Question

question 45

a pharmacy technician discovers a near-miss error in which the wrong strength of a medication was nearly dispensed but was caught before it left the pharmacy. which of the following is the most appropriate action?

report the near-miss through the pharmacys internal reporting system to support quality improvement.

inform only the pharmacist and request the event not be documented.

correct the error and do not report it since no patient harm occurred.

wait to see if future errors occur before reporting.

Explanation:

Analyze the scenario

Using the Near-Miss Reporting knowledge point

A near-miss is an event where a medication error occurred but was detected and corrected before reaching the patient. Even though no harm reached the patient, documenting and reporting these events is vital for identifying systemic vulnerabilities and improving pharmacy workflows.

Evaluate the options

Using the Near-Miss Reporting knowledge point

• Option 1: Reporting the event internally allows the pharmacy to track trends and implement preventive measures, directly supporting continuous quality improvement.
• Option 2: Requesting that the event not be documented goes against professional standards and safety protocols.
• Option 3: Failing to report simply because no harm occurred prevents the pharmacy from addressing the underlying cause of the error.
• Option 4: Delaying reporting delays potential safety interventions.

Answer:

• (A) Report the near-miss through the pharmacy's internal reporting system to support quality improvement. (Correct answer)
• (B) Inform only the pharmacist and request the event not be documented.
• (C) Correct the error and do not report it since no patient harm occurred.
• (D) Wait to see if future errors occur before reporting.