Pharmacy PEBC Practice Exam

BV is a 62 year old, obese female who visits a walk-in-clinic while her physician is away on vacation. She presents to the pharmacist with the following prescription: Losec® (omeprazole) 30 mg M: 30 Sig. i po daily. The pharmacist knows that this product is only available in 10 mg or 20 mg strengths and that BV’s profile shows that she was previously on the 20 mg strength of this medication. The most appropriate initial pharmacist response is to:

1. Tell BV that the physician has made a prescribing error.

2. Ask BV why she visited the clinic today and what the physician told her about the prescription.

3. Dispense using omeprazole 10 mg and adjust the quantity and dose accordingly.

4. Assume the prescriber was thinking of Prevacid® (lansoprazole) 30 mg and change the prescription accordingly.

The correct answer is: Ask BV why she visited the clinic today and what the physician told her about the prescription.

The most appropriate initial response for the pharmacist would be to ask BV about her visit to the clinic and what the physician told her about the prescription. This is because there could be a valid reason as to why the physician prescribed the 30 mg strength instead of the 10 mg or 20 mg. Additionally, it is important to gather all relevant information before making any changes to a prescription. Options A and D are incorrect because they both involve making assumptions without obtaining more information. Option C could be considered, but it may not be appropriate to adjust the dose and quantity without further information from the physician. Therefore, option B is the best initial response.