NR-293 Week 6 Discussion: Implications of Drug Interactions (GRADED)

Please choose a Gastrointestinal Medication and discuss its implications and potential interactions. What would you teach a patient about your chosen drug? Place the name of your chosen medication in the header of your response. You may not choose a medication that another student has already written about in the threads. Hello class and professor, Proton Pump Inhibitor - Pantoprazole (Protonix) There are several types of acid-controlling drugs. For example, antacids, H2 receptor antagonists (blockers), proton pump inhibitors, and miscellaneous acid-controlling (Lilley, Collins, & Synder, 2020). The medication I chose is Pantoprazole, a proton pump inhibitor (PPI). It works by decreasing the amount of acid produced by the stomach. Pantoprazole is used to treat certain conditions when there is too much acid in the stomach. For example, erosive esophagitis or heartburn caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) (Mayo Clinic, 2020). Implications for this medication include diarrhea, dizziness, gas, headache, joint pain, nausea, and vomiting. There are many drug interactions with Pantoprazole such as albuterol, aspirin, Cipro, Lasix, Nexium, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3, Xanax, etc. An example of potential interaction is vecuronium because Pantoprazole has a direct neuromuscular blocking action (Patel, Patel, & Tripathi, 2010). When it comes to educating patients, nurses must inform them to take this medication only directed by the doctor. Pantoprazole comes with a medication guide. The patient should read and follow the instructions carefully. If they have any questions, they should call the physician. Swallow the delayed-release tablet whole. Do not split, crush, or chew it. The patient may take the tablet with or without food (Mayo Clinic, 2020). If the patient misses a dose of this medication, they must take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, they should skip the missed dose and go back to the regular dosing schedule. Never double dose. Inform patients to never use pantoprazole together with medicines containing rilpivirine. If the patient is experiencing fever, joint pain, skin rash, swelling of ankles, body, or feet, or unusual weight gain after receiving this medication, they should call the physician right away because these symptoms might indicate acute interstitial nephritis.