What Do You Know About Home Infusion Pharmacy? Trivia Quiz

Home infusion pharmacy refers to the administration of medications or fluids directly into the bloodstream or tissues through a needle, catheter, intravenous, or intramuscular routes. However, it does not include the oral route, which involves taking medications by mouth. This is because the oral route bypasses the need for needles or catheters and allows for the medication to be absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract.

All of the options listed in the question are IV access devices. A central catheter, implanted ports, peripherally inserted central catheters, and peripheral IV lines are all used to access the bloodstream for the administration of fluids, medications, or blood products. Therefore, none of the options are excluded as an IV access device.

A Patient Service Representative is the type of pharmacy technician who will perform the mentioned duties. The CPhT degree indicates that this technician has received certification and is qualified to work in a pharmacy setting. Calling patients weekly for refill or delivery indicates that they are responsible for ensuring that patients receive their medications on time. Screening patients for progress with therapy shows that they are involved in monitoring and assessing the effectiveness of the treatment. Obtaining lab values for the pharmacist suggests that they assist in gathering necessary information for medication management.

The statement contradicts itself. It states that the goal of home infusion is to teach patients and caregivers to be independent in medication administration, but then says that home infusion nurses visit the patient initially and return when there is a new medication to be started. This implies that the patients and caregivers are not independent and still rely on the nurses for medication administration. Therefore, the correct answer is false.

The pharmacist is concerned about administering a dose of Nafcillin every 4 hours because the patient is leaving the medical center. The best solution in this situation would be to use an ambulatory infusion pump programmed for every 4 hours. This would allow the patient to receive the medication continuously while at home, without the need for a nurse to visit or for the patient to administer the dose themselves. The ambulatory infusion pump can be set to deliver the medication at the prescribed intervals, ensuring that the patient receives the appropriate dose without any inconvenience or risk of error.

Patients must have more than 5 medications to be administered at home is not a requirement for home infusion referrals. The other options are all necessary for home infusion referrals: patients must be able to learn therapy, patients must have a home nursing agency, and patients must have a pending insurance approval.

The correct answer is that the flow rates are not exact. This means that the device may not deliver the medication at a consistent and precise rate, which can be a disadvantage in terms of ensuring proper dosing and treatment.

Minibag-Plus is the correct answer because it is a home infusion method that allows the pharmacy to attach a vial to the bag without mixing the contents. The patient then mixes the bag at the time of administration. This method is commonly used for medications that need to be mixed just prior to administration to maintain their potency and stability.

An ambulatory infusion center is available to patients who require a nurse or physician to monitor throughout the infusion. This means that patients who need constant medical supervision during their infusion can go to the center to receive their treatment. This could be due to the complexity of the medication or the patient's medical condition, which requires close monitoring by healthcare professionals to ensure safety and effectiveness of the infusion process.

Electrolyte imbalance is not a parameter that determines TPN goals. TPN goals are set based on factors such as weight gain, prealbumin goal, caloric goals, and hydration status. Electrolyte imbalance, although important to consider in patient care, is not directly related to determining TPN goals.

The patient pathway/plan of care includes potential problems, interventions to monitor potential problems, and goals for the course of therapy. However, directions on how to administer medications are typically not included in the plan of care as they are usually provided separately, such as on medication labels or in patient education materials.

The correct answer is Every 60 days. This is because the question states that medication profiles are updated via the patient interview once a week. Therefore, a full medication review by the pharmacist would not be necessary during the weekly update. Instead, a full medication review by the pharmacist is performed every 60 days, likely to ensure that the patient's medication regimen is still appropriate and effective.