes a 'want book' used in pharmacy inventory management?
- A list of patients waiting for backordered medications
- A log used to record items that need to be reordered (Correct answer)
- A DEA record of controlled substance purchases
- A formulary of approved drugs for insurance plans
Correct answer: A log used to record items that need to be reordered
A want book is a running list of items that staff identifies as needing reorder before the next scheduled purchasing cycle.
Question 6: What does 'turnover rate' measure in pharmacy inventory management?
- The number of staff changes per year
- How frequently the entire inventory is sold and replaced over a given period (Correct answer)
- The percentage of medications returned by patients
- The ratio of generic to brand-name drugs dispensed
Correct answer: How frequently the entire inventory is sold and replaced over a given period
Turnover rate measures how many times the total inventory is sold and replenished in a given time period, indicating purchasing efficiency.
Question 7: A pharmacy technician is receiving a refrigerated drug shipment. The temperature log shows the product was exposed to 45°F during transit. The technician should:
- Accept and shelve the medication since it is still refrigerated temperature
- Quarantine the product and notify the pharmacist before accepting it (Correct answer)
- Return it immediately without documentation
- Accept it and monitor for visible degradation before dispensing
Correct answer: Quarantine the product and notify the pharmacist before accepting it
Products with temperature excursions must be quarantined and reviewed by the pharmacist; acceptability depends on manufacturer guidance.
PTCE Inventory Management 2
A pharmacy receives a shipment where the invoice quantity does not match the physical count.
What is the FIRST step the technician should take?