Patient Safety and Quality Assurance Practice Test for
the PTCB Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam
What is the term for "any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use
or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the healthcare professional, patient, or
consumer"?
performance deficit
prescription drug abuse
knowledge deficit
medication error
medication error
To avoid transcription errors in the pharmacy, which of these procedures is recommended?
Require indications for all high-risk drugs.
Always include a zero after a decimal point.
Require an independent dose double check.
Repeat back all phone orders before hanging up.
Repeat back all phone orders before hanging up
Which of these is an example of unintentional medication misuse?
The patient uses his rescue asthma inhaler multiple times per day when the drug is only indicated for
emergent shortness of breath.
The patient takes a benzodiazepine three times a day every day instead of just "as needed" before
flying.
The patient takes his opioid pain medication after it is no longer needed.
The patient uses someone else's prescription to self-medicate.
The patient uses his rescue asthma inhaler multiple times per day when the drug is only indicated for
emergent shortness of breath.
What organization is the authority on high-alert medications across different healthcare settings?
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and
Quality
Institute for Safe Medication Practices
Food and Drug Administration
Drug Enforcement Administration
Institute for Safe Medication Practices
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices identifies high-alert medications and strategies to reduce
errors and minimize harm. They are also responsible for maintaining lists of common
look-alike/sound-alike drugs, error-prone abbreviations, and medications to avoid crushing.
What is the term used to describe "drugs that can cause significant and considerable harm when used
in error"?
drug-drug interactions
adverse drug events
prescription drug abuse
high-alert medications
high-alert medications
High-alert medications are defined by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices as "drugs that can
cause significant and considerable harm when used in error."
Tall man lettering may be most appropriate for which pair of look-alike/sound-alike drugs?
, metoprolol/omeprazole
digoxin/warfarin
ritonavir/rapaglinide
hydralazine/hydroxyzine
hydralazine/hydroxyzine
Which of these scenarios represents a potential prescriber error?
bypass of bar-coded medication administration system
illegible handwriting
use of floor stock instead of unit dose medications
borrowed medications from another patient
illegible handwriting
Which of these medication orders is most appropriate to use?
Take one tablet by mouth daily.
1 tab per os qd.
Tk 1 tab PO QD.
Take one tab qd.
Take one tablet by mouth daily.
Which of these includes a trailing zero?
0.5
5.2
500
5.0
5.0
For whole numbers, trailing zeros (e.g., 5.0) should be avoided because it could result in a 10-fold
increase in the dose if the period is mistakenly overlooked. Instead, this should have been written
simply as "5." The other options are examples of appropriate use of zeros and/or decimal points.
Report a problem
Which of these medication orders is most appropriate to use?
10 mg twice daily.
Take 10 mg by mouth twice daily.
Take 10 mg per os twice daily.
Take 10.0 mg PO BID.
Take 10 mg by mouth twice daily.
Which of these notations is on the Institute for Safe Medication Practice's list of error-prone
abbreviations, symbols, and dose designations?
PO
daily
un
HS
HS
"HS" may be interpreted to mean "half strength" or "bedtime"; as such, it is most appropriate to write
out the term intended.
Which of these notations is on the Institute for Safe Medication Practice's list of error-prone
abbreviations, symbols, and dose designations?
mL
the PTCB Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam
What is the term for "any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use
or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the healthcare professional, patient, or
consumer"?
performance deficit
prescription drug abuse
knowledge deficit
medication error
medication error
To avoid transcription errors in the pharmacy, which of these procedures is recommended?
Require indications for all high-risk drugs.
Always include a zero after a decimal point.
Require an independent dose double check.
Repeat back all phone orders before hanging up.
Repeat back all phone orders before hanging up
Which of these is an example of unintentional medication misuse?
The patient uses his rescue asthma inhaler multiple times per day when the drug is only indicated for
emergent shortness of breath.
The patient takes a benzodiazepine three times a day every day instead of just "as needed" before
flying.
The patient takes his opioid pain medication after it is no longer needed.
The patient uses someone else's prescription to self-medicate.
The patient uses his rescue asthma inhaler multiple times per day when the drug is only indicated for
emergent shortness of breath.
What organization is the authority on high-alert medications across different healthcare settings?
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and
Quality
Institute for Safe Medication Practices
Food and Drug Administration
Drug Enforcement Administration
Institute for Safe Medication Practices
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices identifies high-alert medications and strategies to reduce
errors and minimize harm. They are also responsible for maintaining lists of common
look-alike/sound-alike drugs, error-prone abbreviations, and medications to avoid crushing.
What is the term used to describe "drugs that can cause significant and considerable harm when used
in error"?
drug-drug interactions
adverse drug events
prescription drug abuse
high-alert medications
high-alert medications
High-alert medications are defined by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices as "drugs that can
cause significant and considerable harm when used in error."
Tall man lettering may be most appropriate for which pair of look-alike/sound-alike drugs?
, metoprolol/omeprazole
digoxin/warfarin
ritonavir/rapaglinide
hydralazine/hydroxyzine
hydralazine/hydroxyzine
Which of these scenarios represents a potential prescriber error?
bypass of bar-coded medication administration system
illegible handwriting
use of floor stock instead of unit dose medications
borrowed medications from another patient
illegible handwriting
Which of these medication orders is most appropriate to use?
Take one tablet by mouth daily.
1 tab per os qd.
Tk 1 tab PO QD.
Take one tab qd.
Take one tablet by mouth daily.
Which of these includes a trailing zero?
0.5
5.2
500
5.0
5.0
For whole numbers, trailing zeros (e.g., 5.0) should be avoided because it could result in a 10-fold
increase in the dose if the period is mistakenly overlooked. Instead, this should have been written
simply as "5." The other options are examples of appropriate use of zeros and/or decimal points.
Report a problem
Which of these medication orders is most appropriate to use?
10 mg twice daily.
Take 10 mg by mouth twice daily.
Take 10 mg per os twice daily.
Take 10.0 mg PO BID.
Take 10 mg by mouth twice daily.
Which of these notations is on the Institute for Safe Medication Practice's list of error-prone
abbreviations, symbols, and dose designations?
PO
daily
un
HS
HS
"HS" may be interpreted to mean "half strength" or "bedtime"; as such, it is most appropriate to write
out the term intended.
Which of these notations is on the Institute for Safe Medication Practice's list of error-prone
abbreviations, symbols, and dose designations?
mL
