Question

question 91

a pharmacy technician receives a new prescription for a patient and needs to verify the patients identity. which of the following is considered the most reliable method of patient verification?

confirming the patients phone number
verifying the patients home address
asking for the patients first name only
using two patient identifiers, such as the patients full name and date of birth

Explanation:

Identify the core requirement

The question asks for the most reliable method of patient verification when a pharmacy technician receives a new prescription.

Evaluate the options

• Confirming the patient's phone number: While useful, a single identifier is not the most reliable or standard safety practice on its own.
• Verifying the patient's home address: Similar to a phone number, using only one identifier is insufficient for robust safety standards.
• Asking for the patient's first name only: This is highly unreliable due to common names and lacks a second verifying factor.
• Using two patient identifiers, such as the patient's full name and date of birth: This aligns with Joint Commission and standard healthcare safety guidelines.

Apply the Patient Verification concept

Using the Patient Verification knowledge point

• Standard healthcare safety protocols require at least two unique patient identifiers (typically full name and date of birth) to prevent medication errors and ensure the correct patient profile is selected.

Answer:

• Confirming the patient's phone number
• Verifying the patient's home address
• Asking for the patient's first name only
• Using two patient identifiers, such as the patient's full name and date of birth (Correct answer)