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Safety practice questions

20 questions from the pharmacy technician practice test.

Safety practice test

10 questions, graded as you go, with the reason for every answer. No sign-up.

What this covers

Sample questions

Which pair of drugs is a well-known look-alike, sound-alike pair?

  1. Sertraline and omeprazole
  2. Warfarin and furosemide
  3. Metformin and lisinopril
  4. Bupropion and buspirone
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D. Bupropion and buspirone

Bupropion (an antidepressant) and buspirone (an anti-anxiety drug) have similar names and overlapping strengths, so they appear on confused-name lists as buPROPion and busPIRone. The other pairs do not look or sound alike.

Reference: ISMP List of Confused Drug Names

Which of these is classified as a high-alert medication?

  1. Heparin injection
  2. Omeprazole capsules
  3. Amoxicillin capsules
  4. Loratadine tablets
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A. Heparin injection

Anticoagulants such as heparin are high-alert because a dosing error can cause life-threatening bleeding. Insulin, opioids, chemotherapy and concentrated electrolytes are other examples. The other choices have wide safety margins.

Reference: ISMP List of High-Alert Medications

Which abbreviation is on The Joint Commission's "Do Not Use" list?

  1. mL
  2. mg
  3. U
  4. PO
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C. U

"U" for unit can be read as a zero, a four or "cc", causing tenfold overdoses, so the word "unit" is written out. mL, mg and PO are standard and acceptable.

Reference: The Joint Commission Official "Do Not Use" List

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