What is the generic name for Lexapro? - ANSWER Escitalopram
For safety reasons the medical abbreviations q.d. and QD should not be used; instead they should be written as: - ANSWER once a day
(because q.d. and QD a
...
What is the generic name for Lexapro? - ANSWER Escitalopram
For safety reasons the medical abbreviations q.d. and QD should not be used; instead they should be written as: - ANSWER once a day
(because q.d. and QD are both from the Latin "quaque die," or each day.)
To prevent cross-contamination between solid dosage forms like tablets and capsules, a pharmacy technician should: - ANSWER wipe a counting tray clean after each use.
(because powder from tablets may remain on a counting tray after use; if residue is left behind and the next patient is allergic to a previously counted medication, that patient may have an allergic reaction. Although a technician could wear gloves while counting out medication)
Which of the following issues is the most likely target of a DUR? - ANSWER Therapeutic duplication
(drug utilization reviews (DURs) screen for therapeutic duplication, drug-disease contraindications, drug-drug interactions, incorrect drug dosage, incorrect duration of treatment, drug-allergy interactions, and clinical abuse/misuse of medication.)
Which of the following organizations is tasked with enforcing proper medication disposal practices to ensure that pharmaceutical waste does not contaminate waterways and drinking water? - ANSWER EPA
(Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state health departments work together to enforce proper disposal of pharmaceutical waste to keep pharmaceuticals out of waterways and drinking water.)
Which vitamin is of special importance during pregnancy in order to prevent birth (neural tube) defects? - ANSWER Folic Acid
(national guidelines (from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, among others) recommend the use of oral folic acid before conception and during early pregnancy to reduce the risk of neural tube defects (NTDs).)
Which of the following is most important to ensuring the chemical stability of medications stored in a pharmacy? - ANSWER Temperature, humidity, and lighting conditions
(all three can affect the chemical stability of medications.)
Which of the following antibiotic products may cause a cross-sensitivity reaction in patients who are allergic to penicillin? - ANSWER Augmentin (hypersentivity/allergies to beta-lactam antibacterial drugs (such as penicillins and cephalosporins) is one of Augmentin's specific contraindications due to the similarities in chemical structure and/or pharmacologic actions.)
Which of the following routes of administration would be considered parenteral? - ANSWER Subcutaneous
(any route except oral)
Which of the following products must be dispensed in its original container? - ANSWER Nitroglycerin 0.4 mg sublingual tablets
(nitroglycerin sublingual tablets should be kept in the original glass container and tightly capped after each use to prevent loss of tablet potency.)
Under standard precautions, it is considered safe for healthcare workers to come in direct contact with patients': - ANSWER dirty hands
(standard precautions assume that all blood, body fluids, secretions, excretions except sweat, nonintact skin, and mucous membranes may contain transmissible infectious agents. Standard precautions include recommendations regarding appropriate hand hygiene, appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), and respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette intended to stop the transmission of pathogens.)
A vial of medication shows the manufacturer's expiration date as November 2026. The last date on which this medication may be used is: - ANSWER November 30, 2026.
(when a product's expiration date indicates only a month and year, the product can be used through the last day of the specified month.)
Which of the following conditions may help prevent medication errors? - ANSWER Sufficient lighting
(adequate lighting is recommended by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) to help curtail medication errors.)
According to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), which of the following is considered a look-alike/sound-alike medication pair? - ANSWER Spiriva and Apidra
(that pair appears on the list of confused drug names maintained by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP).)
Which auxiliary label should be affixed to a prescription bottle of metronidazole? - ANSWER Do not drink alcoholic beverages when taking this medication
(metronidazole may enhance the adverse/toxic effect of alcohol and the combination should be avoided)
Which of the following medications should be avoided by patients allergic to sulfa drugs? - ANSWER Bactrim
(Bactrim (a brand name for sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim) is a sulfonamide derivative)
A particular manufacturer packages amlodipine 2.5 mg tablets with an NDC of 0603-2108-02. If a pharmacy technician wants to receive hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg capsules from the same manufacturer, which of the following NDCs should they order? - ANSWER 0603-3855-21
(first segment of a National Drug Code (NDC) indicates a product's labeler or manufacturer; that segment in only the key matches the one in the stem. The second segment of an NDC is the product code, and the third segment is the package code.)
Incompatibility between two components of a non-sterile compound may result in the: - ANSWER formation of a new active ingredient.
(drug incompatibilities are physical and chemical reactions that occur between two or more drugs when they are combined; these reactions can lead to reduced drug activity or inactivity, the formation of a new toxic or nontoxic active ingredient, increased toxicity of one or more of the involved drugs, and organoleptic changes.)
Advair Diskus inhalation powder comes in a sealed pouch. Once the pouch is opened, any remainder should be discarded after how many months? - ANSWER 1
(the manufacturer advises that Advair Diskus should be discarded 1 month after the foil pouch is opened or when the counter reads zero, whichever comes first.)
How many 250 mg tablets of metronidazole are needed to make 150 mL of suspension containing 100 mg/mL? - ANSWER 60
(First, find the total mg of metronidazole needed in the final product by setting up a proportion:
x/150 mL = 100 mg/1 mL
x = 15,000 mg
Next, divide to find how many 250 mg tablets of metronidazole are needed to total 15,000 mg:
15,000 mg/250 mg per tablet = 60 tablets)
The generic name of Zyprexa is: - ANSWER olanzapine
St. John's wort is primarily used as a(n): - ANSWER mild antidepressant.
(St. John's wort may be used as mono- or adjunctive therapy in the treatment of depression, and its effectiveness is comparable with standard antidepressants.)
A prescription written for which of the following drugs could be filled with atorvastatin if generic substitution is allowed? - ANSWER Lipitor
A pharmacy receives the following prescription:
Warfarin 2.5 mg tablets
Disp: 4 weeks supply
Sig: 1 tab PO on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and 0.5 tab on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday
What quantity of tablets will be needed to fill this prescription if the first dose is taken on a Sunday? - ANSWER 20
(First, find how many tablets the patient needs per week:
(1 tablet per day x 3 days per week) + (0.5 tablet per day x 4 days per week) = 5 tablets per week
Next, multiply the tablets needed per week by the number of weeks to find the total number of tablets:
5 tablets per week x 4 weeks total = 20 tablets)
A hospital's Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) Committee reviews medication error reports in order to help: - ANSWER keep track of therapeutic substitutions made due to drug shortages.
(P&T Committees are charged with improving systems and processes in order to reduce medication errors and adverse drug events.)
According to federal law, pharmacists must be alerted for consultations in all of the following situations except: - ANSWER new refills
(federal laws such as OBRA-90 do not include a requirement for pharmacists to counsel patients on new refills)
A patient presents a new prescription order for labetalol. The patient's computer profile shows the following medications: glyburide, albuterol, furosemide, atenolol, and amlodipine. The labetalol prescription order is a therapeutic duplication of: - ANSWER atenolol
(both labetolol and atenolol are beta blockers)
According to federal law, prescriptions for Schedule III controlled substances may: - ANSWER be refilled for up to 6 months if indicated.
(according to Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations (Part 1306), prescriptions for Schedule III and IV medications may be refilled no more than five times within six months from the date they were issued.)
The pharmacy receives the following prescription:
Tamsulosin 0.4 mg caps
Sig: 0.4 mg PO daily for 2 weeks then increase to 0.8 mg daily thereafter
What quantity of capsules will be needed for the first 30 days? - ANSWER 46
(First, find how many capsules the patient will need for the first 2 weeks of therapy by multiplying the number of capsules per day by the number of days:
1 capsule per day x 14 days = 14 capsules
Next, find how many capsules the patient will need for the remaining 16 days by multiplying the number of capsules per day by the number of days:
2 capsules per day x 16 days = 32 capsules
Finally, add the two totals to find how many capsules are required for the entire 30 days:
14 capsules + 32 capsules = 46 capsules)
Which of the following must be included if a new prescription is to be considered complete and clear? - ANSWER Route of administration
(the route of administration indicates which dosage form the patient should receive and helps the patient understand how to use their medication.)
The theft or loss of significant quantities of controlled substances must be reported to: - ANSWER DEA
(Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations (Part 1301) requires pharmacies to notify the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Field Division Office in their area, in writing, of the theft or significant loss of any controlled substance within one business day of discovery of such theft or loss. Pharmacies must also complete and submit DEA Form 106.)
A patient decides to transfer their diazepam prescription from a chain pharmacy to a mail order pharmacy that does not share a real-time, online database. According to federal law, a schedule IV prescription: - ANSWER Can be transferred no more than one time between these pharmacies.
(Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations (Part 1306), Schedule IV prescription information may be transferred only one time between pharmacies that do not share a real-time, online database. Pharmacies that do share a real-time, online database may transfer prescription information up to the maximum refills permitted by law and the prescriber's authorization.)
If two drugs are commonly mistaken for each other, what strategy could reduce the possibility of an error reaching the patient? - ANSWER Separating where drugs are kept on the shelves
(error prevention strategy recommended by numerous organizations, including the World Health Organization)
The following prescription is written for ProAir HFA:
Sig: 2 puffs PO q.i.d.
Dispense two inhalers of 8.5 g
How long, in days, should the supply last if there are 200 metered doses in each inhaler? - ANSWER 50
(The first step is to interpret the prescription directions. The abbreviation "q.i.d." (from the Latin "quater in die") means four times a day. Multiply puffs per dose by doses per day to find how many puffs the patient is instructed to use per day:
2 puffs per dose x 4 doses per day = 8 puffs per day
Next, find how many puffs total will be dispensed by multiplying the number of inhalers by the number of puffs per inhaler:
2 inhalers x 200 puffs per inhaler = 400 puffs total
Finally, divide the total number of puffs by the number of puffs per day to find the days supply:
400 puffs total ÷ 8 puffs per day = 50 days supply)
The primary purpose of rotating inventory in the pharmacy is to: - ANSWER reduce the potential for dispensing expired medications.
(proper rotation of inventory helps reduce the potential for dispensing expired medications)
When determining therapeutic equivalence, the FDA requires which of the following criteria to be identical? - ANSWER Dosage form
(dosage forms, active ingredients, and route(s) of administration must be identical in order for the FDA to consider drug products to be therapeutically equivalent.)
A pharmacy technician is asked to divide a bulk bottle of chloral hydrate 500 mg/5 mL into 1 tsp unit-of-use packaging. The best option for portioning out the drug is to use a(n): - ANSWER oral liquid syringe
(oral liquid syringes are appropriate to use with oral medication and can provide a precise measurement for 1 tsp (or 5 mL).)
For which of the following conditions could omeprazole be prescribed? - ANSWER GERD
(omeprazole (Prilosec) is a proton pump inhibitor that produces a pronounced and long-lasting reduction of gastric acid production, including in the case of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Other indications for omeprazole include duodenal ulcer, gastric ulcer, and heartburn.)
A pharmacy technician fills a prescription with the wrong medication because of the similarity of the two containers but then catches the error. The technician should: - ANSWER report the avoided error to MedWatch.
(MedWatch (the FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program) allows voluntary reporting of product problems regarding quality, performance, or safety concerns, including issues with poor packaging or labeling.)
A patient taking Xarelto is looking for an OTC medication to treat minor pain. Which of the following is most likely to be recommended? - ANSWER Acetaminophen
(Xarelto, which is used to inhibit platelet activation and fibrin clot formation, interacts with drugs that have antiplatelet or anticoagulation properties, and acetaminophen does not have antiplatelet or anticoagulation properties.)
Which of the following medication purchases may be tracked using MethCheck? - ANSWER Pseudoephedrine
(pseudoephedrine is a methamphetamine precursor, and MethCheck allows pharmacies to log and track pseudoephedrine transactions in compliance with the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005.)
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