PTCB Practice Test on Patient Safety and Quality Assurance 2024

Last Updated on June 15, 2024

PTCB Practice Test on Patient Safety and Quality Assurance 2024. Pharmacy Technician Certification Board PTCB Practice Test on Federal Requirements Questions Answers with explanation for Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).

Elevate your preparation for the PTCB (Pharmacy Technician Certification Board) exam with our meticulously crafted PTCB Practice Test on Patient Safety and Quality Assurance for 2024. This updated practice test features 30 multiple-choice questions (MCQs), each with detailed explanations to solidify your knowledge and boost your confidence.

Patient Safety and Quality Assurance 2024

Our PTCB Practice Test on Patient Safety and Quality Assurance 2024 provides a comprehensive review of critical topics essential for the certification exam. Each question is crafted to reflect the content you will encounter on the test, offering a realistic and effective practice experience.

1. What should you do if a choking adult or child can cough forcefully?

  • (A) Perform abdominal thrusts
  • (B) Perform back blows
  • (C) Encourage them to keep coughing
  • (D) Call 911/EMS immediately

View Answer
Answer: (C) Explanation: If a choking adult or child can cough forcefully, encourage them to keep coughing to expel the object on their own.

2. Which organization is dedicated to developing tools and research to prevent medication errors?

  • (A) FDA
  • (B) DEA
  • (C) ISMP
  • (D) CDC

View Answer
Answer: (C) Explanation: The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) is dedicated to developing tools and research to prevent medication errors.

3. Which of the following is an example of a high-alert medication in acute care settings?

  • (A) Acetaminophen
  • (B) Ibuprofen
  • (C) Insulin
  • (D) Loratadine

View Answer
Answer: (C) Explanation: Insulin is considered a high-alert medication in acute care settings due to its high risk of causing significant harm if used in error.

4. What does ” LASA ” mean in medication safety?

  • (A) Long-acting strong analgesic
  • (B) Look-alike, sound-alike
  • (C) Low-alert, standard-alert
  • (D) Light-sensitive agents

View Answer
Answer: (B) Explanation: LASA stands for “Look-alike, sound-alike,” referring to medications that may be confused due to their similar names or appearances.

5. Which medication error prevention strategy involves using uppercase, bolded letters to distinguish similar drug names?

  • (A) Barcoding
  • (B) Tall man lettering
  • (C) Color coding
  • (D) Unit-dose packaging

View Answer
Answer: (B) Explanation: Tall man lettering uses uppercase, bolded letters to distinguish similar drug names and prevent errors.

6. What should be included on a prescription label for a controlled substance?

  • (A) Patient’s weight
  • (B) Pharmacy technician’s name
  • (C) Caution statement prohibiting transfer to others
  • (D) Manufacturer’s address

View Answer
Answer: (C) Explanation: A controlled substance prescription label must include a caution statement that prohibits transfer to anyone other than the patient.

7. What is the purpose of the Medication Errors Reporting Program (MERP)?

  • (A) To provide legal advice to patients
  • (B) To identify causes of errors and provide safety guidelines
  • (C) To track sales of controlled substances
  • (D) To certify pharmacists

View Answer
Answer: (B) Explanation: MERP aims to identify causes of medication errors and provide safety guidelines to prevent them.

8. Which of the following abbreviations is considered error-prone and should be avoided?

  • (A) mg
  • (B) mcg
  • (C) Q.D.
  • (D) tsp

View Answer
Answer: (C) Explanation: The abbreviation “Q.D.” (daily) is error-prone and should be avoided to prevent misinterpretation.

9. What should be done with expired medications in a pharmacy inventory?

  • (A) Dispense them at a discount
  • (B) Mix them with active medications
  • (C) Segregate them from in-date inventory
  • (D) Return them to the manufacturer

View Answer
Answer: (C) Explanation: Expired medications must be segregated from in-date inventory to prevent dispensing errors.

10. Which process involves scanning the patient’s wristband and medication barcode before administration?

  • (A) Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE)
  • (B) Bar Code Medication Administration (BCMA)
  • (C) Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
  • (D) Automated Dispensing Cabinets (ADC)

View Answer
Answer: (B) Explanation: Bar Code Medication Administration (BCMA) involves scanning the patient’s wristband and medication barcode before administration to ensure the correct drug is given.

11. What should be written on a prescription label for a high-alert medication?

  • (A) Patient’s full name and address
  • (B) “High-alert” warning
  • (C) Prescriber’s birthdate
  • (D) Manufacturer’s phone number

View Answer
Answer: (B) Explanation: A “High-alert” warning should be included on the prescription label for high-alert medications to indicate the potential for significant harm.

12. What is the primary goal of the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) program?

  • (A) To reduce medication costs
  • (B) To prevent, monitor, and manage risks associated with medications
  • (C) To increase medication sales
  • (D) To promote over-the-counter drug use

View Answer
Answer: (B) Explanation: The primary goal of REMS is to prevent, monitor, and manage risks associated with medications to ensure patient safety.

13. Which abbreviation should be used instead of “IU” to avoid medication errors?

  • (A) units
  • (B) International Unit
  • (C) IUs
  • (D) U

View Answer
Answer: (B) Explanation: “International Unit” should be used instead of “IU” to avoid confusion with intravenous (IV) or the number 10.

14. Which of the following is NOT a factor that may lead to a medication error?

  • (A) Human error
  • (B) Communication failure
  • (C) Correct medication labeling
  • (D) Environmental factors

View Answer
Answer: (C) Explanation: Correct medication labeling is not a factor that leads to medication errors; it helps prevent them.

15. What is a near miss in the context of medication errors?

  • (A) An error that reaches the patient but does not cause harm
  • (B) An error that is caught before reaching the patient
  • (C) An error that causes temporary harm
  • (D) An error that necessitates hospitalization

View Answer
Answer: (B) Explanation: A near miss is an error that is caught before it reaches the patient, preventing potential harm.

16. What does the abbreviation NKA stand for?

  • (A) No known allergies
  • (B) No known drug allergies
  • (C) Not known allergies
  • (D) New known allergies

View Answer
Answer: (A) Explanation: NKA stands for “No known allergies,” indicating that the patient has no known allergies.

17. Which type of error occurs when a medication is administered via the wrong route?

  • (A) Prescribing error
  • (B) Dispensing error
  • (C) Administration error
  • (D) Monitoring error

View Answer
Answer: (C) Explanation: An administration error occurs when a medication is administered via the wrong route.

18. Which medication is an example of a look-alike/sound-alike (LASA) medication?

  • (A) Acetaminophen
  • (B) BuPROPion
  • (C) Loratadine
  • (D) Omeprazole

View Answer
Answer: (B) Explanation: BuPROPion is an example of a look-alike/sound-alike (LASA) medication, which can be confused with busPIRone.

19. What should be used instead of a trailing zero to prevent medication errors?

  • (A) Leading zero
  • (B) Decimal point
  • (C) Whole number
  • (D) No trailing zero

View Answer
Answer: (D) Explanation: To prevent medication errors, do not use a trailing zero; instead, write the number without it (e.g., write “5 mg” instead of “5.0 mg”).

20. What does a Root Cause Analysis (RCA) aim to identify in the event of a medication error?

  • (A) The individual responsible for the error
  • (B) The systematic and workflow issues contributing to the error
  • (C) The cost of the error
  • (D) The patient’s medical history

View Answer
Answer: (B) Explanation: An RCA aims to identify systematic and workflow issues contributing to a medication error to prevent future occurrences.

21. What is the “five rights” of medication safety?

  • (A) Right dose, right time, right route, right medication, right documentation
  • (B) Right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, right time
  • (C) Right pharmacy, right physician, right drug, right dose, right documentation
  • (D) Right patient, right pharmacy, right dose, right documentation, right time

View Answer
Answer: (B) Explanation: The “five rights” of medication safety are the right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, and right time.

22. Which of the following is an error-prone abbreviation for “unit”?

  • (A) IU
  • (B) U
  • (C) ut
  • (D) un

View Answer
Answer: (B) Explanation: The abbreviation “U” is error-prone and should be written as “unit” to prevent confusion with the number zero or “cc.”

23. What is the purpose of the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA)?

  • (A) To reduce medication costs
  • (B) To ensure a clean bill of transit for medications from manufacturer to wholesaler
  • (C) To promote generic medication use
  • (D) To provide guidelines for pharmacy inventory management

View Answer
Answer: (B) Explanation: The DSCSA ensures a clean bill of transit for medications from manufacturer to wholesaler, helping protect patients from counterfeit or contaminated drugs.

24. What should be done if a medication error causes temporary harm and requires initial or prolonged hospitalization?

  • (A) Complete a DEA Form 41
  • (B) File a MedWatch report
  • (C) Conduct a Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
  • (D) Issue a medication recall

View Answer
Answer: (C) Explanation: Conducting a Root Cause Analysis (RCA) helps identify and address the factors contributing to the medication error.

25. Which abbreviation is recommended for documenting that a patient has no known drug allergies?

  • (A) NKA
  • (B) NADA
  • (C) NDDA
  • (D) NKDA

View Answer
Answer: (D) Explanation: NKDA stands for “No known drug allergies,” indicating that the patient has no known allergies to medications.

26. What is an example of a high-alert medication that requires special emphasis due to its concentrated form?

  • (A) Insulin U-500
  • (B) Epinephrine
  • (C) Morphine
  • (D) Warfarin

View Answer
Answer: (A) Explanation: Insulin U-500 is a high-alert medication that requires special emphasis due to its concentrated form, posing a higher risk of dosing errors.

27. Which of the following is a strategy for preventing medication errors involving look-alike/sound-alike drugs?

  • (A) Storing LASA drugs together
  • (B) Using only generic names
  • (C) Modifying electronic ordering systems
  • (D) Using trailing zeros in dosages

View Answer
Answer: (C) Explanation: Modifying electronic ordering systems to ensure look-alike/sound-alike (LASA) medications look dissimilar helps prevent medication errors.

28. What is the correct action if a pharmacy technician encounters an error-prone abbreviation on a prescription?

  • (A) Ignore the abbreviation and fill the prescription
  • (B) Consult the patient
  • (C) Confirm the correct abbreviation with the prescriber
  • (D) Ask the pharmacist to interpret

View Answer
Answer: (C) Explanation: Confirming the correct abbreviation with the prescriber helps ensure the prescription is filled accurately and safely.

29. What should be done with recalled drugs in a pharmacy?

  • (A) Dispense them with a warning
  • (B) Quarantine and remove them from stock
  • (C) Store them with active inventory
  • (D) Return them to the manufacturer

View Answer
Answer: (B) Explanation: Recalled drugs must be quarantined and removed from stock to prevent dispensing and ensure patient safety.

30. Which error prevention strategy involves checking patient identity and scanning medication barcodes before administration?

  • (A) Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE)
  • (B) Bar Code Medication Administration (BCMA)
  • (C) Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
  • (D) Automated Dispensing Cabinets (ADC)

View Answer
Answer: (B) Explanation: Bar Code Medication Administration (BCMA) involves checking patient identity and scanning medication barcodes before administration to ensure the correct drug is given.

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