← Patient Safety & Quality Assurance – PTCB Flashcards

Free Patient Safety & Quality Assurance – PTCB Flashcards Practice Test (2026)

90 questions · 110 min · 1,400 Scaled

90 Questions · 110 Minutes · 1,400 Scaled

Question 1 of 5

Sample Questions

Question 1

What is the definition of a medication error according to the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (NCC MERP)?

Answer: A medication error is any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of a healthcare professional, patient, or consumer.

Question 2

Which organization operates the MedWatch program, and what is its primary purpose in pharmacy practice?

Answer: The FDA operates MedWatch, a voluntary reporting program that allows healthcare professionals and consumers to report serious adverse drug events, medication errors, and product quality issues to improve patient safety.

Question 3

What strategy does ISMP recommend to differentiate look-alike/sound-alike (LASA) drug names on labels and in computer systems?

Answer: ISMP recommends Tall Man (mixed-case) lettering, such as 'hydrALAZINE' vs. 'hydrOXYzine,' to visually distinguish the differing portions of similar drug names and reduce selection errors during dispensing.

Question 4

Why does the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) recommend writing out 'Units' instead of abbreviating it as 'U' on prescriptions?

Answer: The abbreviation 'U' can be misread as the number '0' (zero), turning a dose like '4U' into '40 units,' a tenfold overdose that has caused serious patient harm, particularly with insulin and heparin orders.

Question 5

A pharmacy technician receives a prescription for 'Metoprolol Tartrate 25 mg twice daily' but dispenses Metoprolol Succinate 25 mg once daily instead. What type of error has occurred?

Answer: This is a wrong formulation error — metoprolol tartrate is immediate-release (dosed twice daily) and metoprolol succinate is extended-release (dosed once daily); dispensing the wrong salt form changes the drug's pharmacokinetic profile and dosing frequency.