Question

question 1 (10 points)

it is now sunday evening you have one hour left until your shift ends. the pharmacist has stepped in the back office to speak with a customer on the phone. a customer comes to the pharmacy, states he is a lot of pain and hands you a prescription for an excessive dose of oxycontin. you already know due to it being a sunday, the doctors office is closed so you cannot verify the prescription. what do you say to or do for the customer? 

Explanation:

Identify the professional boundaries

Using the Scope of Practice and Professional Workplace Ethics knowledge points

• A pharmacy technician cannot independently evaluate, verify, or make clinical decisions regarding an excessive dose of a Schedule II controlled substance like OxyContin.
• Clinical evaluation and prescription verification must be handled directly by the pharmacist.

Formulate the immediate action

Using the Professional Workplace Ethics knowledge point

• Since the pharmacist is currently in the back office on the phone, you must alert them to the situation immediately rather than turning the patient away or attempting to resolve the clinical issue yourself.
• Do not attempt to verify or refuse the prescription on your own authority.

Communicate with the patient

Using the Patient Communication knowledge point

• Speak to the customer with empathy, acknowledging their pain.
• Inform them clearly and professionally that the pharmacist must review and verify the prescription, and that there will be a wait while the pharmacist finishes their call.

Answer:

As a pharmacy technician, you must operate strictly within your scope of practice and handle this situation with professional ethics and clear communication:

1. Do not attempt to fill or reject the prescription yourself: Evaluating an "excessive dose" of a Schedule II controlled substance (OxyContin) is a clinical judgment that only the pharmacist can make.
2. Involve the pharmacist immediately: Quietly alert the pharmacist in the back office that you have a high-priority situation involving a prescription that requires their immediate clinical review and verification.
3. Communicate empathetically with the customer: Acknowledge the customer's pain and explain professionally that because OxyContin is a highly regulated medication, the pharmacist must personally review and verify the prescription before it can be filled, which may take some time while they finish their current call.