PTCB Certified Pharmacy Technician (PTCE)Order Entry and ProcessingEasy
A pharmacy technician receives a prescription for 'Levothyroxine 75 mcg #90, Sig: 1 po qd.' Upon entering the prescription, the system alerts that the patient has a known allergy to 'sulfonamides.' What is the appropriate next step for the technician?
- AInform the patient that they cannot receive the medication due to their allergy.
- BContact the physician immediately to clarify the allergy and the prescription.
- CDispense the medication as ordered, as Levothyroxine does not contain sulfonamides.
- DChange the medication to a different thyroid hormone without a sulfonamide risk.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Dispense the medication as ordered, as Levothyroxine does not contain sulfonamides.
Levothyroxine is a thyroid hormone and does not contain sulfonamides. While the allergy alert is important, it is a false positive in this case. The technician should verify the drug's components and proceed with dispensing if there is no interaction.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. This is incorrect. The patient can safely receive the medication, as there is no contraindication due to their sulfonamide allergy.
- B. While contacting the physician is good practice for true allergies, in this case, it's unnecessary and would delay care for a non-issue.
- D. Changing medication without physician approval is outside the scope of a technician's practice.
Allergy Alert Interpretation
The process of evaluating an allergy alert generated by pharmacy software to determine its clinical relevance to the prescribed medication.
- Not all alerts indicate a true contraindication.
- Requires knowledge of drug classes and components.
- Pharmacist consultation is needed for true alerts or uncertainty.
Memory trick: Alerts Ring Loud, But Check the Drug, Before You Cloud.