All 10 Questions With Complete Rationales
Prefer to read straight through, or want to review after taking the quiz? Every question, the correct answer, and the reasoning behind it are laid out below.
Question 1
A pharmacist receives an emergency telephone order for oxycodone (Schedule II) from a physician. Within how many days must the prescriber provide a written hard-copy prescription?
A. 3 days B. 7 days C. 14 days D. 30 days
✅ Answer: B — 7 days
Under the CSA, emergency oral Schedule II prescriptions are permitted in genuine emergencies. The prescriber must deliver a written or EPCS-compliant prescription to the dispensing pharmacy within 7 days (or postmarked within 7 days if mailed). Failure to follow up requires the pharmacist to notify the DEA.
Question 2
Which DEA form must be filed when a retail pharmacy discovers a theft of controlled substances, and within how many days of discovery?
A. DEA Form 222 within 7 days B. DEA Form 106 within 1 business day C. DEA Form 41 within 30 days D. DEA Form 224 within 15 days
✅ Answer: B — DEA Form 106 within 1 business day
DEA Form 106 (Report of Theft or Significant Loss) must be filed within 1 business day of discovering any theft or significant loss of controlled substances. There is no minimum quantity threshold. The pharmacy must also notify the local DEA Diversion Investigator.
Question 3
Under HIPAA, which disclosure of protected health information (PHI) requires written patient authorization?
A. Sharing a prescription with another treating provider B. Reporting to the state health department for disease surveillance C. Marketing communications that use PHI D. Processing an insurance claim for the patient
✅ Answer: C — Marketing communications that use PHI
Marketing communications that use PHI require specific patient authorization. Treatment, Payment, and Healthcare Operations (TPO) are the three categories that never require authorization. Disease surveillance reporting to public health authorities and insurance claims are also permitted without authorization.
Question 4
A patient requests a non-child-resistant container for their medications. Under the Poison Prevention Packaging Act (PPPA), the pharmacist may comply if:
A. The pharmacist determines it is medically appropriate B. The patient makes a written or oral request (documented by the pharmacist) C. The prescriber writes "non-child-resistant" on the prescription only D. Only elderly patients are eligible for this exception
✅ Answer: B — The patient makes a written or oral request (documented by the pharmacist)
Under the PPPA, either the patient OR the prescriber can authorize a non-child-resistant container. The patient may request this verbally (with the pharmacist documenting the request) or in writing. The prescriber may authorize it on the prescription. This is not limited to elderly patients — any patient may make this request.
Question 5
Under OBRA 90, before dispensing a new prescription, a pharmacist must perform prospective drug use review (DUR) screening for all of the following EXCEPT:
A. Drug-drug interactions B. Therapeutic duplication C. Patient credit history D. Drug-disease contraindications
✅ Answer: C — Patient credit history
OBRA 90 requires prospective DUR screening for: drug-drug interactions, therapeutic duplication, incorrect dosage or duration, drug-allergy interactions, clinical abuse or misuse, and drug-disease contraindications. Patient credit history has no role in the DUR process and is not a legal requirement.
Question 6
Under the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act (CMEA), what is the maximum amount of pseudoephedrine (PSE) base a single purchaser may buy in a 30-day period?
A. 3.6 grams B. 6 grams C. 9 grams D. 12 grams
✅ Answer: C — 9 grams
The CMEA limits pseudoephedrine purchases to 3.6 grams per day and 9 grams per 30-day period (7.5 grams for mail-order purchases). All PSE products must be kept behind the counter or in a locked cabinet, and purchasers must show government ID and sign a logbook.
Question 7
Which of the following medications is PERMANENTLY EXEMPT from child-resistant packaging requirements under the PPPA?
A. Metformin 500mg tablets, 90-day supply B. Sublingual nitroglycerin tablets C. Amoxicillin 500mg capsules D. Warfarin 5mg tablets
✅ Answer: B — Sublingual nitroglycerin tablets
Sublingual nitroglycerin tablets are permanently exempt from PPPA child-resistant packaging requirements because immediate access during a cardiac event is critical. Other permanently exempt products include oral contraceptives in manufacturer dispensing packages, powdered OTC aspirin, and effervescent aspirin tablets. Metformin, amoxicillin, and warfarin are not permanently exempt.
Question 8
A DEA-registered retail pharmacy must conduct a biennial controlled substance inventory. Under federal regulations, the inventory for Schedule II substances must be:
A. An estimated count only B. An exact count always C. An exact count only if the container has been opened D. An estimated count unless more than 1,000 units are present in an opened container
✅ Answer: B — An exact count always
Federal DEA regulations require an EXACT count for all Schedule II controlled substances in the biennial inventory. For Schedule III through V substances, an estimated count is acceptable unless an opened container holds more than 1,000 dosage units (in which case an exact count is required for that opened container).
Question 9
Under the Drug Quality and Security Act (DQSA), a 503A traditional compounding pharmacy differs from a 503B outsourcing facility in that a 503A pharmacy:
A. Must comply with federal cGMP standards B. Can sell compounded products in bulk to hospitals without patient-specific prescriptions C. Is not required to have a patient-specific prescription for most compounded preparations D. Is inspected primarily by the FDA rather than state boards
✅ Answer: C — Is not required to have a patient-specific prescription for most compounded preparations
503A traditional compounding pharmacies must have a valid prescription for a specific patient for most compounded preparations. They are primarily regulated by state boards (not FDA) and are not required to comply with federal cGMP standards. 503B outsourcing facilities can compound without patient-specific prescriptions, sell in bulk to healthcare facilities, must comply with cGMP, and are subject to FDA inspection.
Question 10
Under the Ryan Haight Act, a practitioner may generally prescribe Schedule II controlled substances via telemedicine only if:
A. The prescription is for a 7-day supply or less B. The patient has been evaluated in person at least once C. The prescription is faxed directly to the pharmacy D. The patient resides in a state that has authorized telemedicine prescribing
✅ Answer: B — The patient has been evaluated in person at least once
The Ryan Haight Act requires that before prescribing a controlled substance via the internet or telemedicine, a practitioner must have conducted at least one in-person medical evaluation of the patient. Exceptions exist for emergencies, covering practitioners, Indian Health Service providers, DEA-registered telemedicine sites, and during declared public health emergencies.
📌 How to use these
Answer each question before reading the rationale, and treat "right but unsure" as wrong. The rationale matters more than the answer — if you cannot explain why the other three options fail, you have not learned the rule yet. Ready for more? Work through the other free quizzes or the pharmacy law cheat sheet.