Pharmacy PEBC Practice Exam

RY is an 85 year old male who lives alone and currently takes 12 different medications. For the past 2 weeks he has telephoned to ask the pharmacist what dose of diuretic he should be taking (this medication looks similar to another tablet that he takes). He calls again today with the same question. After answering his question, the most appropriate pharmacist action should be to:

1. Call RY’s family doctor to suggest changing the diuretic to something that looks different.

2. Suggest that RY have the labels on his prescription bottles changed to a bigger font for easier reading.

3. Recommend that the pharmacy use a blister packaging dosette to dispense RY’s medications.

4. Suggest that RY write down the answer to his question so that he does not need to phone again.

The correct answer is: Recommend that the pharmacy use a blister packaging dosette to dispense RY’s medications.

Option A is incorrect because it involves changing RY's medication, which should only be done by a doctor. As a pharmacist, it is not within your scope of practice to suggest medication changes. Option B is incorrect because it does not address the root cause of the issue, which is that RY is confusing his medications. Changing the font size may help him read the label, but it does not prevent him from mixing up similar looking pills in the future. Option D is incorrect because it does not provide a practical solution to RY's problem. He is likely to forget or misplace the written answer and continue calling with the same question. The most appropriate action is option C because using blister packaging can help prevent medication mix-ups and make it easier for RY to keep track of his medications. This solution addresses the root cause and promotes patient safety.