Question

question 95

a pharmacy technician is verifying a prescribers dea number on a prescription. as part of the verification process, which of the following parts of the dea number should the technician multiply by two?

• the sum of the first, third, and fifth digits
• the sum of the second, fourth, and sixth digits
• the final check digit
• the sum of the first two steps of the process

Explanation:

Identify the DEA number verification formula

A standard DEA number consists of 2 letters followed by 7 digits (e.g., AB1234563). The verification algorithm is:

1. Add the first, third, and fifth digits: \(1\text{st} + 3\text{rd} + 5\text{th}\).
2. Add the second, fourth, and sixth digits: \(2\text{nd} + 4\text{th} + 6\text{th}\).
3. Multiply the sum from step 2 by 2: \((2\text{nd} + 4\text{th} + 6\text{th}) \times 2\).
4. Add the result of step 1 and step 3. The last digit of this final sum must match the 7th (final check) digit of the DEA number.

Match the question prompt to the formula steps

The question asks which part of the DEA number should be multiplied by two. According to the standard verification process, this is the sum of the second, fourth, and sixth digits.

Answer:

• The sum of the first, third, and fifth digits
• The sum of the second, fourth, and sixth digits (Correct answer)
• The final check digit
• The sum of the first two steps of the process