The power to suspend or revoke registration is a vital regulatory tool used by licensing authorities to protect public health and ensure professional and manufacturing compliance in pharmacy. B. Pharm students must understand the legal grounds, procedural safeguards, and practical consequences when a registration—whether for a pharmacist, drug outlet, or manufacturing unit—is suspended or revoked. Key concepts include public safety, professional misconduct, show-cause notices, interim suspension, hearing rights, evidence standards, appeal mechanisms, and reinstatement conditions. Familiarity with these principles helps future pharmacists navigate regulatory responsibilities and maintain ethical practice. Now let’s test your knowledge with 30 MCQs on this topic.
Q1. What is the primary purpose of the power to suspend or revoke registration?
- To punish minor clerical errors
- To protect public health and safety
- To increase licensing fees
- To close down all small pharmacies
Correct Answer: To protect public health and safety
Q2. Which of the following is a common ground for suspension or revocation of registration?
- Failure to attend continuing education once
- Providing false information on the application
- Using a new computer system
- Relocating premises with prior approval
Correct Answer: Providing false information on the application
Q3. What procedural step typically precedes suspension or revocation?
- Immediate closure without notice
- Issuance of a show-cause notice
- Public referendum
- Mandatory payment of additional fees
Correct Answer: Issuance of a show-cause notice
Q4. Which principle requires regulators to give the registrant a chance to be heard?
- Ex post facto
- Natural justice (audi alteram partem)
- Strict liability
- Res judicata
Correct Answer: Natural justice (audi alteram partem)
Q5. An interim suspension is primarily intended to:
- Punish the registrant permanently
- Temporarily prevent harm during investigation
- Replace the need for a final hearing
- Automatically revoke registration after 30 days
Correct Answer: Temporarily prevent harm during investigation
Q6. Which of the following is NOT a likely consequence of revocation of a pharmacy registration?
- Inability to legally dispense medicines
- Loss of professional standing
- Mandatory retraining by regulator
- Requirement to cease operations
Correct Answer: Mandatory retraining by regulator
Q7. Who generally bears the burden of proof in a suspension or revocation proceeding?
- The registrant
- The regulatory authority
- An independent third party
- The public prosecutor
Correct Answer: The regulatory authority
Q8. Which action can a registrant usually take after receiving a revocation order?
- Ignore it without consequence
- Appeal the decision to a higher tribunal or court
- Transfer the registration to a family member instantly
- Automatically get a provisional license
Correct Answer: Appeal the decision to a higher tribunal or court
Q9. Revocation differs from suspension because revocation:
- Is always temporary
- Requires criminal conviction
- Is permanent unless reinstated or re-applied for
- Has no legal consequences
Correct Answer: Is permanent unless reinstated or re-applied for
Q10. A regulator may suspend registration of a manufacturing site for:
- Minor filing delays with no safety risk
- Serious GMP violations posing public health risk
- Low sales revenue
- Operating beyond business hours
Correct Answer: Serious GMP violations posing public health risk
Q11. What is a “show-cause notice”?
- A notice to show business profits
- A document asking the registrant to explain why action should not be taken
- An invitation to a social event
- A public advertisement of revocation
Correct Answer: A document asking the registrant to explain why action should not be taken
Q12. During a suspension hearing, admissible evidence should be:
- Only hearsay statements
- Relevant, material, and subject to cross-examination
- Unverified rumors
- Entirely secret and undisclosed
Correct Answer: Relevant, material, and subject to cross-examination
Q13. Which safeguard helps ensure fairness in suspension proceedings?
- Decisions made in secret
- Right to legal representation and to present evidence
- Immediate public announcement without reasons
- No opportunity to respond
Correct Answer: Right to legal representation and to present evidence
Q14. A regulator may revoke registration for repeated non-compliance even if each breach is minor because:
- Regulators dislike small businesses
- Cumulative breaches indicate systemic failure
- Minor breaches are irrelevant
- There is no alternative sanction
Correct Answer: Cumulative breaches indicate systemic failure
Q15. Which of the following can be a remedial condition upon reinstatement of registration?
- Ignoring further inspections
- Imposing corrective action plans and monitoring
- Removing all record-keeping requirements
- Granting permanent immunity from future action
Correct Answer: Imposing corrective action plans and monitoring
Q16. Failure to maintain accurate prescription records may lead to:
- Increased customer loyalty
- Suspension or revocation for breach of professional standards
- Automatic license renewal
- Tax rebates
Correct Answer: Suspension or revocation for breach of professional standards
Q17. Which term describes an immediate protective order issued before a full hearing?
- Ex parte interim suspension
- Ex post facto order
- Post hoc approval
- Unilateral reinstatement
Correct Answer: Ex parte interim suspension
Q18. Professional misconduct that could justify revocation includes:
- One-time attendance at a conference
- Deliberate dispensing of counterfeit medicines
- Timely payment of fees
- Voluntary community service
Correct Answer: Deliberate dispensing of counterfeit medicines
Q19. Which role is essential for transparent suspension proceedings?
- Secret evidence only known to the regulator
- Clear, written reasons for decisions
- Decisions announced without rationale
- Held in an undisclosed location with no record
Correct Answer: Clear, written reasons for decisions
Q20. If registration is suspended, who is typically notified?
- Only the media
- The registrant and relevant authorities or stakeholders
- No one to protect confidentiality
- Only international bodies
Correct Answer: The registrant and relevant authorities or stakeholders
Q21. Which of the following is a legitimate regulatory objective when revoking registration?
- Arbitrary punishment unrelated to safety
- Protecting public health and preventing harm
- Reducing competition unfairly
- Fulfilling political agendas
Correct Answer: Protecting public health and preventing harm
Q22. Rehabilitation and retraining as part of reinstatement focus on:
- Increasing penalties only
- Correcting deficiencies and preventing recurrence
- Removing all professional obligations
- Extending revocation indefinitely
Correct Answer: Correcting deficiencies and preventing recurrence
Q23. Which documentation is most relevant in an investigation for suspension?
- Personal diaries unrelated to practice
- Dispensing records, SOPs, and inspection reports
- Social media posts about unrelated hobbies
- Old tax returns from a decade ago
Correct Answer: Dispensing records, SOPs, and inspection reports
Q24. Criminal conviction for which act would most likely lead to revocation?
- Civil parking fines
- Trafficking in controlled substances
- Jaywalking
- Minor unpaid fines
Correct Answer: Trafficking in controlled substances
Q25. Which outcome supports proportionality in disciplinary action?
- Applying the harshest sanction for every breach
- Matching the sanction to severity and risk of the breach
- Ignoring the scale of harm caused
- Punishing based on public opinion alone
Correct Answer: Matching the sanction to severity and risk of the breach
Q26. A regulator’s failure to follow proper procedure in revocation may result in:
- Automatic public approval
- Decision being quashed on appeal
- Increased regulatory powers
- No legal consequences
Correct Answer: Decision being quashed on appeal
Q27. Which is a preventive measure regulators require to avoid suspension?
- Ignoring inspection findings
- Implementation of quality management systems
- Refusal to hire qualified staff
- Ceasing all documentation
Correct Answer: Implementation of quality management systems
Q28. When registration is revoked, prescriptions issued by the registrant are generally:
- Automatically valid forever
- Potentially invalid and subject to review
- Immediately transferable to another person
- Unaffected in all circumstances
Correct Answer: Potentially invalid and subject to review
Q29. Which factor may mitigate the imposition of revocation?
- Repeated deliberate violations
- Prompt corrective action and cooperation with investigators
- Concealment of evidence
- History of non-cooperation
Correct Answer: Prompt corrective action and cooperation with investigators
Q30. Post-revocation monitoring for reinstated registrants typically involves:
- No follow-up after reinstatement
- Regular inspections and compliance reporting
- Granting unlimited exemptions
- Permanent immunity from further action
Correct Answer: Regular inspections and compliance reporting
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