Hospital pharmacy department: structure and functions MCQs With Answer

This quiz collection on the hospital pharmacy department’s structure and functions is designed for M.Pharm students seeking a deeper, practice-oriented understanding of pharmacy services within a hospital. It covers organizational layout, key functional units (procurement, storage, dispensing, clinical pharmacy, aseptic services, compounding, unit dose, and satellite pharmacies), regulatory and quality systems, inventory control methods, formulary management, and interdisciplinary roles. Questions emphasize operational protocols, regulatory compliance, documentation, and rational drug use to prepare students for managerial and clinical responsibilities in hospital settings. Use these MCQs to test conceptual knowledge, identify learning gaps, and prepare for advanced academic and professional evaluations.

Q1. Which hospital pharmacy unit is primarily responsible for preparing sterile parenteral products under laminar airflow and ensuring compliance with aseptic technique?

• Inpatient ward dispensing
• Outpatient prescription counter
• Central sterile compounding unit (IV admixture / Aseptic unit)
• Pharmacy procurement section

Correct Answer: Central sterile compounding unit (IV admixture / Aseptic unit)

Q2. The Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) Committee in a hospital is mainly responsible for which of the following functions?

• Determining staff duty rosters for the pharmacy
• Selecting, reviewing and maintaining the hospital drug formulary
• Packaging and labeling dispensed medications
• Managing accounts payable for drug suppliers

Correct Answer: Selecting, reviewing and maintaining the hospital drug formulary

Q3. Which inventory control method gives the pharmacy manager a prioritized focus on high-value and high-usage medications to minimize stock-outs and capital tie-up?

• FIFO (First-In, First-Out)
• ABC analysis
• LIFO (Last-In, First-Out)
• Fixed bin system

Correct Answer: ABC analysis

Q4. In a unit-dose dispensing system, what is the principal advantage over traditional ward stock systems?

• Decreased need for clinical pharmacist interventions
• Increased medication wastage due to single-dose packs
• Reduction in medication errors and improved dose-level control
• Higher inventory carrying costs for the pharmacy

Correct Answer: Reduction in medication errors and improved dose-level control

Q5. Which document is essential for traceability and legal accountability when handling controlled substances in a hospital pharmacy?

• Patient informed consent form
• Controlled drug register or narcotics log with dispensing records
• Purchase order for non-controlled supplies
• Monthly stock rotation checklist for OTC items

Correct Answer: Controlled drug register or narcotics log with dispensing records

Q6. What is the primary role of the clinical pharmacist in multidisciplinary ward rounds?

• To prepare IV admixtures for the team
• To provide drug therapy recommendations, dose optimization and monitor for ADRs
• To perform administrative duties for the nursing staff
• To manage hospital procurement contracts

Correct Answer: To provide drug therapy recommendations, dose optimization and monitor for ADRs

Q7. Which quality assurance activity specifically ensures that compounded sterile products meet predetermined standards before release?

• Formulary addition meeting
• End-product sterility testing and environmental monitoring review
• Monthly staff performance appraisal
• Inventory reconciliation

Correct Answer: End-product sterility testing and environmental monitoring review

Q8. Which of the following best describes “satellite pharmacy” in a hospital setting?

• A remote retail pharmacy outside the hospital campus
• A smaller dispensing unit located close to patient care areas to improve turnaround time
• A department handling only dietary supplements
• The central purchasing office for all hospital supplies

Correct Answer: A smaller dispensing unit located close to patient care areas to improve turnaround time

Q9. Which regulatory requirement must hospital pharmacies adhere to when maintaining records for investigational drugs used in clinical trials?

• Only financial invoices are required
• Complete accountability records including receipt, dispensing, returns and subject dosing logs
• No documentation is required for blinded studies
• Records can be kept only by the clinical investigator, not the pharmacy

Correct Answer: Complete accountability records including receipt, dispensing, returns and subject dosing logs

Q10. What is the most appropriate storage condition labeling requirement for a drug that must be kept between 2–8°C in the hospital pharmacy?

• Label as “Store at room temperature”
• Label as “Store refrigerated 2–8°C” and store in monitored refrigerator with temperature log
• Label as “Protect from light” only
• No specific label required if stored in a cold room

Correct Answer: Label as “Store refrigerated 2–8°C” and store in monitored refrigerator with temperature log

Q11. Which procurement practice helps a hospital pharmacy to ensure uninterrupted supply while minimizing financial exposure?

• Mimicking retail drug store ordering patterns exactly
• Establishing long-term contracts with reliable suppliers and implementing safety stock and reorder point calculations
• Ordering large quantities of all drugs regardless of consumption rates
• Only purchasing on emergency requisitions

Correct Answer: Establishing long-term contracts with reliable suppliers and implementing safety stock and reorder point calculations

Q12. Which metric is most useful for evaluating the efficiency of pharmacy dispensing services and patient wait times?

• Number of formularies updated per year
• Turnaround time (TAT) from prescription receipt to medication delivery
• Annual drug expenditure alone
• Number of staff meetings held

Correct Answer: Turnaround time (TAT) from prescription receipt to medication delivery

Q13. For minimizing medication errors during transitions of care (e.g., admission, transfer, discharge), which pharmacy-led practice is considered most effective?

• Automated vending machine installation
• Medication reconciliation conducted by a pharmacist at each transition point
• Monthly formulary review
• Delegation of reconciliation to clerical staff

Correct Answer: Medication reconciliation conducted by a pharmacist at each transition point

Q14. Which function is NOT typically part of a hospital pharmacy’s drug information service?

• Providing evidence-based answers to clinicians about drug therapy
• Conducting literature searches and preparing monographs
• Performing sterile compounding for investigational products
• Advising on dosing in renal or hepatic impairment

Correct Answer: Performing sterile compounding for investigational products

Q15. Which technology implementation most directly reduces transcription and dispensing errors in a hospital pharmacy?

• Manual paper charts for inventory
• Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) integrated with pharmacy information system and bar-code medication administration
• Using separate spreadsheets for each ward
• Storing all medications alphabetically without barcoding

Correct Answer: Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) integrated with pharmacy information system and bar-code medication administration

Q16. Which staffing model is most appropriate to ensure clinical pharmacy coverage in high-dependency units (ICU) round-the-clock?

• One clinical pharmacist covering multiple hospitals remotely
• Dedicated clinical pharmacists assigned per shift with on-call senior pharmacist support
• Pharmacy assistants handling clinical interventions after hours
• No dedicated coverage; rely on prescribers only

Correct Answer: Dedicated clinical pharmacists assigned per shift with on-call senior pharmacist support

Q17. What is the primary purpose of conducting a drug utilization review (DUR) within the hospital pharmacy?

• To increase drug prices
• To analyze prescribing, dispensing and use patterns to promote appropriate, safe and cost-effective therapy
• To identify which suppliers to punish for late deliveries
• To replace pharmacovigilance activities

Correct Answer: To analyze prescribing, dispensing and use patterns to promote appropriate, safe and cost-effective therapy

Q18. Which practice is essential for safe management of Look-Alike Sound-Alike (LASA) medications in a hospital pharmacy?

• Storing LASA drugs adjacent to each other to save space
• Implementing Tall Man lettering, segregation of storage, and distinct labeling
• Relying on nurses to distinguish LASA drugs without pharmacy input
• Ignoring naming issues if stock levels are low

Correct Answer: Implementing Tall Man lettering, segregation of storage, and distinct labeling

Q19. In preparation for accreditation surveys, which pharmacy practice demonstrates commitment to continuous quality improvement?

• Maintaining undocumented verbal procedures for critical tasks
• Documented Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), regular staff training, incident reporting and QI audits
• A policy of never reporting near-misses to preserve reputation
• Allowing individual staff to create ad hoc practices without review

Correct Answer: Documented Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), regular staff training, incident reporting and QI audits

Q20. Which element is critical when designing a hospital pharmacy layout to optimize workflow and reduce cross-contamination risk?

• Intermingling sterile compounding areas with general storage
• Logical separation of receiving, storage, compounding, dispensing, and clinical work zones with controlled traffic flow
• Placing refrigerator units next to chemical storage without segregation
• Using a single shared counter for sterile and non-sterile preparation

Correct Answer: Logical separation of receiving, storage, compounding, dispensing, and clinical work zones with controlled traffic flow

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