A Washington pharmacist receives an electronic prescription for a Schedule II
controlled substance from an out-of-state prescriber who is not registered with
the DEA in Washington. Under federal and Washington law, which action is
most appropriate?
A. Dispense the prescription because the prescriber has a valid DEA
registration in their home state.
B. Refuse to dispense because Washington requires all prescribers to have
a Washington DEA registration.
C. Dispense only if the prescriber is enrolled in the Washington
Prescription Monitoring Program.
D. Refuse to dispense because Schedule II prescriptions cannot be filled
from out-of-state prescribers.
Correct Answer: A - Dispense the prescription because the
prescriber has a valid DEA registration in their home state.
RATIONALE
Under DEA regulations, a prescriber with a valid DEA registration in
any state may prescribe controlled substances in another state if
authorized by that state. Washington does not require a separate
Washington DEA registration for out-of-state prescribers, though they
must comply with state law. Options B and D are incorrect because
they impose nonexistent requirements; C is irrelevant to dispensing
validity.
Question 2
Which of the following best describes the legal authority of a Washington
pharmacist to administer vaccines to individuals aged 3 through 18 under
current law?
A. Pharmacists may administer any vaccine to this age group without a
prescription or protocol.
B. Pharmacists may administer vaccines to this age group only under a
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, prescriber's direct supervision.
C. Pharmacists may administer vaccines to this age group under a
collaborative drug therapy agreement or standing order.
D. Pharmacists are prohibited from administering vaccines to anyone
under 18 without a patient-specific prescription.
Correct Answer: C - Pharmacists may administer vaccines to this
age group under a collaborative drug therapy agreement or
standing order.
RATIONALE
Washington law allows pharmacists to administer vaccines to
individuals aged 3 and older under a collaborative drug therapy
agreement (CDTA) or standing order, consistent with ACIP
recommendations. Option A is too broad; B incorrectly requires direct
supervision; D misstates the law, as a prescription is not always
required.
Question 3
Under Washington's Pharmacy Quality Assurance Commission rules, which of
the following constitutes an unlawful transfer of a prescription for a controlled
substance between pharmacies?
A. Transferring an unfilled Schedule II prescription electronically
between two pharmacies.
B. Transferring a Schedule III prescription after it has been partially
filled.
C. Transferring a Schedule IV prescription for the purpose of refill
dispensing.
D. Transferring a Schedule V prescription without documenting the
transferring pharmacist's DEA number.
Correct Answer: B - Transferring a Schedule III prescription
after it has been partially filled.
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, RATIONALE
Federal and Washington law prohibit transferring a controlled
substance prescription that has already been partially filled. Transfers
of unfilled Schedule II prescriptions are permitted electronically under
DEA rules; Schedule III-V transfers are allowed with proper
documentation, including DEA numbers. Option B is the unlawful act.
Question 4
A Washington pharmacy's automated dispensing system (ADS) is used to store
and dispense controlled substances. Which of the following is a mandatory
requirement for compliance with Washington law?
A. The ADS must be physically located within the prescription
department and under the supervision of a pharmacist.
B. The ADS must be restocked only by a certified pharmacy technician.
C. The ADS must maintain a perpetual inventory of all controlled
substances and generate a monthly report.
D. The ADS must be linked to the Washington Prescription Monitoring
Program for real-time reporting.
Correct Answer: A - The ADS must be physically located within
the prescription department and under the supervision of a
pharmacist.
RATIONALE
Washington law requires that automated dispensing systems be located
within the prescription department and under pharmacist supervision.
Restocking can be done by various personnel, but not exclusively
technicians; perpetual inventory is required for Schedule II but not
necessarily all controlled substances; PMP linkage is not mandatory
for ADS.
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