PTCB Certified Pharmacy Technician (PTCE)Patient Safety and Quality AssuranceMedium
A pharmacy technician is preparing a patient's medication for discharge. The patient's profile indicates a known severe allergy to penicillin. The new prescription is for 'Amoxicillin 500 mg TID'. What is the MOST appropriate action for the technician to take?
- ADispense the medication with a 'take with food' sticker to prevent allergic reaction.
- BAlert the pharmacist immediately about the potential cross-reactivity.
- CSubstitute amoxicillin with erythromycin and inform the patient.
- DProcess the prescription as written, as amoxicillin is not penicillin.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Alert the pharmacist immediately about the potential cross-reactivity.
Amoxicillin is a penicillin-class antibiotic, and patients with a severe penicillin allergy are at high risk for cross-reactivity. The technician must immediately alert the pharmacist to this critical drug-allergy interaction. Processing the prescription or making substitutions is outside the technician's scope of practice and could be life-threatening for the patient.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. A 'take with food' sticker has no bearing on preventing an allergic reaction.
- C. Substituting medication is outside the technician's scope of practice and could lead to an incorrect therapy or further complications.
- D. Amoxicillin is a penicillin; this action would put the patient at severe risk.
Penicillin Allergy Cross-Reactivity
The risk of an allergic reaction to other beta-lactam antibiotics (e.g., cephalosporins, carbapenems, other penicillins) in patients with a known penicillin allergy.
- Amoxicillin is a penicillin.
- High risk of cross-reactivity with other penicillins.
- Pharmacist must evaluate and intervene.
Memory trick: Penicillin Allergy? Amoxicillin is a NO-GO, Alert the Pharmacist, Let Them Know!