Em Flashcards
- A 55-year-oldmanhas recently beendiagnosed with stage 2 hypertension. His other medical conditions includetype 2 diabetes and depression. He has no known medication allergies. His current medication includes: Atorvastatin 20mg ONMetformin 1g BDSertraline 50mg OD Which antihypertensive should this patient be started on first line?
Amlodipine
Doxazosin
Indapamide
Ramipril
Bisoprolol
Rationale: According to NICE guidance,an ACE inhibitor(ramipril in this case), would be first line for hypertension inthis patient,becausehe has type 2 diabetes.Note that if he didn’thave type 2 diabetes, a calcium channel blocker (such as amlodipine), would be first line due to his age of 55 years
A 72-year-old lady has recently been started on alendronic acid for osteoporosis. Before
handing out the prescription to the patient, you decide to counsel her to ensure that they use
the medication safely and correctly.
Which of the following statements is incorrect?
o Alendronic acid 70mg should be taken once daily at the same time each
morning.
o Alendronic acid should be taken with a full glass of water, at least 30 minutes before
food, other drinks or medication.
o Alendronic acid tablets must be swallowed whole.
o Alendronic acid can increase the risk of atypical femoral fractures
o Alendronic acid is contraindicated in hypocalcaemia
Alendronic acid 70mg should be taken once daily at the same time is incorrect. It should be once weekly.
All the other statements are correct
A woman comes into the community pharmacy and asks for your advice on what
paracetamol dose she should give her 2-year-old child for fever.
What dose of paracetamol is appropriate for a 2-year-old child?
- 60mg every 4-6 hours (max QDS)
- 120mg every 4-6 hours (max QDS)
- 180mg every 4-6 hours (max QDS)
- 240mg every 4-6 hours (max QDS)
- 360mg every 4-6 hours (max QDS)
180mg every 4-6 hours (max QDS)
You are working in a community pharmacy and a patient hands you a script for diazepam.
You are checking its legality.
How long from the appropriate date is a prescription for diazepam valid?
o 7 days
o 28 days
o 30 days
o 6 months
o 12 months
28 days
Diazepam is a CD which belongs to SCH 4.1 Prescriptions for CD sch2-4 are valid for 28 days.
A GP requests that you do an emergency supply of a POM for a patient.
Which statement is not true regarding emergency supply at request of the prescriber?
The patient does not need be interviewed
The prescriber must provide a prescription within 48 hours
You must be satisfied that the prescriber is unable to provide a prescription
immediately due to an emergency
An entry needs to be made in the POM register on the day of supply, or if impractical,
the following day
Usual label requirements for POMs apply
The prescriber must provide a prescription within 48 hours. For emergency supply at the request of the prescriber, the prescriber must provide a prescription within 72 hours.
You a working as a practice pharmacist in a GP surgery. You are counselling one of the
patients on starting atorvastatin.
Which of the following statements is correct?
o The usual dose for primary prevention is 80mg ON
o A blood test for creatinine kinase should be carried before starting the statin, and
then within 3 months and at 12 months
o Rhabdomylosis is a common side effect of atorvastatin
o Atorvastatin and amlodipine should not be taken together
o Atorvastatin can be taken in the morning
Unlike some other statins, atorvastatin can be taken in the morning. Note that rosuvastatin can also be taken in the morning. The usual dose of atorvastatin for primary prevention is 20mg OD (80mg OD is the secondary prevention dose). A blood test for liver function(LFTs)should be carried out before starting the statin, then within3 months andat12 months.Atorvastatin can be taken with amlodipine (note simvastatin interactswith amlodipine). Rhabdomylosis is a rare side effect of atorvastatin
You are conducting a medication review for a patient at your practice. Their medical
history includes the following:
Depression/anxiety (diagnosed 2018)
Asthma (diagnosed 2007)Heartburn (diagnosed 2015)
Nocturnal leg cramps (diagnosed 2018)
Hypertension (diagnosed 2 days ago)
Their medication list is below:
Acute Medication:
28 x Losartan 50mg OD (issued 2 days ago)
28 x Diazepam 2mg TDS PRN (issued 6 months ago)
1 x Salbutamol inhaler (last issued 7 months ago)
Repeat medication: (all have been issued monthly for the past 12 months)
28 x Priadel (lithium) 400mg OD (last issued 1 week ago)
28 x Lansoprazole 30mg OD (last issued 1 week ago)
28 x Fostair 100/6 inhaler - 1 puff BD (last issued 1 week ago)
Based on the information provided, which potential issue are you are most concerned
about, and should act upon first?
o There is a drug interaction
o You are concerned about compliance
o One or more of the medications is not recommended long term
o You are concerned about her asthma control
o The dose of one of the medications is inappropriate
Drug interaction between the patient’s newly prescribed losartan and lithium. Lorsartan is an ARB which can increase lithium concentration -> increasing the risk of toxicity
You are working as ahospital pharmacistand a foundation doctor asks for your advice regarding antibiotic treatment for community acquired pneumoniain a child.The doctor assessed that symptoms were non-severe. You check the patient’s record (listed below) and checkthe NICE guidance,which your hospital trust uses for their formulary. The patient is a 7 year old who weighs 25kg and is allergic to flucloxacillin.
Which antibiotic regimen below would you advisefor this patient?
- Amoxicillin 500mg TDS for 5 days
- Clarithromycin 500mg BD for 5 days
- Erythromycin 250mg QDS for 5 days
- Co-amoxiclav -10mL of 250/62 suspension TDS for 5 days
- Clarithromycin 187.5mg BD for 5 days
Patient has an allergy to flucloxacillin. Clarithromycin is the correct answer
A father presents to the pharmacy with his 2-year-old son. He tells you that his son
developed a spotty rash across his body, which then turned into itchy fluid filled blisters.
Some of these vesicles are now starting to crust over to form scabs. The patient also
experienced loss of appetite and general malaise.
Based on this presentation, what is the most likely diagnosis?
o Chickenpox
o Scarlet fever
o Measles
o Rubella
o Contact dermatitis
Chickenpox
A trainee pharmacist asks you to go through the topic of ‘sick day rules’ with them.
Which of the following medications is most appropriate to omit during periods of
diarrhoea and vomiting?
o Basal insulin
o Clopidogrel
o Indapamide
o Oxycodone IR
o Amlodipine
Indapamide (diuretic) should be admitted during periods of diarrhoea and vomiting due to the risk od dehydration and AKI
The GP provides a male patient with a prescription for nitrofurantoin to treat a lower
urinary tract infection.
How many 50mg nitrofurantoin capsules would you expect to dispense to provide the
full course of treatment?
- 7 capsules
-12 capsules
-21 capsules
-29 capsules
- 9 capsules
For lower urinary tract infections in men, the usual dose of nitrofurantoin is 50mg QDS (so 4 x 50mg capsulesper day), and the usual course duration is 7 days in men, so you would expect to dispense 28 capsules(7 days x 4 capsules per day = 28 capsules
A patient hands you a prescription for fentanyl.
Which of the following statements is correct?
o This prescription can be put on a repeatable prescription
o This prescription is valid for 30 days from the appropriate date
o It is strongly recommended that no more than 28 days supply can be prescribed on
the prescription
o It is strongly recommended that no more than 30 days supply can be prescribed on
the prescription
o You cannot dispense more than 30 days supply
Fentanyl is a schedule 2 controlled drug. It is strongly recommended that no more than 30 days supplyis prescribed of schedule 2, 3 or 4 controlleddrugs.The other statements above are incorrect.Consult the MEP for more information on this
Which of the following statements is true regarding edoxaban?
o A patient is prescribed edoxaban for prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in
non-valvular atrial fibrillation. Their body weight is 58kg. Their renal function is
normal. For this patient, the recommended dose of edoxaban is 60mg OD
o Dose reduction to edoxaban 30mg OD is required for patients on concomitant
amiodarone
o Anaemia is a common side effect of edoxaban
o eGFR is the most appropriate measure of renal function to use when reviewing
edoxaban
o The dose of edoxaban should be reduced to 30mg OD in patients greater than 80
years old
Anaemia is a common side effect of endoxaban
A mother presents to the pharmacy with her 5-year-old son, who has had cough and cold
symptoms for the past 3 days. The main symptom is a dry tickly cough.
Which of the following is the most appropriate action?
o Refer to GP
o Sell guaifenesin syrup
o Sell dextromethorphan syrup
o Sell glycerol and sucrose syrup
o Sell ibuprofen
There are no red flags listed in the presentation so a referral to the GP is not necessary at this stage. OTC dextromethorphan and guaifenesin is not suitable for this patient due to his age. Guaifenesinis also indicated for productive coughs rather than dry coughs, as it is an expectorant. Ibuprofen may help with fever and pain but is unlikely to help with the cough which is the patient’s main symptom.Glyceryl and sucrose syrup is the most appropriate option for this patient
You are conducting a revision session for trainee pharmacists regarding osteoarthritis
and pain management.
Which of the following statements regarding osteoarthritis is correct?
o Regular paracetamol should be routinely recommended to patients for long term pain
management for osteoarthritis
o Exercise should be avoided in osteoarthritis
o Glucosamine should be recommended in osteoarthritis
o Morphine or oxycodone is recommended for pain management in osteoarthritis only
if co-codamol is ineffective or not tolerated
o Acupuncture should not be recommended for symptom relief in osteoarthritis
Simple analgesiafor osteoarthritisshould only be used infrequentlyand short term.Exercise is recommended in osteoarthritis.Strong opioids should not be prescribed for pain management in osteoarthritis.Glucosamine and acupuncture should not be recommended for symptom reliefin osteoarthritis (this is due to the lack of evidence base –see the NICE CKS topic on osteoarthritis)
A 49-year-old patient presents to the pharmacy with heartburn. They have already tried
omeprazole over the counter, but it hasn’t helped their symptoms. They mention that they
have lost over a stone in weight over the past few months, but they haven’t made any
changes to their diet or lifestyle, so they’re not sure why.
What is the most appropriate action?
o Refer patient to GP
o Refer patient to A&E
o Sell patient Gaviscon to help with symptoms, to take in addition to omeprazole
o Sell patient Gaviscon to help with symptoms, to take instead of omeprazole
o Provide diet and lifestyle advice
This patient should be referred to the GP to investigate due to the red flag of weight lossand the fact that the PPI hasn’t helped their symptoms. The GP is the most appropriateroute of referral, and they should be seen promptlyby the GP.
You are working in a community pharmacy. A patient presents to the pharmacy holding
their nose with a tissue. On discussion, they tell you that they have a heavy nosebleed which
will not stop, and this has lasted over 30 minutes so far. You find out that they are on
warfarin. The patient feels otherwise well.
- Refer to GP
- Refer to A+E
Explain that this is likely a side effect of warfarin, and advise the patient to come back
to the pharmacy if the nosebleed has not resolved within the next hour
o Advise them to temporarily stop their warfarin and book an INR clinic appointment
within the next 2-3 days to make sure their INR is within range
o Advise them to keep taking their warfarin and book an INR clinic appointment within
the next 2-3 days to make sure their INR is within range
The patient is taking warfarin which increases the risk of bleeding. Thepatientshould be referred to A&Edue to the duration of this nosebleed. The other options and referral time frames are not appropriate.
A 17-year-old girl presents to the pharmacy with symptoms of vaginal thrush. She tells
you that she has had an episode of vaginal thrush once before around 11 months ago,
which was diagnosed by a GP. The treatment she had for this was effective. These
symptoms are the same as her last episode of thrush. She has no other medical history and
is on no regular medication. She is not sexually active. She has not yet tried any medication
to manage this episode of thrush. She is requesting medication for it, and she states that she
would prefer a cream formulation as treatment as she doesn’t like taking tablets or capsules.
What is the most appropriate action?
o Refer patient to GP
o Refer patient to sexual health clinic for STI testing
o Sell the patient clotrimazole internal and external cream
o Sell the patient fluconazole capsule and clotrimazole external cream
o Provide lifestyle advice only to manage their symptoms
This patient can be treated OTC so there is no need to refer elsewhere. There are no red flags or referral criteria stated. The patient has toldyou that she doesn’t like taking capsules so the clotrimazole internal and external cream is the best option for this patient.She is over16 years old so clotrimazole cream is licensed OTC for her.
A patient in hospital is prescribed gentamicin as a multiple daily dose regimen. The
foundation doctor has asked for your advice regarding the blood results, as the trough level
of gentamicin has come back high. The peak level was normal.
What is the most appropriate advice?
o The interval between doses should be increased
o The interval between doses should be decreased
o The dose should be increased
o The dose should be decreased
o The dose and the dosing interval should be altered
The interval between doses should be increased
The trough level came back high, which means the interval between the doses should be increased. If the peak level was high, the dose should be decreased. Consult the gentamicin monograph in the BNF for more information on this.
You are working as a GP practice pharmacist and are conducting a COPD medication
review for a patient. The patient continues to be breathless and have exacerbations. There
are no asthmatic features or features suggestive of steroid responsiveness.
Their medication list is as follows: Salbutamol inhaler PRN
If following NICE guidance, what would the initial recommendation be if a step up of
treatment is required?
o Add a LAMA only
o Add a LABA only
o Add an ICS only
o Add a LAMA and LABA
o Add a LABA and ICS
The patient is currently prescribed a SABA. According to NICE guidance, the next step-up in treatment of COPD for patients without asthmatic features or features suggesting steroid responsiveness, is to add a LABA and a LAMA
A patient is prescribed clozapine for schizophrenia, and you are counselling them about
potential side effects.
Under which circumstance should they seek immediate medical advice?
o Diarrhoea
o Constipation
o Insomnia
o Hypersalivation
o Galactorrhoea
Patients taking clozapine should be advised to seekimmediate medical advice if they become constipated. This is due to the potentially fatal risk of intestinal obstruction, faecal impaction and paralytic ileus. This was an MHRA alert in 2017
A patient is suffering from opioid induced constipation since he started taking Zomorph
20mg BD. He has not tried any laxatives yet. The GP is asking your advice on what laxatives
to prescribe.
Of the options below, which would be the first line treatment?
o Naloxegol
o Laxido and senna
o Loperamide
o Ispaghula husk and docusate
o Lactulose and ispaghula husk
Laid and Senna
Of the options above, Laxido (an osmotic laxative) and senna(a stimulant laxative)would be first line for opioid induced constipation. Consult the BNF section on constipation for more information about this. Ispaghula husk is a bulk forming laxative, which should be avoided in opioid induced constipation.Loperamide is indicated for diarrhoea, not constipation. Naloxegol is not first line –it can be used for opioid induced constipationif other laxatives have been tried but have not given an adequateresponse
You are reviewing the patients on your ward and come across a patient who has been
recently diagnosed with bacterial vaginosis.
Which antibiotic would be most suitable for treatment of bacterial vaginosis?
o Co-amoxiclav
o Metronidazole
o Nitrofurantoin
o Erythromycin
o Clarithromycin
Metronidazole is indicated for bacterial vaginosis.Metronidazole covers anaerobic bacterial infections such as bacterial vaginosis
You are discussing antibiotic counselling points with a trainee pharmacist.
Which antibiotic requires monitoring for new or worsening respiratory symptoms?
o Nitrofurantoin
o Amoxicillin
o Clarithromycin
o Doxycycline
o Meropenem
Nitrofurantoin carries a risk of pulmonary adverse effectsand patients should be counselled to report any new or worsening pulmonary symptoms. This is based off a 2023 MHRA alert.