Question 1

Smith calls in a prescription for John James, and leaves his date of birth, address and phone number. When the patient comes in for his prescription, he says his name is James John. As the pharmacy technician on duty, what should you do?

Accepted Answer

You should verify the date of birth and address with the patient and fill the prescription for him, if the information is correct. The additional patient information that the doctor included for this patient can be used to verify the identity of the patient. If the information is correct, it is appropriate to fill the prescription.

Question 2

Jones calls in a prescription for a patient, but does not know how to spell the patient's last name. What other information could you obtain to ensure that the prescription is filled for the correct patient?

Accepted Answer

All of the above options should be collected from the doctor, if the doctor cannot spell the patient's name. Any additional information you can obtain from the doctor will be helpful in making sure that the prescription is filled for the correct patient. You should also verify the spelling of the patient's last name when they come to the pharmacy to pick up their medication in order to ensure the accuracy of the pharmacy database.

Question 3

A woman comes in to pick up a prescription for a controlled substance for John Johnson. She does not know his birthdate, address, phone number or what medications he is allergic to. As the pharmacy technician on duty, what should you do?

Accepted Answer

You should tell her that you cannot give her the prescription without verifying at least one additional piece of patient information. When a patient's representative is picking up a prescription for a patient, they must be able to verify at least one additional piece of information about the patient. This is especially important with controlled substances, because it is especially important that these types of medications are not diverted from the intended patient.

Question 4

Which of the following allergies would be important to note in a patient's profile? I. Peanuts
II. Latex
III. Codeine

Accepted Answer

All patient allergies should be noted in the patient's profile. Some medications, such as Prometrium, are made with peanut extract, which can cause a severe allergic reaction in some patients. Some medications are made with latex, or in packaging that may contain latex, which could cause an allergic reaction in patients with this allergy.

Question 5

Why should a patient's chronic conditions be added to a patient's profile?

Accepted Answer

It is important to note the patient's disease states in order to ensure that the medications being filled are for the correct condition, and so the pharmacist can check for interactions between drugs and disease states. Some medications are contraindicated in certain disease states, so it is important for the pharmacist to have this information available when checking prescriptions. The technician does not need this information to order medication for a patient.

Question 6

Smith is a new patient to your pharmacy, and you need to create a patient profile for her. When you ask about her chronic conditions, she states that she has diabetes, asthma, cellulitis, and hypertension. Which of these conditions does not need to be added to her profile?

Accepted Answer

All of her stated conditions should be included in her profile. An effort should always be made to ensure that a complete profile is created for a patient. This includes any and all medical conditions that the patient states, as well as their demographic information, allergies and all medications that they are taking.

Question 7

A current patient at your pharmacy brings in a prescription for an antibiotic. On the prescription, the doctor's office has listed that the patient has allergies to several different medications, but your records show that she has no known allergies. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

You should verify with the patient what allergies they have, and if there are any discrepancies, double check with the doctor's office. A patient's allergies should never be ignored, especially when filling an antibiotic, as there are many allergies to antibiotic medications. The patient's insurance company generally would not have allergy information available to you.

Question 8

Which of the following pieces of information should be added to a patient's pharmacy profile?

Accepted Answer

All of the above pieces of information should be added to a patient's pharmacy profile. It is important for the pharmacist to know what medications a patient is taking, regardless of whether they are over the counter, prescription or herbal supplements, to accurately check for drug interactions. Allergies to over the counter medications and chronic medical conditions are also important information for the pharmacist to have access to, in order to determine if a medication is appropriate for the patient.

Question 9

John Smith comes into your pharmacy to fill a prescription. You look for his profile, and realize that there are 7 different people listed with the name John Smith. What information could you add to this patient's profile to help distinguish him from the other John Smiths listed?

Accepted Answer

All of the above information could be added to John Smith's profile. Any additional demographic information that you can add to his file would help to distinguish him from those of patients with the same name. The more information you can include, the better. In addition, including his middle name would also be appropriate.

Question 10

Reynolds comes in to your pharmacy with a prescription for an antibiotic. She recently picked up a prescription for a different antibiotic from your pharmacy two days ago, and has developed an allergy to it. She does not remember the name of the previous medication that she is allergic to. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

You should check what antibiotic Mrs. Reynolds picked up two days ago and add it to her allergy list. Allergies to medications should never be ignored; if a patient reports an allergic reaction but doesn't remember the medication name, you should make your best effort to determine what medication the patient is allergic to. A broad category of allergies should not be added to the patient's file, unless the patient reports an allergy to this entire category of medications.

Question 11

A patient comes to your pharmacy to fill a prescription for an antibiotic for a urinary tract infection. When you ask if she has any chronic conditions, she state that she does not. What should you add to the patient's profile under chronic conditions?

Accepted Answer

No chronic conditions should be listed. When asked, the patient stated that she does not have any chronic conditions, so none should be added to her profile. Since a urinary tract infection is generally an acute condition, this should not be added as a chronic condition unless the patient reports that they have ongoing urinary tract infections.

Question 12

Which of the following is not necessary information to add to a patient's retail pharmacy profile?

Accepted Answer

Previous surgeries that the patient has undergone do not need to be added to a patient's retail pharmacy profile. The actual surgery does not need to be added, but if the patient developed an allergy or chronic condition from the surgery, this is appropriate information to be included in the patient's profile. All of the other choices are information that the pharmacist can use to determine if a medication is appropriate for the patient.

Question 13

A new patient to your pharmacy reports that she has two contact telephone numbers that she uses regularly, her cell phone number and home phone number. Which should be added to her pharmacy profile?

Accepted Answer

If a patient gives you two contact phone numbers, you should add both to their profile. It would be wise to verify with the patient which phone number they would like to be contacted on first, and be sure to list this as their primary telephone number. This will allow you to most easily contact the patient if any problems arise when filling their prescription.

Quiz 4: Patient Info