MCQ Quiz: Patient Interviewing, Presentations, and Counseling

Effective communication is the cornerstone of patient-centered pharmacy practice. From conducting a thorough patient interview to gather information, to presenting a concise case to a physician, and finally counseling a patient on their medications, these skills are essential for every pharmacist. As detailed throughout the Professional Skills Lab ,, , and Experiential Education , curricula, these competencies are developed and refined to ensure pharmacists can provide safe, effective, and empathetic care. This quiz will test your knowledge on the principles and techniques of patient interviewing, presentations, and counseling.

1. When beginning a patient interview to obtain a medication history, which of the following is the best type of question to start with?

• a. A closed-ended question
• b. An open-ended question
• c. A leading question
• d. A technical question

Answer: b. An open-ended question

2. The “teach-back” method is a counseling technique used to:

• a. Test the patient’s memory.
• b. Assess the patient’s understanding of the information provided.
• c. Fulfill a legal requirement only.
• d. Make the counseling session shorter.

Answer: b. Assess the patient’s understanding of the information provided.

3. The SBAR tool is a structured communication technique for presenting patient information to another healthcare provider. The “S” stands for:

• a. Situation
• b. Summary
• c. Subjective
• d. Solution

Answer: a. Situation

4. A pharmacist asks a patient, “What did your doctor tell you this medication is for?” This is an example of:

• a. A closed-ended question.
• b. A leading question.
• c. An open-ended question to assess understanding.
• d. A judgmental question.

Answer: c. An open-ended question to assess understanding.

5. The federal law that established the mandate for pharmacists to offer to counsel Medicaid patients is:

• a. HIPAA of 1996
• b. The Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938
• c. The Controlled Substances Act of 1970
• d. The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (OBRA ’90)

Answer: d. The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (OBRA ’90)

6. The Professional Skills Lab curriculum includes objectives on conducting patient interviews and presenting oral patient summaries.

• a. True
• b. False

Answer: a. True

7. A complete medication history should include:

• a. Prescription medications only.
• b. Prescription and OTC medications only.
• c. Prescription medications, OTCs, herbal supplements, and vitamins.
• d. Only medications for chronic conditions.

Answer: c. Prescription medications, OTCs, herbal supplements, and vitamins.

8. Which of the following is an example of a “leading question” that should be avoided during a patient interview?

• a. “How have you been taking this medication?”
• b. “You’re taking this with breakfast, right?”
• c. “What side effects have you noticed?”
• d. “What other medications are you taking?”

Answer: b. “You’re taking this with breakfast, right?”

9. When presenting a patient case to a preceptor, the pharmacist should:

• a. Provide a disorganized, stream-of-consciousness summary.
• b. Focus only on the social history.
• c. Present a succinct, organized summary of the patient’s information and their assessment and plan.
• d. Read directly from the patient’s chart for 10 minutes.

Answer: c. Present a succinct, organized summary of the patient’s information and their assessment and plan.

10. Using plain language and avoiding medical jargon is a key principle of:

• a. Health Literacy
• b. Interprofessionalism
• c. Assertiveness
• d. Clinical inertia

Answer: a. Health Literacy

11. Counseling patients on the appropriate use of medications and devices is a key objective in the IPPE curriculum.

• a. True
• b. False

Answer: a. True

12. The “A” in SBAR stands for:

• a. Action
• b. Assessment
• c. Adherence
• d. Allergy

Answer: b. Assessment

13. A key goal of patient counseling is to:

• a. Ensure the patient understands how to take their medication safely and effectively.
• b. Improve medication adherence.
• c. Empower the patient to be an active participant in their care.
• d. All of the above.

Answer: d. All of the above.

14. A pharmacist is counseling a patient and says, “So, to make sure I was clear, can you tell me the two main side effects we talked about that you should watch for?” This is an example of:

• a. The teach-back method.
• b. A closed-ended question.
• c. A leading question.
• d. A poor communication technique.

Answer: a. The teach-back method.

15. Which of the following is an open-ended question?

• a. “Do you have any allergies?”
• b. “Are you taking your lisinopril every day?”
• c. “Can you tell me about the problems you’ve been having?”
• d. “Is your pain better today?”

Answer: c. “Can you tell me about the problems you’ve been having?”

16. The “Introduction to Medication Errors” is a module within the Professional Practice Skills Lab II curriculum.

• a. True
• b. False

Answer: a. True

17. Motivational Interviewing is a counseling style that aims to:

• a. Tell the patient exactly what to do.
• b. Use scare tactics to force behavior change.
• c. Explore and resolve a patient’s ambivalence about making a change.
• d. Be used only for smoking cessation.

Answer: c. Explore and resolve a patient’s ambivalence about making a change.

18. Active listening involves:

• a. Waiting for your turn to speak.
• b. Thinking about your response while the other person is talking.
• c. Focusing on the speaker and providing feedback to show you understand.
• d. Interrupting to save time.

Answer: c. Focusing on the speaker and providing feedback to show you understand.

19. When presenting a patient case, it is important to include:

• a. Only subjective information.
• b. Only objective information.
• c. A clear distinction between subjective and objective information.
• d. Your personal opinion about the patient.

Answer: c. A clear distinction between subjective and objective information.

20. An active learning session on communication skills is part of the PPD curriculum.

• a. True
• b. False

Answer: a. True

21. A key part of obtaining a medication history is asking about:

• a. Adherence to each medication.
• b. The indication for each medication.
• c. Any past adverse reactions.
• d. All of the above.

Answer: d. All of the above.

22. Which part of the SBAR presentation includes the pharmacist’s recommendation for action?

• a. S – Situation
• b. B – Background
• c. A – Assessment
• d. R – Recommendation

Answer: d. R – Recommendation

23. Health Literacy is a “Transcending Concept” covered in the Patient Care curriculum.

• a. True
• b. False

Answer: a. True

24. An active learning session on communication is part of which course?

• a. PHA5161L Professional Practice Skills Lab I
• b. PHA5104 Sterile Compounding
• c. PHA5703 Pharmacy Law and Ethics
• d. PHA5439 Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology I

Answer: a. PHA5161L Professional Practice Skills Lab I

25. A pharmacist providing counseling on a new inhaler should always:

• a. Assume the patient knows how to use it.
• b. Use the “show and tell” method to demonstrate proper technique.
• c. Only provide the written instructions.
• d. Tell the patient to watch a video online.

Answer: b. Use the “show and tell” method to demonstrate proper technique.

26. Creating a private and respectful environment is essential before beginning:

• a. A patient interview.
• b. A counseling session.
• c. Both a and b.
• d. It is not necessary.

Answer: c. Both a and b.

27. The term “empathy” in patient communication means:

• a. Feeling sorry for the patient.
• b. Understanding and sharing the feelings of the patient.
• c. Agreeing with everything the patient says.
• d. Maintaining a professional distance.

Answer: b. Understanding and sharing the feelings of the patient.

28. An active learning session on patient interviewing is part of which course module?

• a. The Skills Lab curriculum.
• b. The Diabetes Mellitus Module
• c. The Women’s Health Module
• d. The Geriatrics Module

Answer: a. The Skills Lab curriculum.

29. The primary goal of a patient interview is to:

• a. Make a definitive diagnosis.
• b. Collect accurate and complete information to assess a patient’s medication therapy.
• c. Convince the patient to start a new medication.
• d. Complete the task as quickly as possible.

Answer: b. Collect accurate and complete information to assess a patient’s medication therapy.

30. Motivational Interviewing is a topic within the Patient Care 4 curriculum.

• a. True
• b. False

Answer: a. True

31. Which of the following is a “closed-ended” question?

• a. “What brings you in today?”
• b. “How can I help you?”
• c. “Have you taken your blood pressure medication this morning?”
• d. “Tell me more about the side effects you’ve been experiencing.”

Answer: c. “Have you taken your blood pressure medication this morning?”

32. A pharmacist presenting a patient case on rounds should be:

• a. Prepared, organized, and concise.
• b. As detailed as possible, including irrelevant information.
• c. Reading directly from a textbook.
• d. Speaking in a quiet whisper.

Answer: a. Prepared, organized, and concise.

33. The “pharmacist’s professional judgment” is a key component of what part of the OBRA ’90 mandate?

• a. Deciding what information is significant to counsel on.
• b. Identifying potential problems during a DUR.
• c. Both a and b.
• d. Neither a nor b.

Answer: c. Both a and b.

34. A key to effective counseling is to first assess what the patient already knows.

• a. True
• b. False

Answer: a. True

35. A pharmacist who uses affirming language like, “It’s great that you’ve been checking your blood sugars regularly,” is using a technique from:

• a. SBAR
• b. PQRST
• c. Motivational Interviewing
• d. HIPAA

Answer: c. Motivational Interviewing

36. A well-structured oral presentation should have:

• a. An introduction, a body, and a conclusion with a clear recommendation.
• b. No clear structure.
• c. A conclusion at the beginning.
• d. A focus only on lab values.

Answer: a. An introduction, a body, and a conclusion with a clear recommendation.

37. The “R” in SBAR stands for:

• a. Rationale
• b. Result
• c. Recommendation
• d. Review

Answer: c. Recommendation

38. The HIPPE curriculum requires students to display appropriate counseling techniques.

• a. True
• b. False

Answer: a. True

39. Non-verbal communication, such as making eye contact and having open body posture, is an important part of patient interviewing and counseling.

• a. True
• b. False

Answer: a. True

40. An active learning session covering patient communication is part of which course?

• a. PHA5161L Professional Practice Skills Lab I
• b. PHA5104 Sterile Compounding
• c. PHA5703 Pharmacy Law and Ethics
• d. PHA5782C Patient Care 2

Answer: a. PHA5161L Professional Practice Skills Lab I

41. The primary purpose of a patient presentation is to:

• a. Show off your knowledge.
• b. Effectively communicate patient-specific information and a therapeutic plan to another healthcare professional.
• c. Fulfill a course requirement.
• d. Practice public speaking.

Answer: b. Effectively communicate patient-specific information and a therapeutic plan to another healthcare professional.

42. Which of the following is NOT a good counseling practice?

• a. Asking open-ended questions.
• b. Using the teach-back method.
• c. Using a lot of medical jargon to sound smart.
• d. Providing written information to supplement verbal counseling.

Answer: c. Using a lot of medical jargon to sound smart.

43. A pharmacist’s ability to interview, present, and counsel is central to which part of the Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process (PPCP)?

• a. Collect
• b. Assess and Plan
• c. Implement and Follow-Up
• d. All of the above.

Answer: d. All of the above.

44. A patient is more likely to be adherent to their medication if:

• a. They have received effective counseling and understand the purpose and importance of their therapy.
• b. They are simply handed a prescription bag with no explanation.
• c. They are afraid of the pharmacist.
• d. The pharmacist uses a lot of technical terms.

Answer: a. They have received effective counseling and understand the purpose and importance of their therapy.

45. “Defending a therapeutic plan” verbally is an objective in the skills lab curriculum.

• a. True
• b. False

Answer: a. True

46. A successful patient interview should feel like a:

• a. An interrogation.
• b. A guided conversation.
• c. A lecture.
• d. A checklist.

Answer: b. A guided conversation.

47. Counseling on lifestyle modifications is part of the pharmacist’s role.

• a. True
• b. False

Answer: a. True

48. An active learning session on patient counseling is part of which course?

• a. PHA5162L Professional Practice Skills Lab II
• b. PHA5104 Sterile Compounding
• c. PHA5703 Pharmacy Law and Ethics
• d. PHA5782C Patient Care 2

Answer: a. PHA5162L Professional Practice Skills Lab II

49. The overall goal of mastering these communication skills is to:

• a. Become a more efficient dispenser.
• b. Provide patient-centered care that improves medication safety and health outcomes.
• c. Pass the OSCEs (Objective Structured Clinical Examinations).
• d. Both b and c.

Answer: d. Both b and c.

50. The ultimate reason to learn about interviewing, presenting, and counseling is to:

• a. Effectively fulfill the pharmacist’s role as a medication expert and accessible healthcare provider.
• b. Get a good grade in the Skills Lab courses.
• c. Be able to talk to doctors without being nervous.
• d. Only to meet the legal requirements.

Answer: a. Effectively fulfill the pharmacist’s role as a medication expert and accessible healthcare provider.