Question

question 55

a pharmacy technician observes someone make a near-error in the pharmacy. which of the following actions should the technician take?

immediately confront the person that made the error.
call a staff meeting to discuss the incident.
no action is necessary because it was only a near-error.
talk to the pharmacist in a private setting.

Explanation:

Identify the scenario and core issue

The question describes a scenario where a pharmacy technician observes a "near-error" (also known as a near-miss) made by someone in the pharmacy. The goal is to determine the most appropriate professional action to take.

Evaluate the options based on professional standards

Using the Near-Miss Reporting knowledge point

• Immediately confront the person that made the error: Confrontation can create a hostile work environment and is not the standard protocol for reporting or resolving workflow issues.
• Call a staff meeting to discuss the incident: A pharmacy technician does not have the authority to call a staff meeting, and discussing an individual's near-error publicly can cause embarrassment and damage team morale.
• No action is necessary because it was only a near-error: Near-misses are critical learning opportunities. Failing to report them prevents the pharmacy from identifying systemic issues that could lead to actual patient harm in the future.
• Talk to the pharmacist in a private setting: The pharmacist-on-duty is the supervisor responsible for the clinical operations and safety of the pharmacy. Discussing the observation privately with the pharmacist allows the issue to be addressed constructively, documented appropriately, and resolved without public embarrassment.

Select the correct action

The most professional, safe, and standard procedure is to report the observation to the supervising pharmacist in a private setting.

Answer:

• Immediately confront the person that made the error.
• Call a staff meeting to discuss the incident.
• No action is necessary because it was only a near-error.
• Talk to the pharmacist in a private setting. (Correct answer)