Drugs or herbal/alternative supplements brought into an institutional facility by a patient may be administered only if:

• A. Use has been authorized by attending physician
• B. Pharmacist has identified and quality assured
• C. Both A and B
• D. Neither

Answer: (C)

When a patient brings drugs or herbal/alternative supplements into an institutional setting, two safeguards are essential: the attending physician must authorize the use, and the pharmacist must identify and quality assure the product. The physician’s authorization ensures there is a medical indication and an appropriate plan for dosing and administration within the patient’s current treatment. The pharmacist’s identification and quality assurance verify that the item is genuine, safe to use, properly labeled, not expired, and free from adulteration, with consideration given to potential drug–drug or drug–herb interactions and compatibility with the patient’s other therapies. Herbal products can vary widely in strength and ingredients, so pharmacist review is crucial to prevent safety issues. If only one of these steps occurs, patient safety can be compromised: without physician authorization, there may be no medically appropriate reason or dosing plan; without pharmacist QA, there could be misidentification, contamination, or harmful interactions. Therefore, both authorization by the physician and pharmacist identification/quality assurance are required.