Chapter 15

Question 1

American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) :

Answer 1

An association of pharmacists, pharmacy students, and technicians practicing in hospitals and health care systems, including home health care.

Question 2

Automated dispensing system (ADS):

Answer 2

Electronic system used to dispense medications.

Question 3

Medication error :

Answer 3

Any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm.

Question 4

Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB):

Answer 4

An organization that offers national certification for pharmacy technicians in the United States.

Question 5

Quality assurance (QA) :

Answer 5

Establishing a baseline or a starting point is key, and it is the first step; Establishing systems for ensuring quality of a product.

Question 6

Quality control (QC):

Answer 6

those established plans and discussions and making them into activities that prevent an error or make a process better. ; The use of established systems to ensure quality of a product

Question 7

(NOTE):
For instance, the technician assigned to the front counter (register) area or the storefront area (Fig. 15.4) should not be the same person assigned to handle all the incoming phone calls.Other duties for this technician might include the drive-thru window, overflow of calls to assist staff working on processing orders, or delivery drivers and mail.

Question 8

(NOTE):Remember to always adhere to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations when working at the front counter. Repeating a customer’s name or referring a call from a physician and stating the situation where customers can overhear would be in violation of regulations and can result in monetary fines.

Question 9

(NOTE):
When dropping a prescription off for filling, the technician must ensure the correct patient demographic information such as address, birth date, and any payment or insurance information is readily available to avoid delays or additional work.

Question 10

(NOTE):
The data entry area and stocking areas are usually together. To increase efficiency, a shelving section may be designated as “fast movers” and contain medications that are most frequently prescribed.

Question 11

(NOTE):
A designated area for “ready to check prescriptions” should contain a stock bottle and a prescription for the pharmacist’s review. This is important for verification of product National Drug Code and visual inspection at the time of checking. Baskets are often used and color-coded to identify customers waiting or returning, specialty situations, or urgent/priority.

Question 12

(NOTE):
To accommodate the increased number of patients who are elderly and the increased number of patients with more complicated disease states, pharmacies often include a section for long-term care packaging in their practice. This section may also include automation for packaging either in 30-day blister cards or strip packaging

Question 13

(NOTE):
Blister-package cards are also used for patients in assisted living or long-term care facilities. The cards contain blisters or bubbles that hold doses of medications. Each bubble is individual and punched out when the dose is due to be taken ;Inventory should be maintained daily, and either ordered or shared with the main pharmacy as one order.

Question 14

Institutional pharmacy:

Answer 14

The main department itself is generally located in the central hospital with satellites located in areas such as critical care, operating room (OR)/surgery or recovery, the emergency department, and the neonatal nursery. These satellite pharmacies will usually have their own technician and pharmacist who work in that area directly with that health care team.

Question 15

(NOTE):
The CPOE area is a bank of desks that should be located in a quiet zone where data entry and phone calls between pharmacists and other health care workers either inside or outside the facility can occur with minimum interruptions. This is where orders are scanned or faxed to the pharmacy and processed for filling or supply in an ADC

Question 16

(NOTE):
Barcoding and National Drug Code technology are key to ensuring quality and accuracy. From the patient’s electronic medication administration record to the actual cabinet (pocket) entry, the medication can be tracked and errors and diversion can be averted

Question 17

(NOTE):
Some nonclinical stocking or outside areas, such as central supply and EMS, will also be stocked by the pharmacy, and this inventory may be kept in the back in the main shelving or overflow area or can have a dedicated space within the dispensing area.

Question 18

(NOTE):
Code drugs, for instance, which are packaged with ready-to-inject syringes and bags of IV fluids, are items normally kept in EMS boxes and code carts.