Hospital Pharmacist Interview Questions and Answers

Hospital pharmacists play a crucial role in healthcare settings, they are specialized in prescription fiiling, compounding and dispensing of medications in a hospital setting.

Q. What do you mean by hospital pharmacy?

The department or service in a hospital which is under the direction of a professionally competent, legally qualified pharmacist, and from which all medications are supplied to the nursing units and other services, where special prescriptions are filled for patients in the hospital, where prescriptions are filled for ambulatory patients and out-patients, where pharmaceuticals are manufactured in bulk, where narcotic and other prescribed drugs are dispensed, where injectable preparations should be prepared and sterilized, and where professional supplies are often stocked and dispensed.

Q. What are the goals of hospital pharmacy practice?

To provide the benefits of a qualified hospital pharmacist to patients and health care institutions, to the allied health professions, and to the profession of pharmacy.
To assist in providing an adequate supply of such qualified hospital pharmacists.
To assure a high quality of professional practice through the establishment and maintenance of standards of professional ethics, education, and attainments and through the promotion of economic welfare.
To promote research in hospital pharmacy practices and in the pharmaceutical sciences in general.
To disseminate pharmaceutical knowledge by providing for interchange of information among hospital pharmacists and with members of allied specialties and professions.
More broadly, the Society’s primary purpose is the advancement of rational, patient-oriented drug therapy in hospitals and other organized health care settings.

Q. What are the minimum standard for a hospital pharmacy setting?

The pharmaceutical service shall be directed by a professionally competent, legally qualified pharmacist.
The procurement, distribution, and control of all pharmaceuticals used within the facility.
The evaluation and dissemination of comprehensive information about drugs and their use to the institution’s staff and patients.
The monitoring, evaluation, and assurance of the quality of drug use. These functions are carried out in cooperation with other institutional departments and programs.

Q. What are the major responsibilities of a hospital pharmacy technician?

Major responsibilities of a hospital pharmacy technician include:

receiving written prescriptions or requests for prescription refills from patients or their caregivers.
verifying that the information on the prescription is complete and accurate.
counting, weighing, measuring, and mixing the medicationpreparing prescription labels and selecting the container.
establishing and maintaining patient profiles.
ordering and stocking prescription and over-the-counter medications.
assisting with drug studies.
taking prescriptions over the telephone.
transferring prescriptions.
tracking and reporting errors.
“tech check tech” in preparation of medicine carts.

Q. What do you mean by hospital formulary?

The formularyis a continually revised compilation of pharmaceuticals(plus important ancillary information) that reflects the current clinical judgment of the medical staff.

The formulary systemis a method whereby the medical staff of an institution, working through the pharmacy and therapeutics committee, evaluates, appraises, and selects from among the numerous available drug entities and drug products those that are considered most useful in patient care. Only those so selected are routinely available from the pharmacy. The formulary system is thus an important tool for assuring the quality of drug use and controlling its cost.

Q. What are the 5 rights for drug administration?

Right Patient: Always verify the patient name before dispensing medicines.
Right Drug: Always check the medication against the original prescription and the patient’s disease state. The medication label contains important information about the drug that will be dispensed to the patient.
Right Strength: Check the original prescription for this information and pay attention to the age of the patient. Pediatric or elderly patient can easily get the wrong dose.
Right Route: Check that the physician’s order agrees with the drug’s specified route of administration. Many medications can be given by a variety of routes and the route of administration can affect the medication’s absorption.
Right Time: Check the prescription to determine the appropriate time for the medication to be administrated. Some medications must be taken on an empty stomach (one hour before or two hours after a meal) while others should be taken with food. Sometimes, a certain time span is needed between doses to maintain a therapeutically effective blood level.

Q. Which information should include in a medication order?

Medications should be given (with certain specified exceptions) only on the writtenorder of a qualified physician or other authorized prescriber.

Patient’s name and location (unless clearly indicated on the order sheet).
Name (Generic) of medication.
Dosage expressed in the metric system, except in instances where dosage must be expressed otherwise (i.e., units, etc)
Frequency of administration.
Route of administration.
Signature of the physician.
Date and hour the order was written.

Q. How many types of SCHEDULE for controlled substance?

(1) SCHEDULE I

The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse.
The drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the (United States).
There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.

(2) SCHEDULE II

The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse.
The drug or other substance has recurrently accepted medical use in treatment in the (United States) or a currently accepted medical use with severe restrictions.
Abuse of the drug or other substances may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence.

(3) SCHEDULE III

The drug or other substance has a potential for abuse less than the drug or other substances in schedules I and II.
The drug or other substance has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the (United States).
Abuse of the drug or other substances may lead to moderate or low physical dependence or high psychological dependence.

(4) SCHEDULE IV

The drug or other substance has a low potential for abuse relative to the drug or other substances in schedules III.
The drug or other substance has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the (United States).
Abuse of the drug or other substances may lead to limited physical dependence or psychological dependence relative to the drugs or other substances in schedule III.

(5) SCHEDULE V

The drug or other substance has a low potential for abuse relative to the drugs or other substances in schedules IV.
The drug or other substance has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the (United States).
Abuse of the drug or other substances may lead to limited physical dependence or psychological dependence relative to the drugs or other substances in schedule IV.

Read also: