Deck 5: Reading and Interpreting Medication Labels and Orders and Documenting Appropriately

Question 1

Interpret the following prescription. amoxicillin 250 mg/5 cc viii Sig: i tid ac

A) amoxicillin 250 mg/5 cc 6 ounces. Take one capsule three times a day with meals.
B) amoxicillin 250 mg/5 cc 8 ounces. Take one dram three times a day after meals.
C) amoxicillin 250 mg/5 cc 8 ounces. Take one dram twice a day before meals.
D) amoxicillin 250 mg/5 cc 8 ounces. Take one dram twice a day after meals.
E) amoxicillin 250 mg/5 cc 8 ounces. Take one dram three times a day before meals.

Answer 1

amoxicillin 250 mg/5 cc 8 ounces. Take one dram three times a day before meals.

Question 2

Prescription blanks should be used for which of the following?

A) writing prescriptions
B) orders for lab tests
C) ordering stock medications
D) a and c
E) all of the above

Answer 2

writing prescriptions

Question 3

Which of the following documentation is correct for this medication order? Dr. Jones wants Mrs. Benton to have Benadryl 50 milligram capsules number 50 to be taken every four hours as needed for itching.

A) Benadryl 50 mg # 50 cap i qid for itching
B) Benadryl 50 mg # 50 cap i qid prn itching
C) Benadryl 50 mg # 50 capsule one q4h prn itching
D) Benadryl 50 mg # 50 cap i qd prn itching
E) Benadryl 50 mg # 50 cap i qfh prn itching

Answer 3

Benadryl 50 mg # 50 capsule one q4h prn itching

Question 4

When answering the phone for a prescription refill, which of the following information is not necessary to obtain from the patient?

A) name of pharmacy to be called
B) name of desired medication, its strength, and last time refilled
C) how the patient is taking the medication
D) phone number at which the patient can be reached if necessary
E) what time the patient expects to pick the medication up from the pharmacy

Question 5

Interpret the following order. cyanocobalamin 1 mL SC stat and then q month

A) cyanocobalamin one milliliter under tongue tomorrow and then twice a month
B) cyanocobalamin one milliliter by injection subcutaneously now and then once a month
C) cyanocobalamin one microliter subcutaneously standing then four times a month
D) cyanocobalamin one quart by mouth while standing then once a month
E) cyanocobalamin one milliliter starting now and then monthly

Question 6

Interpret the following order. ibuprofen 600 mg qid pc and hs prn muscle spasms

A) ibuprofen 600 mg by mouth four times a day for muscle spasms
B) ibuprofen 600 mg by mouth four times a day after meals and at bedtime for muscle spasms
C) ibuprofen 600 mg by mouth daily after a meal or at bedtime as needed for muscle spasms
D) ibuprofen 600 mg by injection three times a day after a meal and at bedtime as needed for muscle spasms
E) ibuprofen 600 mg by mouth four times a day with meals and at bedtime as needed for muscle spasms

Question 7

Prescriptions of medications other than Schedule II controlled substances may be

A) written
B) electronically transferred
C) verbally transferred by the medical office
D) a and c
E) all the above

Question 8

Which of the following is the correct documentation for the medication order? Flagyl five hundred milligram tablets; number fourteen; one tablet twice a day with meals for seven days

A) Flagyl 500 mg # 14 tab i tidmeals $\times$ 7 days
B) Flagyl 500 mg # 14 tab i bidmeals $\times$ 7 days
C) Flagyl 500 mg # 14 tab i daily with breakfast $\times$ 7 days
D) Flagyl 500 mg # 14 tab i qidmeals $\times$ 7 days

Question 9

Which of the following is not true?

A) The medication order should include the patient's name and address.
B) The medication order should include the medication name and dosage.
C) The medication order should include the route by which the medication is given.
D) The time and frequency of medication administration should be included in the medication order.
E) Medication orders may be standing orders or standard protocol.

Question 10

Interpret the following order. meperidine 50 mg IM stat and repeat q4h prn pain

A) meperidine 50 mg in the muscle now and every four hours as needed for pain
B) meperidine 50 mg subcutaneously now and every four hours as needed for pain
C) meperidine 50 mg in the vein now and every four hours as needed for pain
D) meperidine 50 mg in the muscle now and four times a day as needed for pain
E) meperidine 50 mg in the muscle now and four times a day

Question 11

Which of the following is not true?

A) Written orders are preferable to verbal orders.
B) Verbal orders should always be repeated for accuracy.
C) A verbal order may be documented at a later date, as long as the medication has been given when ordered.
D) Legally speaking, any order not documented has not been given.

Question 12

Prescriptions may be written and signed on

A) single blank forms
B) multiple blank forms
C) computer generated forms
D) office stationery
E) all of the above

Question 13

Which of the following require a physician's signature?

A) Schedule II medications
B) all written prescriptions leaving the physician's office
C) prescriptions written by agents of the physician, such as physician assistants, nurse practitioners, etc.
D) a and b
E) none of the above

Question 14

When documenting prescription refills, which of the following is not important?

A) Refills are not documented because the medication refills are on the prescription.
B) The physician is the only person who can approve a refill request.
C) The physician is responsible for indicating the number of refills allowable.
D) The physician, pharmacist, and allied health professional are health partners in ensuring the prescription needs of the patient.
E) Any standing order or standard protocol should be very specific about when it should be used, to what degree, and written directions for specific situations.

Question 15

Interpret the following prescription. Digitoxin 0.25 mg Sig: tab i qd pc breakfast if pulse is above 60

A) Digitoxin 0.25 mg. Take one tablet after breakfast daily if pulse is above 60.
B) Digitoxin 0.25 mg. Take one tablet before breakfast and with other meals if pulse is above 60.
C) Digitoxin 0.25 mg. Take one tablet with breakfast every other day if pulse is above 60.
D) Digitoxin 0.25 mg. Take one capsule before breakfast every day.
E) Digitoxin 0.25 mg. Take one capsule before breakfast every other day.

Question 16

Interpret the following order. Lasix 20 mg tab i qd @ 9A and again at 3P prn edema

A) Lasix 20 mg one tablet at 9 in the morning and again at 3 in the afternoon
B) Lasix 20 mg tablet daily at 9 in the morning and again in the afternoon if needed for swelling
C) Lasix 20 mg one tablet each day at 9 in the morning and again at 3 in the afternoon if needed for edema
D) Lasix 20 mg four tablets a day as needed for edema

Question 17

Standard protocol is usually used for which of the following?

A) specific procedures
B) as preparation for diagnostic tests
C) to give medications in the office
D) a and b
E) a, b, and c

Question 18

When documenting orders to the medical record, which of the following should be included?

A) date and time of order
B) medication strength
C) amount of medication ordered
D) directions for taking the medicine
E) all of the above

Question 19

Which of the following is not true?

A) Verbal orders should be repeated to the physician to ensure correctness.
B) If a verbal order is given for a drug that may be confused with another medication, the allied health professional should spell the medication back to the physician.
C) The physician is solely responsible for the administration of an ordered medication, whether this is a verbal order, a prescription, or a written order in the office.
D) The allied health professional should have a working knowledge of any medication that he or she administers.
E) Many medications may either sound alike or be spelled alike, causing confusion when taking verbal orders.

Question 20

Which of the following is necessary when administering medications?

A) correct dosage range
B) possible adverse reactions
C) patient education related to the medications
D) a and b
E) a, b, and c

Question 21

A standing order does not require a signature by the physician with each use.

Question 22

Standing orders are assigned for use in many situations, and the allied health professional should easily know what the physician expects.

Question 23

Abbreviations are shortcuts in prescription writing and should be used as often as possible, including the use of abbreviations that are locally used but are not necessarily standard abbreviations.

Question 24

If a patient is using a mail-order prescription service, a second prescription may be needed to obtain a supply of the medication until the mail supply arrives if necessary.

Question 25

Copying a prescription before it leaves the clinical site is a safeguard for the physician, the pharmacist, and office personnel.

Question 26

The physician must always be able to access patient records for review prior to ordering medications for a patient. The allied health professional should make sure access to records is available.

Question 27

If the physician has either a standing order or standard protocol, there are no contraindications to their use.

Question 28

Schedules II and III medications may be telephoned to the pharmacy.

Question 29

If a multiple-line prescription blank is used, all lines should either contain a medication or have a line drawn through the blank line.

Question 30

Standard protocol should always be a signed group of orders.

Question 31

Verbal orders do not need documentation in the medical record.

Question 32

The DEA number as well as the physician's address and phone number should appear on all prescriptions.

Question 33

The allied health professional should tell the person calling for a prescription an approximate time that the prescription will be telephoned to the pharmacy.

Question 34

The allied health professional assists with prescription therapy by phoning prescription therapy and writing prescriptions for signature by the physician as appropriate by state statutes.

Question 35

The purpose of a prescription is to control the amount of medications and the way a patient takes the medication.

Question 36

When phoning in a prescription, the allied health professional should ask the pharmacist to repeat the order.

Question 37

Medication orders are best given in writing.

Question 38

The sole responsibility in prescription correctness lies in the physician's hand.

Question 39

Prescriptions are given for medication administration at home, while medication orders are usually used in the clinical setting, such as hospitals or physicians offices.

Question 40

If an allied health professional is unsure of the medication ordered verbally by the physician, he or she should proceed to administer the medication so that the patient will not doubt his or her background in pharmacology.

Question 41

The allied health professional should spend time with patients and other caregivers to ensure that medication needs are understood and to assist with patient compliance.

Question 42

Prescription pads are good note pads.

Question 43

Drugstore hopping for prescriptions may be detrimental in patient care and medication compliance.

Question 44

The pharmacy has no responsibility in patient education for compliance.

Question 45

The labeling on OTC medications is the same as for legend drugs.

Question 46

Herbal medications and OTC drugs, as well as prescription medications, being taken by a patient should be documented in the patient medical record to ensure safety in medication administration.

Question 47

The protocol for calling a pharmacy with refills varies with each physician's office and by state statutes.

Question 48

OTC medications are relatively safe because they do not cause adverse reactions or interact with prescription medications.

Question 49

Allied health professionals should spend time with patients discussing OTC medications to lower the chance of danger from self-treatment.

Question 50

The illiterate patient and the patient who does not speak the common language may have adverse or toxic reactions from prescription and OTC medications.

Question 51

A patient should be taught to read the label of all medications before taking them and should never assume that the medication is correct without reading the label.

Question 52

The prescription is a legal document.

Question 53

If a request for a medication refill is denied, the pharmacist should be the person who tells the patient, since the patient will go to the pharmacy to pick up the prescription.

Question 54

If the physician does not document the refills allowed, the allied health professional should assume the number of refills allowed and document this information for the physician prior to calling in the prescription.

Question 55

Allied health professionals should assume that patients understand all drug information and, because of their busy schedules, do not need to allow time for questions from patients.

Question 56

Prescription orders should be held to certain times of the day before calling the pharmacy, rather than calling in the prescription as soon as possible after it is obtained from the physician.

Question 57

Prescription pads should be guarded at all times.

Question 58

Some medications have side effects that make using machinery dangerous.

Question 59

The patient must be told when medications should be taken.

Question 60

If a prescription is denied, the patient should be notified and given further follow-up instructions.

Question 61

When obtaining information for new prescriptions, asking about any new allergies since the last visit will not be helpful to the physician and will assist in decreasing adverse reactions to medications.

Question 62

A medication label contains information about the drug's strength, form, and trade/generic name.

Question 63

To save money, using expired medications is permissible when inability to purchase new medications is present.

Question 64

The Federal Trade Commission is responsible for the information found on OTC medication labels.

Question 65

If sound-alike or look-alike medications are given using oral transmission, the allied health professional should ask the person receiving the order to spell the medication name.

Question 66

The use of indicates that the trade name has been registered and belongs only to the one manufacturer.

Question 67

Forgery of prescriptions is a difficult task so leaving prescription pads in the examination room is not a problem.

Question 68

Only standard abbreviations should be used when writing a prescription.

Question 69

Any instructions given to the patient should be included in the medical record.

Question 70

Trademark (™) indicates that the trade name has been accepted by the FDA.

Question 71

The abbreviation NDC means "No drug consultation" is needed.

Question 72

Lot numbers are found on medication labels so that if the product is recalled, the patient can be notified and the medication removed from the point of sale.

Question 73

If the physician has a certain time of day for phoning prescriptions to pharmacies, this information should be indicated to the patient.

Question 74

The original standing order should have a physician's signature on record and should be used under specific conditions for specific procedures.

Question 75

The generic name is the official name.

Question 76

The expiration date only gives a date by which the medications must be dispensed; this date does not indicate the date that the medication must be discarded.

Question 77

When a patient calls for a refill, asking how the therapy has either been helpful or aggravating will assist the physician in making a decision about the prescription.

Question 78

Medication labels include generic names and trade names as applicable.

Question 79

The NDC code indicates the drug and the manufacturer only.

Question 80

A means of logging phone calls for prescription refills or new prescriptions should be kept near the phone to assist in providing information for the physician and for meeting patient needs.