Handling new prescriptions is a critical task in community and hospital pharmacy practice. It involves verifying prescription accuracy, assessing drug interactions, counseling patients, and ensuring medication safety. This quiz aligns with Pharm.D. coursework like PHA5561 and CIPPE, covering essential competencies in processing and evaluating new prescriptions.
1. The first step when receiving a new prescription is to:
- A. Dispense immediately
- B. Verify the prescription for completeness and legality
- C. Ask the patient to return later
- D. Check inventory
Correct answer: B. Verify the prescription for completeness and legality
2. Which of the following must be present on a valid prescription?
- A. Patient’s age and phone number
- B. Prescriber’s name, date, drug name, dosage, and signature
- C. Pharmacy logo
- D. Manufacturer name
Correct answer: B. Prescriber’s name, date, drug name, dosage, and signature
3. A pharmacist must clarify a prescription if:
- A. The drug name is misspelled
- B. The quantity seems incorrect
- C. There is a potential interaction
- D. All of the above
Correct answer: D. All of the above
4. Counseling a patient on a new prescription includes discussing:
- A. Storage only
- B. Price only
- C. Dosage, route, timing, side effects, and precautions
- D. Marketing information
Correct answer: C. Dosage, route, timing, side effects, and precautions
5. Drug-drug interaction checks should be performed when:
- A. Time permits
- B. Prescribing a refill
- C. Processing any new prescription
- D. Only for elderly patients
Correct answer: C. Processing any new prescription
6. The “five rights” of medication safety include:
- A. Right medication, dose, patient, route, and time
- B. Right store, brand, color, size, and shape
- C. Right label, cost, quantity, form, and barcode
- D. Right fridge, staff, vial, count, and mood
Correct answer: A. Right medication, dose, patient, route, and time
7. If a patient has questions about their new medication, the pharmacist should:
- A. Refer them to the internet
- B. Provide clear, evidence-based counseling
- C. Avoid answering
- D. Ask a technician to guess
Correct answer: B. Provide clear, evidence-based counseling
8. A prescription for a controlled substance typically requires:
- A. Electronic submission only
- B. Verbal confirmation
- C. Additional regulatory and documentation steps
- D. No special procedures
Correct answer: C. Additional regulatory and documentation steps
9. If a prescription is written illegibly, the pharmacist should:
- A. Guess the drug
- B. Ask the patient for clarification
- C. Contact the prescriber directly
- D. Skip the verification
Correct answer: C. Contact the prescriber directly
10. The purpose of the Drug Utilization Review (DUR) is to:
- A. Record patient data only
- B. Evaluate safety, appropriateness, and effectiveness of medication use
- C. Confirm prescriber contact information
- D. Manage insurance payments
Correct answer: B. Evaluate safety, appropriateness, and effectiveness of medication use
11. A new prescription for a pediatric patient must be checked for:
- A. Weight-based dosing accuracy
- B. Adult dosage compatibility
- C. Brand preference
- D. Insurance requirements only
Correct answer: A. Weight-based dosing accuracy
12. Counseling is especially crucial for new prescriptions to:
- A. Promote sales
- B. Ensure proper use and adherence
- C. Prevent follow-ups
- D. Reduce pharmacy time
Correct answer: B. Ensure proper use and adherence
13. Which of the following is part of a pharmacist’s legal responsibility?
- A. Printing labels
- B. Verifying prescriber credentials and prescription validity
- C. Pricing medication
- D. Stock management
Correct answer: B. Verifying prescriber credentials and prescription validity
14. Which of these systems assists pharmacists in verifying prescriptions?
- A. CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
- B. PDMP (Prescription Drug Monitoring Program)
- C. IRS (Internal Revenue Service)
- D. DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles)
Correct answer: B. PDMP (Prescription Drug Monitoring Program)
15. For high-risk medications, the pharmacist must:
- A. Provide additional counseling and monitoring
- B. Skip verification
- C. Avoid documentation
- D. Refer to package insert only
Correct answer: A. Provide additional counseling and monitoring
16. What should a pharmacist do if they detect a potential therapeutic duplication?
- A. Dispense both medications
- B. Consult with the prescriber
- C. Cancel the prescription
- D. Give half doses
Correct answer: B. Consult with the prescriber
17. Electronic prescriptions are typically:
- A. Illegal
- B. More prone to errors
- C. Directly transmitted to the pharmacy for increased accuracy
- D. Only for antibiotics
Correct answer: C. Directly transmitted to the pharmacy for increased accuracy
18. Proper patient identification before dispensing a new prescription includes checking:
- A. Phone number only
- B. Name, date of birth, and address
- C. Shoe size
- D. Insurance ID
Correct answer: B. Name, date of birth, and address
19. A prescription’s “SIG” section indicates:
- A. Signature
- B. Strength of the medication
- C. Directions for use
- D. Schedule
Correct answer: C. Directions for use
20. Which medication would likely require auxiliary labels?
- A. Amoxicillin (refrigerate, finish all)
- B. Saline nasal spray
- C. Multivitamin gummies
- D. Acetaminophen
Correct answer: A. Amoxicillin (refrigerate, finish all)
21. When should a pharmacist refuse to fill a prescription?
- A. If the patient is rude
- B. If it poses a health risk or is legally invalid
- C. If the pharmacy is busy
- D. If the drug is expensive
Correct answer: B. If it poses a health risk or is legally invalid
22. How often should medication counseling be offered on a new prescription?
- A. Only on weekends
- B. Never, unless requested
- C. Always, regardless of the medication
- D. Only for generic drugs
Correct answer: C. Always, regardless of the medication
23. Labeling errors can be prevented by:
- A. Delegating tasks to untrained staff
- B. Careful review and barcode scanning
- C. Skipping final checks
- D. Printing multiple labels
Correct answer: B. Careful review and barcode scanning
24. The expiration date on the dispensed medication should reflect:
- A. Date of manufacture
- B. Arbitrary selection
- C. Shorter of manufacturer’s or pharmacy-assigned date
- D. One year from dispensing date, regardless
Correct answer: C. Shorter of manufacturer’s or pharmacy-assigned date
25. Pharmacists check for therapeutic duplications to prevent:
- A. Increased costs
- B. Adverse drug reactions
- C. Compliance
- D. Packaging errors
Correct answer: B. Adverse drug reactions
26. Patient allergies should be:
- A. Verified and documented before dispensing
- B. Ignored unless severe
- C. Recorded later
- D. Not a concern for OTC products
Correct answer: A. Verified and documented before dispensing
27. Look-alike/sound-alike drugs pose a risk for:
- A. Marketing confusion
- B. Medication errors
- C. Prescription rejections
- D. Reimbursement issues
Correct answer: B. Medication errors
28. A refill authorization on a new prescription indicates:
- A. Prior medication use
- B. Number of times the drug can be refilled
- C. Patient insurance limit
- D. Pharmacy count cycle
Correct answer: B. Number of times the drug can be refilled
29. A black box warning on a drug label means:
- A. The drug is under patent
- B. It has a high potential for severe adverse effects
- C. It is not for export
- D. It is on sale
Correct answer: B. It has a high potential for severe adverse effects
30. The National Drug Code (NDC) identifies:
- A. Pharmacy registration
- B. Drug manufacturer, product, and package
- C. Country of origin
- D. Expiration date
Correct answer: B. Drug manufacturer, product, and package
31. Which of the following helps prevent errors with pediatric prescriptions?
- A. Assuming adult doses
- B. Using standardized weight-based calculations
- C. Ignoring parental input
- D. Providing taste-alike options
Correct answer: B. Using standardized weight-based calculations
32. When verifying a new prescription, the pharmacist must check:
- A. Directions, dose, potential interactions, and patient-specific factors
- B. Label color only
- C. Cash price
- D. Prescription pad design
Correct answer: A. Directions, dose, potential interactions, and patient-specific factors
33. Generic substitution is permitted when:
- A. Patient declines counseling
- B. Prescriber allows and drug is equivalent
- C. Pharmacy prefers the generic
- D. Insurance denies the brand
Correct answer: B. Prescriber allows and drug is equivalent
34. How should the pharmacist handle a suspicious or forged prescription?
- A. Fill it quickly to avoid confrontation
- B. Notify the prescriber and authorities if necessary
- C. Ask the patient to leave
- D. Accept it if from a regular customer
Correct answer: B. Notify the prescriber and authorities if necessary
35. If a patient is starting a high-alert medication, the pharmacist must:
- A. Offer full counseling and risk information
- B. Skip counseling
- C. Only provide written info
- D. Refer to a technician
Correct answer: A. Offer full counseling and risk information
36. Which of the following indicates a prescription is PRN?
- A. Take as directed
- B. As needed
- C. With food
- D. Before bedtime
Correct answer: B. As needed
37. A new prescription written “DAW” means:
- A. Dispense as written, no substitution
- B. Delay after writing
- C. Doctor always wins
- D. Do at will
Correct answer: A. Dispense as written, no substitution
38. The abbreviation “BID” on a prescription means:
- A. Twice daily
- B. Before dinner
- C. After breakfast
- D. Before intake
Correct answer: A. Twice daily
39. One of the pharmacist’s responsibilities during new prescription processing is to:
- A. Review insurance policy
- B. Verify drug interactions and duplicate therapy
- C. Organize inventory
- D. Transfer calls
Correct answer: B. Verify drug interactions and duplicate therapy
40. Which documentation is necessary for controlled substance prescriptions?
- A. Technician initials
- B. Dispense log, quantity, date, and pharmacist signature
- C. Packaging type
- D. Color of vial
Correct answer: B. Dispense log, quantity, date, and pharmacist signature
41. Pharmacists must consider renal and hepatic function when:
- A. Selecting vials
- B. Adjusting doses for new prescriptions
- C. Printing labels
- D. Handling OTCs
Correct answer: B. Adjusting doses for new prescriptions
42. Medication reconciliation involves:
- A. Guessing drug history
- B. Comparing new prescriptions with existing therapies
- C. Selling supplements
- D. Auditing invoices
Correct answer: B. Comparing new prescriptions with existing therapies
43. Which of the following increases risk when initiating a new prescription?
- A. Polypharmacy
- B. Routine refills
- C. Generic substitution
- D. Tablet splitting
Correct answer: A. Polypharmacy
44. Which tool helps identify potentially inappropriate medications in older adults?
- A. Beers Criteria
- B. BMI Chart
- C. Blood glucose monitor
- D. FDA Orange Book
Correct answer: A. Beers Criteria
45. If a new prescription has both brand and generic names listed, the pharmacist should:
- A. Dispense both
- B. Follow prescriber instructions and local substitution laws
- C. Choose randomly
- D. Reject the prescription
Correct answer: B. Follow prescriber instructions and local substitution laws
46. If a patient is starting warfarin, the pharmacist must:
- A. Skip interaction check
- B. Counsel on dietary vitamin K and bleeding risk
- C. Dispense without explanation
- D. Recommend aspirin
Correct answer: B. Counsel on dietary vitamin K and bleeding risk
47. Who is responsible for ensuring prescription accuracy before dispensing?
- A. Technician
- B. Patient
- C. Prescriber only
- D. Pharmacist
Correct answer: D. Pharmacist
48. Which documentation is often required for prescription transfers?
- A. Patient ID and prescriber license
- B. Original prescription info, transfer pharmacist details, and pharmacy IDs
- C. Label color and count
- D. Manufacturer batch number
Correct answer: B. Original prescription info, transfer pharmacist details, and pharmacy IDs
49. Which of the following indicates medication to be taken “before meals”?
- A. PRN
- B. QID
- C. AC
- D. HS
Correct answer: C. AC
50. New prescriptions should always be processed with:
- A. Caution, clinical judgment, and patient-centered communication
- B. Speed
- C. Sales focus
- D. Technician delegation only
Correct answer: A. Caution, clinical judgment, and patient-centered communication
I am a Registered Pharmacist under the Pharmacy Act, 1948, and the founder of PharmacyFreak.com. I hold a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Rungta College of Pharmaceutical Science and Research. With a strong academic foundation and practical knowledge, I am committed to providing accurate, easy-to-understand content to support pharmacy students and professionals. My aim is to make complex pharmaceutical concepts accessible and useful for real-world application.
Mail- Sachin@pharmacyfreak.com