Prescription legal requirements and interpretation MCQs With Answer

Prescription legal requirements and interpretation MCQs With Answer

This quiz collection is designed for M.Pharm students studying Hospital & Community Pharmacy (MPP 103T) to strengthen their understanding of legal and practical requirements for prescriptions and how to interpret them safely. The questions cover essential elements of a valid prescription, responsibilities of prescribers and pharmacists, interpretation of common abbreviations, legal restrictions for controlled/scheduled drugs, electronic prescriptions, record keeping and patient-safety considerations. Each item tests both conceptual knowledge and application in real-world pharmacy practice so you can confidently evaluate prescriptions, ensure legal compliance and reduce medication errors in hospital and community settings.

Q1. Which of the following is NOT an essential element of a legally valid prescription?

• Patient name and age
• Drug name, strength, dosage form and directions
• Prescriber’s signature and professional registration/licence number
• Prescriber’s political affiliation

Correct Answer: Prescriber’s political affiliation

Q2. A prescription lacking the prescriber’s signature should be:

• Dispensed if the medication is urgent
• Verified with the prescriber before dispensing
• Filled by the pharmacist after adding a digital signature
• Discarded and replaced by pharmacist’s own prescription

Correct Answer: Verified with the prescriber before dispensing

Q3. Which of the following abbreviations is widely discouraged because it commonly leads to medication errors?

• b.i.d. (twice daily)
• q.d. (every day)
• U (unit)
• PRN (as needed)

Correct Answer: U (unit)

Q4. For safe legal interpretation, the quantity on a prescription should ideally be written:

• Only in numerals
• Only in words
• Both in numerals and words
• Not required if directions are clear

Correct Answer: Both in numerals and words

Q5. Which statement best describes the pharmacist’s duty when the prescription drug, route or dose appears inappropriate or dangerous?

• Dispense as written to avoid legal issues
• Refuse to dispense and notify the patient only
• Contact prescriber to clarify or correct before dispensing
• Substitute a safer alternative without contacting prescriber

Correct Answer: Contact prescriber to clarify or correct before dispensing

Q6. Under standard prescription interpretation rules, “q6h” means:

• Once daily
• Every 6 hours
• Six times a day
• As required

Correct Answer: Every 6 hours

Q7. Which of the following is a correct legal consideration for substitution of brand with a generic by the pharmacist?

• Pharmacist may substitute without informing the patient or prescriber in all situations
• Substitution is never allowed under any legal system
• Substitution policies depend on jurisdiction and may require prescriber permission or patient consent
• Pharmacist can change active ingredients if the dose is similar

Correct Answer: Substitution policies depend on jurisdiction and may require prescriber permission or patient consent

Q8. A prescription for a controlled/scheduled drug where regulations require special record-keeping should prompt the pharmacist to:

• Treat it same as over-the-counter sales
• Maintain required special registers and retain copies per regulation
• Refuse to keep any record for patient confidentiality
• Only record the drug name and patient’s address

Correct Answer: Maintain required special registers and retain copies per regulation

Q9. When a prescription uses ambiguous Latin abbreviations, the safest pharmacy action is to:

• Assume the most common meaning and dispense
• Translate using an online abbreviation list without contacting prescriber
• Contact the prescriber for clarification before dispensing
• Refuse to dispense and refer patient to another pharmacy

Correct Answer: Contact the prescriber for clarification before dispensing

Q10. Electronic prescriptions (e-prescriptions) are legally acceptable when they include which of the following features?

• Prescriber identity, date/time, and a secure digital signature or authentication
• Only the medication name and dose
• Prescriber’s email address but no authentication
• Scanned image without metadata or audit trail

Correct Answer: Prescriber identity, date/time, and a secure digital signature or authentication

Q11. In interpreting a prescription dose written as “0.5 mg,” which practice reduces error risk?

• Write it as “.5 mg” on the label to save space
• Confirm that leading zero is present (0.5 mg) to avoid misreading as 5 mg
• Convert to μg without explaining to patient
• Round up to 1 mg for simplicity

Correct Answer: Confirm that leading zero is present (0.5 mg) to avoid misreading as 5 mg

Q12. Which of the following is true about verbal prescriptions given in an emergency?

• They can be accepted and acted upon, but must be reduced to a written prescription and authenticated later as per local regulations
• They are equivalent to written prescriptions with no further documentation required
• Pharmacists should never accept verbal orders under any circumstances
• Verbal orders should be followed even if patient identity cannot be confirmed

Correct Answer: They can be accepted and acted upon, but must be reduced to a written prescription and authenticated later as per local regulations

Q13. When a prescription for an elderly patient omits renal function and uses a renally cleared drug, the pharmacist should:

• Dispense full course and advise patient to monitor symptoms
• Contact prescriber to discuss dose adjustment based on renal function
• Halve the dose automatically for elderly patients
• Substitute with a completely different drug without consulting prescriber

Correct Answer: Contact prescriber to discuss dose adjustment based on renal function

Q14. The legal requirement of “date” on a prescription is important because:

• It indicates when the pharmacist should stop checking interactions
• It helps determine prescription validity period and supports record keeping and auditing
• It is optional and only for prescriber’s convenience
• It serves only as a billing reference for insurance

Correct Answer: It helps determine prescription validity period and supports record keeping and auditing

Q15. Which action is appropriate if a prescription uses a trade name that has multiple salt forms (e.g., “Drug X” could mean Drug X hydrochloride or sulfate)?

• Dispense any salt form available
• Contact the prescriber to specify the exact salt and strength before dispensing
• Assume the most common salt form and dispense without clarification
• Substitute with a different molecule in the same therapeutic class

Correct Answer: Contact the prescriber to specify the exact salt and strength before dispensing

Q16. Which statement best reflects record retention responsibilities for prescription records in many jurisdictions?

• Pharmacies are never required to retain prescriptions once dispensed
• Pharmacies often must retain prescriptions or a copy for a legally defined period and make them available for inspection
• Only controlled drug prescriptions must be retained; others can be discarded immediately
• Retention is optional and decided by the patient

Correct Answer: Pharmacies often must retain prescriptions or a copy for a legally defined period and make them available for inspection

Q17. On a prescription that instructs “give 1 tablet stat and then 1 tablet q8h x 5 days,” what is the correct total number of tablets to dispense?

• 5 tablets
• 6 tablets
• 16 tablets
• 10 tablets

Correct Answer: 6 tablets

Q18. When a prescriber uses non-standard abbreviations that are unclear, the pharmacist’s legal and ethical obligation is to:

• Interpret them using personal judgement and dispense
• Consult a colleague rather than the prescriber
• Seek clarification from the prescriber to ensure patient safety
• Ignore them and prescribe an alternative medication

Correct Answer: Seek clarification from the prescriber to ensure patient safety

Q19. Which of the following is true regarding refills on a prescription when state/jurisdiction limits are present?

• Pharmacist can provide unlimited refills if the patient requests
• Refills must comply with legal limits and prescriber authorization; exceeding those is not permitted
• Refills are not regulated and can be decided by the pharmacist
• Refills are only governed by pharmacy policy not law

Correct Answer: Refills must comply with legal limits and prescriber authorization; exceeding those is not permitted

Q20. A prescription for a Schedule drug that is altered by the patient (e.g., quantity changed in handwriting) should be:

• Dispensed if the pharmacist believes the patient needs it
• Accepted after endorsing the change with pharmacist initials
• Considered invalid until verified or reissued by the prescriber
• Filled and a note made in pharmacy records without contacting prescriber

Correct Answer: Considered invalid until verified or reissued by the prescriber

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