NHA practice: prescription & medication orders

A pharmacy technician receives a refill request for omeprazole (Prilosec) 40mg. The prescription was written for a 30-day supply with six refills. The date on the prescription was 7 months prior to today’s date, and the prescription has had a total of seven refills. Which of the following actions should a pharmacy technician take?

Feedback: The technician should recognize that the total number of refills for this prescription has been met. The technician should inform the patient and contact the prescriber for a new prescription.

Contact the prescriber for a new prescription.

A patient presents a pharmacy technician with a prescription that indicates the prescriber has authorized a generic substitution. However, the patient requests no generic substitution. Which of the following DAW codes should the technician use when entering this prescription in the computer.

Feedback: The technician should use the DAW code 2 because it indicates that the prescriber authorized a generic substitution, but the patient requested the brand name medication.

2

Based on the prescription below, which of the following instructions should a pharmacy technician include on the medication label? i po qid ac

Feedback: The label instructions should direct the patient to take one by mouth four times daily before meals.

“Take one by mouth four times daily before meals.”

A pharmacy technician should recognize that the routing and identification information for a pharmacy claim is represented by which of the following on an insurance card?

Feedback: The technician should recognize that a bank identification number represents routing and identification information for payment of pharmacy claims.

Bank identification number

According to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), which of the following abbreviations should a pharmacy technician recognize as error-prone?

Feedback: The technician should recognize that the abbreviation "qod" means every other day but can be mistaken for "qd" or "qid."

qod

Which of the following elements of the prescription below should a pharmacy technician clarify? Levothyroxine .112 mcg i po qd ac

Feedback: The technician should clarify the strength of the medication because the prescription contains a decimal without a leading zero. Prescribers should use a leading zero before a decimal if the dose is less than a whole unit.

Strength

A patient requests a refill for a hydrocodone/acetaminophen (Vicodin) prescription. Which of the following actions should a pharmacy technician take?

Feedback: The technician should tell the patient that she will need a new prescription for this medication. Schedule II medications, such as hydrocodone/acetaminophen, cannot be refilled without a new prescription.

Inform the patient that their provider will need to submit a new prescription.

A pharmacy technician is filling a prescription for PRN glucagon. Which of the following dosage instructions should the technician include on the prescription label?

Feedback: PRN is an abbreviation that means use as needed. The technician should include this instruction on the prescription label.

Use as needed.

A pharmacy technician is filling a prescription that includes the abbreviation PO. Which of the following routes is indicated by this abbreviation?

Feedback: PO is an abbreviation that indicates the patient should take the medication by mouth

Oral

A patient who receives Medicare presents to the pharmacy with a prescription for a walker. A pharmacy technician should recognize that a walker should be billed to which of the following Medicare programs?

Feedback: The technician should recognize that a walker, which is considered durable medical equipment, should be billed to Medicare Part B.

Part B

Which of the following information should a pharmacy technician verify before filling a prescription below?

Name: Sue Thomas

DOB: 10/23/40

Atenolol 25mg Take 1 tablet po daily

Quantity: #90 Refills:0

Dr. Johnson (Signature)

The date of issue

A pharmacy technician enters a prescription that requires prior authorization. Which of the following actions should the technician take?

Feedback: The technician should contact the prescriber, who will need to preapprove the prescription with the insurance company.

Contact the prescriber.

A pharmacy technician is completing a patient profile. Which of the following patient information is the technician required to include in the profile?

feedback: The technician should recognize that the patient's home address should be included in the patient profile. The technician should ensure that the address contains a street address and a zip code.

Home address

A pharmacy technician is assisting a patient who has a prescription for alprazolam (Xanax). The technician should recognize that prescriptions for alprazolam have which of the following refill guidelines?

Feedback: The technician should recognize that alprazolam is a Schedule IV medication. Schedule III, IV, and V medications can be refilled up to five times within 6 months of the date the prescription was written.

A prescription can be refilled up to five times within 6 months of the date it was written.

A pharmacy technician is filling a prescription for insulin for a patient who receives Medicare benefits. Which of the following Medicare programs should the technician bill for this prescription?

Feedback: Medicare Part D provides coverage for prescriptions, biological medications, insulins, vaccines, and select medical supplies.

Part D

A pharmacy technician is entering a new patient profile into an electronic record. The patient states that he has a penicillin allergy. Which of the following information about the patient’s allergy should the technician include in the record?

Feedback: The technician should include details about the patient's reaction to penicillin in the patient profile.

Reaction to taking penicillin

Based on the prescription below, which of the following instructions should a pharmacy technician include on the medication label?

Feedback: The technician should recognize that i-ii means 1 to 2, po means by mouth, q4-6h means every 4 to 6 hr, prn means as needed, and pain means for pain.

“Take 1 or 2 by mouth every 4 to 6 hr as needed for pain.”

Which of the following components of the prescription below should a pharmacy technician verify before filling?

Lorazepam 0.5 mg 1 tab po daily

Quantity: 30 Refills: 6

Feedback: The pharmacy technician should recognize that lorazepam is a Schedule IV medication, which can only be refilled up to 5 times during a 6-month period.

Refills

A patient presents to the pharmacy with a prescription for levothyroxine (Synthroid). Although a generic equivalent is available, the prescriber requests the brand name medication. Which of the following DAW codes should a pharmacy technician indicate on the prescription for this patient?

Feedback: A DAW code 1 is used to indicate that no substitution is permitted.

1

A patient presents to the pharmacy with a prescription drug card to get a prescription refilled. Which of the following identifies the patient as the primary, spouse, or dependent on the insurance plan?

Feedback: The person code identifies the cardholder as the primary, spouse, or dependent on the insurance plan.

Person code

A pharmacy technician should bill a 70-year-old patient's blood glucose test strips to which of the following parts of Medicare?

Feedback: Medicare Part B covers durable medical equipment (DME), including blood glucose test strips, and medical services not covered under Part A, specifically for patients 65 years and older.

Medicare Part B

Which of the following items is covered under Medicare Part B?

Feedback: Glucometer and blood glucose testing supplies are considered durable medical equipment (DME) and are covered under Part B.

Glucometer and blood glucose testing supplies