Patient Safety & Quality AssuranceQuestion 56 of 100
While filling a prescription, a technician scans the barcode on the stock bottle and the dispensing system rejects the scan. What is the correct next action?
a.Key the NDC in manually and continue filling
b.Stop, set the bottle aside, and confirm that the product truly matches the prescription label before going any further
c.Rescan repeatedly until the system finally accepts the bottle
d.Skip the scan and rely on the pharmacist to catch any problem at final check
Explanation
A rejected scan is the system telling the technician that the product in hand is not the product on the label, so the fill must stop until the discrepancy is resolved. Manual entry, repeated rescanning, and skipping the scan all defeat the purpose of barcode verification, which is an independent electronic check that does not depend on the eyes of the person filling. Relying on the final check alone removes one layer of protection instead of adding one.
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