Clinical Governance
25 free practice questions with explanations
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PassNova has 25 free Pharmacy Technician practice questions on Clinical Governance, each with a clear explanation. Practise them in the browser with instant feedback — 100% free, no sign-up, on any device. Updated for 2026.
Clinical Governance: example questions & answers
25 worked examples with answers and explanations below. Practise them in the browser with instant feedback on every answer.
What is 'clinical governance' in pharmacy?
- AKeeping records of every dispensing error, and reporting them once each year
- BPharmacy staff rotas
- CA system to ensure high standards of care, continuous improvement, and accountability in medicines management✓
- DInventory counting
Answer: Clinical governance provides a framework for patient safety, quality improvements, professional accountability, and risk management.
What is a 'Standard Operating Procedure' (SOP) in pharmacy?
- AA detailed written procedure describing how a specific task should be performed consistently✓
- BA general guidance document which staff may either follow or set aside according to their own preference
- CMarketing material
- DStaff holiday schedule
Answer: SOPs are detailed written procedures ensuring all staff follow standardised, safe, and effective practices for pharmacy operations.
What is the purpose of 'clinical audit' in pharmacy?
- AReducing the cost of the dispensing process, with no purpose beyond saving the business money
- BChecking stock levels and reordering items that have run low
- CTo systematically review pharmacy practice against standards to identify improvements✓
- DTo find fault with individual members of staff and record the failings in their personal file
Answer: Clinical audit measures actual practice against agreed standards and implements changes to improve quality and safety.
What is a 'near-miss' incident in pharmacy?
- AA late delivery from the wholesaler which leaves the pharmacy short of a particular stock item
- BA minor disagreement between two members of the pharmacy team during a particularly busy shift
- CAn error or hazardous situation that could have caused harm but was prevented✓
- DA member of staff being absent without notice on a busy day
Answer: A near-miss is a potential error that was caught before reaching the patient, providing valuable learning to prevent future harm.
What should happen when a serious medication error occurs?
- AHide it to avoid blame
- BWait until the end of the day
- CTell the patient what happened, and correct the supply without taking further steps
- DImmediately report it to the pharmacist, investigate, inform the patient/prescriber, and report through incident systems✓
Answer: Serious errors must be reported immediately, investigated thoroughly, disclosed to affected parties, and reported through appropriate channels.
What is a 'patient safety incident'?
- AA complaint made by a patient about waiting times, whether or not any harm actually occurred
- BAn error in the amount charged to the patient for a purchase
- CA patient who fails to collect their dispensed prescription within the usual retention period
- DAny unintended or unexpected incident that harmed or had potential to harm a patient✓
Answer: Patient safety incidents include errors, near-misses, and adverse events affecting patient safety. All must be reported and investigated.
What is 'incident reporting' in healthcare?
- AFeedback given to the manager, who decides whether anything needs recording
- BCasual discussion
- CTelling colleagues
- DFormal documentation and reporting of safety incidents through official systems for analysis and learning✓
Answer: Incident reporting systems (e.g., NHS England's Datix) collect, analyse, and learn from safety events to prevent recurrence.
What is 'root cause analysis' (RCA)?
- AA quick explanation of what went wrong, written up by the person involved
- BJust blaming staff
- CA systematic investigation to identify underlying causes and contributing factors of an incident✓
- DWriting an apology
Answer: RCA investigates incidents deeply to understand root causes and system failures, enabling preventive improvements.
What is 'medicines optimisation'?
- AReducing prescriptions
- BA systematic approach to ensure medicines are appropriate, effective, safe, and improve patient outcomes✓
- CPharmacy profit only
- DIncreasing the number of medicines dispensed, so that patients have fewer gaps
Answer: Medicines optimisation ensures patients receive the right medicine at the right dose for the right indication with best outcomes.
What is 'deprescribing review' as part of clinical governance?
- APreventing any new prescription from being issued to a patient who is already taking several medicines
- BPharmacy restocking
- CEmergency supply
- DSystematic review of medicines to identify and safely discontinue inappropriate medications✓
Answer: Deprescribing reviews identify medications that no longer benefit patients and safely reduce/stop them to improve outcomes.
What is a 'quality assurance' programme in pharmacy?
- AMarketing campaign
- BCustomer service training alone, delivered to counter assistants once when they are first employed
- CStaff training alone
- DA systematic programme to ensure pharmacy services meet quality standards and best practice✓
Answer: Quality assurance combines SOPs, audits, training, monitoring, and continuous improvement to maintain high service standards.
What is 'risk management' in pharmacy?
- AIdentifying, assessing, and minimising risks to patient safety and service quality✓
- BDealing with stock shortages and any other inventory problems that arise in the dispensary
- CAvoiding the use of any medicine that has ever been linked with a single reported side effect
- DResolving disagreements that arise between members of staff
Answer: Risk management identifies potential hazards, assesses likelihood/impact, and implements controls to minimise patient safety risks.
What is 'competency assessment' in pharmacy practice?
- ASystematic evaluation of staff knowledge, skills, and ability to perform specific tasks safely and effectively✓
- BCustomer feedback
- CSales targets
- DThe annual performance review, at which the objectives for the year are agreed
Answer: Competency assessment ensures all pharmacy staff have required knowledge and skills, with regular updates and validation.
What is 'critical incident reporting' in pharmacy?
- AComplaints made about staff conduct, passed to the manager for investigation
- BBudget discussions
- CReporting serious adverse events or near-misses that could affect patient safety significantly✓
- DMinor errors
Answer: Critical incident reports capture serious safety events for immediate investigation and system-wide learning.
What is the 'National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death' (NCEPOD)?
- AA national database recording the staff employed in pharmacies
- BA pharmacy computer system that is used to record dispensed items and the current stock levels
- CA national service that tracks prescriptions as they pass between the surgery and the pharmacy
- DAn independent enquiry system examining trends in treatment and outcome of patients✓
Answer: NCEPOD independently examines treatment patterns and outcomes to identify system improvements and prevent harm.
What is a 'serious untoward incident' (SUI)?
- AMinor mistake
- BAn incident that causes a delay to the dispensing of a routine prescription
- CAn incident causing serious harm, death, or significant service disruption requiring investigation✓
- DStaff absence
Answer: An SUI is an incident resulting in serious harm, death, or major service disruption, requiring formal investigation and reporting.
What are 'Never Events' in the NHS?
- ASerious, wholly preventable safety incidents that national safeguards should stop✓
- BRare events judged so unlikely that no written procedure is needed to cover them
- CIncidents that happen so often they are no longer reported as errors at all
- DNear misses, where an error was caught before it reached the patient at all
Answer: Never Events are serious, wholly preventable patient safety incidents that should not happen if the national safeguards are in place. Medication examples include giving a medicine by the wrong route and an insulin overdose caused by an abbreviated dose.
What is 'performance monitoring' in pharmacy?
- AStaff pay review
- BSystematic measurement of pharmacy services against key performance indicators (KPIs)✓
- CObserving members of staff informally during the working day without recording anything at all
- DCustomer complaints
Answer: Performance monitoring uses KPIs (accuracy, turnaround time, customer satisfaction) to track and improve pharmacy services.
What is 'complaints management' as part of clinical governance?
- ASystematic process for receiving, investigating, and learning from patient/staff complaints✓
- BBudget cuts
- CStaff appraisal
- DIgnoring any complaint unless the person making it puts it in writing to the superintendent pharmacist
Answer: Complaints management investigates concerns, identifies root causes, takes corrective action, and communicates resolution to complainants.
What is 'safeguarding' in pharmacy practice?
- AProtecting vulnerable adults and children from abuse, neglect, and exploitation✓
- BSecuring the premises against theft and unauthorised entry
- CChecking the criminal record of every customer before any medicine is supplied to them
- DKeeping customers' purchase histories confidential from other retail businesses nearby
Answer: Safeguarding requires all pharmacy staff to protect vulnerable individuals and report suspected abuse to authorities.
What should a pharmacy technician do if they observe a safeguarding concern?
- AWait until the next scheduled management meeting and then raise it there as an item on the agenda
- BImmediately report to the pharmacist and follow safeguarding procedures/local policies✓
- CSay nothing
- DTell the patient only
Answer: Suspected safeguarding concerns must be reported immediately to the pharmacist and escalated following local and statutory procedures.
What is 'data security' in pharmacy?
- AKeeping the counter area private so that customers are unable to overhear one another's conversations
- BComprehensive measures to protect patient data from unauthorised access, loss, or breach✓
- CJust passwords
- DStaff files
Answer: Data security includes encryption, access controls, backups, secure disposal, and staff training to prevent breaches.
What is a 'pharmacy inspection' or 'GPhC inspection'?
- ACustomer surveys
- BUnannounced visits made by the pharmacy's own head office quality auditors
- CRegular professional assessment of pharmacy standards, compliance, and practice quality by regulatory bodies✓
- DStock counting
Answer: GPhC inspections evaluate pharmacy compliance with regulations, standards, and safe practice, requiring preparation and readiness.
What is 'business continuity planning' in pharmacy?
- AOrdering stock
- BPlanning for disruptions (e.g., IT failures, staffing issues) to maintain essential services✓
- CForecasting the pharmacy's likely income and expenditure for the coming financial year in fine detail
- DStaff scheduling
Answer: Continuity plans ensure pharmacies can maintain essential services during emergencies, with backup systems and staff.
What is 'professional reflection' in clinical governance?
- AThinking back over the working day on the journey home, without writing anything down or acting on it
- BSystematic review of own practice to identify learning needs and improve future performance✓
- CStaff meetings
- DAnnual appraisal only
Answer: Professional reflection involves analysing experiences, identifying lessons, and planning development—core to clinical governance.