Detection and management of medication errors MCQs With Answer

Detection and management of medication errors is a vital competency for M.Pharm students who will play central roles in ensuring safe medication use. This set of MCQs focuses on recognizing types of medication errors, systems for reporting and analysis, prevention strategies, and regulatory and ethical aspects. Questions are designed to deepen understanding of root cause analysis, failure mode and effects analysis, medication reconciliation, high-alert medications, clinical decision support, and human factors engineering. Completing these questions will help students apply theoretical knowledge to practical scenarios, prepare for exams, and develop skills to contribute to safer practice environments in hospitals, community pharmacies, and regulatory settings.

Q1. Which definition best describes a medication error?

• An adverse drug reaction occurring at normal doses
• A preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm
• An expected side effect documented in the product monograph
• An allergic response to a prescribed drug

Correct Answer: A preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm

Q2. Which classification system is commonly used to categorize the outcome severity of medication errors?

• ATC (Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical) classification
• NCC MERP index
• Beers Criteria
• ICD-10 coding

Correct Answer: NCC MERP index

Q3. What is the primary aim of medication reconciliation?

• To reduce pharmacy dispensing costs
• To compare and document a complete and accurate list of a patient’s medications at transitions of care
• To ensure patients take medications with food
• To standardize prescriber handwriting

Correct Answer: To compare and document a complete and accurate list of a patient’s medications at transitions of care

Q4. Which of the following is a human factors strategy to reduce medication errors?

• Increasing working hours for pharmacists
• Improving workspace ergonomics and standardizing processes
• Eliminating electronic prescribing systems
• Relying solely on individual vigilance

Correct Answer: Improving workspace ergonomics and standardizing processes

Q5. What is a ‘near miss’ in medication safety terminology?

• An error that reached the patient and caused harm
• An event that did not reach the patient due to interception or chance
• Intentional deviation from a protocol
• A minor adverse drug reaction that required no treatment

Correct Answer: An event that did not reach the patient due to interception or chance

Q6. Which analytical method is proactive and used to identify potential failures in a process before they occur?

• Root cause analysis (RCA)
• Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA)
• Post-marketing surveillance
• Case-control study

Correct Answer: Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA)

Q7. Which intervention has strong evidence for reducing dispensing errors in hospital pharmacies?

• Removing barcode scanning to speed dispensing
• Implementing barcode medication administration and verification
• Using handwritten labels for all medications
• Assigning multiple tasks to a single pharmacist without breaks

Correct Answer: Implementing barcode medication administration and verification

Q8. In a ‘just culture’ approach to medication error reporting, the organization primarily focuses on:

• Punishing all staff involved in errors
• Balancing accountability with system-level learning to encourage reporting
• Hiding errors from regulators
• Exonerating all staff regardless of behavior

Correct Answer: Balancing accountability with system-level learning to encourage reporting

Q9. Which is a common contributing factor to medication errors related to look-alike/sound-alike (LASA) drugs?

• Distinct packaging and tall-man lettering
• Poor storage practices placing LASA drugs together
• Extensive use of barcode scanning
• Clear and legible prescribing with generic names

Correct Answer: Poor storage practices placing LASA drugs together

Q10. What role does clinical decision support (CDS) play in preventing medication errors?

• It increases manual transcription errors
• It provides real-time alerts for drug interactions, dosing and allergies
• It replaces pharmacists in clinical judgment
• It solely monitors pharmacy inventory levels

Correct Answer: It provides real-time alerts for drug interactions, dosing and allergies

Q11. Which step is essential when conducting a root cause analysis after a serious medication error?

• Assigning blame to the individual immediately
• Collecting detailed timeline data and process mapping
• Destroying all related documentation
• Suppressing reporting to avoid litigation

Correct Answer: Collecting detailed timeline data and process mapping

Q12. High-alert medications are best defined as:

• Drugs that are always over-the-counter
• Medications that have a higher risk of causing significant patient harm if used in error
• Supplements with minimal regulatory oversight
• Drugs that never require monitoring

Correct Answer: Medications that have a higher risk of causing significant patient harm if used in error

Q13. Which metric is commonly used to measure the effectiveness of medication error reduction programs?

• Number of drug shortages reported
• Rate of medication errors per 1,000 medication orders or administrations
• Average pharmacy wait time only
• Total number of new drug approvals

Correct Answer: Rate of medication errors per 1,000 medication orders or administrations

Q14. A prescribing error most likely occurs at which stage of the medication-use process?

• Administration
• Dispensing
• Prescribing and order entry
• Post-marketing surveillance

Correct Answer: Prescribing and order entry

Q15. Which regulatory or professional body guidance focuses on safe medication practices and reporting of medication errors?

• World Health Organization (WHO) medication safety programmes
• International Olympic Committee guidelines
• ISO financial reporting standards
• Local fashion industry codes

Correct Answer: World Health Organization (WHO) medication safety programmes

Q16. What is the main benefit of using standardized order sets and protocols?

• Increasing variability in medication selection
• Reducing unwarranted variation and preventing common errors
• Replacing clinical judgment entirely
• Delaying treatment significantly

Correct Answer: Reducing unwarranted variation and preventing common errors

Q17. Which practice reduces medication errors during patient handoffs and transfers?

• Omitting medication lists to save time
• Using structured communication tools like SBAR and providing an updated medication list
• Relying solely on memory for medication details
• Transferring patients without documenting allergies

Correct Answer: Using structured communication tools like SBAR and providing an updated medication list

Q18. Which is an effective educational strategy for long-term reduction of medication errors among healthcare staff?

• One-time lecture with no follow-up
• Ongoing competency assessments, simulation training, and feedback
• Discouraging discussion of past errors
• Only self-directed reading with no evaluation

Correct Answer: Ongoing competency assessments, simulation training, and feedback

Q19. Which data source is valuable for detecting trends in medication errors and near misses?

• Voluntary incident reporting systems combined with pharmacy dispensing data and clinical records
• Only medication sales figures
• Social media posts unrelated to healthcare
• Annual holiday schedules

Correct Answer: Voluntary incident reporting systems combined with pharmacy dispensing data and clinical records

Q20. Which legal or ethical consideration should guide reporting of medication errors?

• Concealing errors to protect organizational image
• Transparency, patient disclosure when harm occurs, and compliance with mandatory reporting laws
• Ignoring patient consent for disclosure
• Falsifying data to reduce reported error rates

Correct Answer: Transparency, patient disclosure when harm occurs, and compliance with mandatory reporting laws

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