PTCB Certified Pharmacy Technician (PTCE)Patient Safety and Quality AssuranceEasy
A pharmacy technician is tasked with preparing a medication for a patient. The prescription states 'acetaminophen 500 mg, take 2 tablets by mouth every 6 hours as needed for pain.' The technician pulls a bottle labeled 'acetaminophen 325 mg.' What is the MOST appropriate action for the technician to take?
- ADispense two 325 mg tablets and instruct the patient to take three tablets to achieve the desired dose.
- BAlert the pharmacist to the discrepancy between the prescribed strength and available stock.
- CSearch for another bottle of acetaminophen with a 500 mg strength from a different manufacturer.
- DDispense two 325 mg tablets and document the change in the patient's record.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Alert the pharmacist to the discrepancy between the prescribed strength and available stock.
When a discrepancy is found between the prescribed medication strength and the available stock, the technician must immediately alert the pharmacist. Making unauthorized substitutions or advising patients on dosage adjustments is outside the technician's scope of practice and can lead to medication errors.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. This is outside the technician's scope of practice and could lead to incorrect dosing and patient harm.
- C. While finding the correct strength is ideal, the immediate action should be to involve the pharmacist, especially if the correct strength is not readily available.
- D. Documenting a change without pharmacist approval is inappropriate and could lead to dispensing errors.
Medication Discrepancy Protocol
A procedure for handling situations where the prescribed medication does not match available stock or patient information.
- Technicians must identify discrepancies.
- Pharmacist must be notified immediately.
- Never make unauthorized substitutions or dosage adjustments.
Memory trick: Discrepancy Detected? Alert the Expert!