Which activity must cease when the responsible pharmacist is not present but still signed in?

• A. Checking stock levels
• B. Handing dispensed medicines to the delivery driver
• C. Providing patient counselling
• D. Signing out temporary staff

Answer: (B)

The key rule here is that the release of dispensed medicines from a pharmacy must be supervised by the responsible pharmacist who is physically present on the premises. If that pharmacist is not present, even if they are signed in, the action of handing dispensed medicines to a delivery driver must stop. This handover is the point at which medicines leave the pharmacy to be delivered to the patient, and it requires the pharmacist’s direct oversight to ensure correct dispensing, patient details, and safety checks. Other routine tasks like stock checking can continue under appropriate supervision, and patient counselling should normally be provided by a pharmacist when possible, but the critical prohibited action when the RP isn’t physically there is transferring dispensed medicines to a third party.