Pharmacy PEBC Practice Exam

TK is a 54 year old male who is a new patient at the pharmacy. He presents today with a new prescription for 20 diazepam 10 mg, i po qid and taper as directed over 5-7 days. In discussion with the pharmacist, TK admits that he has abused alcohol for the last 3 years, but that he stopped drinking yesterday when he went to an alcohol treatment centre. He discloses that he has not been looking after himself or eating well in recent months. His current symptoms include agitation, insomnia and tremulousness. His medical history is otherwise insignificant. Later that same day, TK returns to the pharmacy with his vial of diazepam. He tells the pharmacist that he did not receive the labeled quantity of the medication. The pharmacist determines that a counting error did occur. What is the best way for the pharmacist to prevent this type of error in the pharmacy in the future?

1. Require that all narcotics and benzodiazepine prescriptions be counted only by pharmacist staff.

2. Obtain signatures from patients picking up orders to confirm receipt of the correct labelled quantity.

3. Double count all narcotics and benzodiazepines and document on the prescription hard-copy.

4. Use an electronic pill counter to ensure accurate prescription quantities for these medications.

The correct answer is: Double count all narcotics and benzodiazepines and document on the prescription hard-copy.

The best way to prevent counting errors in the future is to double count all narcotics and benzodiazepines. This option involves physically counting the medication twice and documenting it on the prescription hard-copy. This ensures accuracy in the dispensing process and allows for a cross-check of the quantity by the pharmacist and any other staff involved in the dispensing process. Option A would limit the handling of these medications to only pharmacist staff, but it doesn't address the possibility of human error. Option B may provide a record of the patient receiving the correct quantity, but it doesn't address the issue of counting errors during the dispensing process. Option D may be a useful tool, but it doesn't completely eliminate the possibility of human error and should not be relied upon as the sole method for preventing counting errors. In summary, option C is the best way to prevent counting errors in the pharmacy as it includes a