Pharmacology Final Exam 261 Questions with Verified
Answers
The nurse is preparing discharge teaching for four patients. Which patient should
be advised by the nurse that over-the-counter cold and allergy preparations
contain phenylephrine and should be avoided?
A)A 47-year-old woman with hypertension
B)A 52-year-old man with adult onset diabetes
C)A 17-year-old girl with symptoms of an upper respiratory infection
D)A 62-year-old man with gout - CORRECT ANSWER Ans: A
Feedback:
Phenylephrine, a potent vasoconstrictor and alpha1-agonist with little or no effect
on the heart or bronchi, is used in many combination cold and allergy products.
Patients with hypertension should avoid these drugs because serious increases in
blood pressure could occur. Use of this drug in patients with diabetes and gout
are not contraindicated. An upper respiratory infection may be an indication for
the drug.
A nurse is assessing the patient's home medication use. After listening to the
patient list current medications, the nurse asks what priority question?
A)Do you take any generic medications?
B)Are any of these medications orphan drugs?
C)Are these medications safe to take during pregnancy?
D)Do you take any over-the-counter medications? - CORRECT ANSWER Ans: D
Feedback:
It is important for the nurse to specifically question use of over-the-counter
medications because patients may not consider them important. The patient is
unlikely to know the meaning of orphan drugs unless they too are health care
providers. Safety during pregnancy, use of a generic medication, or classification
of orphan drugs are things the patient would be unable to answer but could be
found in reference books if the nurse wishes to research them.
,Before administering a prescription medication, what information does the nurse
find on the drug label? (Select all that apply.)
A)Brand name
B)Generic name
C)Drug concentration
D)Expiration date
E)Adverse effects - CORRECT ANSWER Ans: A, B, C, D
Feedback:
Prescription drug labels will contain the brand name, generic name, drug
concentration, and expiration date. Adverse effects will not be listed on drug
labels.
Discharge planning for patients leaving the hospital should include instructions on
the use of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. Which comment by the patient would
demonstrate a good understanding of OTC drugs?
A)OTC drugs are safe and do not cause adverse effects if taken properly.
B)OTC drugs have been around for years and have not been tested by the Food
and Drug Administration (FDA).
C)OTC drugs are different from any drugs available by prescription and cost less.
D)OTC drugs could cause serious harm if not taken according to directions. -
CORRECT ANSWER Ans: D
Feedback:
It is important to follow package directions because OTCs are medications that
can cause serious harm if not taken properly. OTCs are drugs that have been
determined to be safe when taken as directed; however, all drugs can produce
adverse effects even when taken properly. They may have originally been
prescription drugs that were tested by the FDA or they may have been
grandfathered in when the FDA laws changed. OTC education should always be
included as a part of the hospital discharge instructions.
The patient asks the nurse, Is it safe to take over-the-counter (OTC) medications
with prescription medications? What is the nurse's best response? (Select all that
apply.)
,A)OTC medications can interact with prescription medications.
B)It is important to tell your doctor all medications you take, including OTC.
C)OTC medications could mask or hide signs and symptoms of a disease.
D)You should avoid taking any OTC medication when taking prescription drugs.
E)Taking OTC medications can make your prescription medication more effective.
- CORRECT ANSWER Ans: A, B, C
Feedback:
OTC medications can interact with prescription medications or other OTC so it is
always important to consult your pharmacist and provider for advice. To provide
the most accurate instruction, the health care provider must know all medications
taken including dietary supplements, OTC, and prescription. OTC medications
could mask or hide symptoms of a disease so it is always important to consult a
physician if symptoms persist. OTC medications are not prohibited when taking
prescription drugs as long as no drug interaction occurs. How an OTC will impact a
prescription medication varies depending on the medications involved, so it is
incorrect to say it will make the prescription drug more effective.
Several processes enable a drug to reach a specific concentration in the body.
Together they are called dynamic equilibrium. What are these processes? (Select
all that apply.)
A)Distribution to the active site
B)Biotransformation
C)Absorption from the muscle
D)Excretion
E)Interaction with other drugs - CORRECT ANSWER Ans: A, B, D
Feedback:
The actual concentration that a drug reaches in the body results from a dynamic
equilibrium involving several processes: Absorption from the site of entry (can be
from the muscle, the gastrointestinal (GI) tract if taken orally, of the
subcutaneous tissue if given by that route); Distribution to the active site;
biotransformation (metabolism) in the liver; excretion from the body. Interaction
with other drugs is not part of the dynamic equilibrium.
, The patient, diagnosed with cancer, is receiving morphine sulfate (a potent
narcotic pain reliever) to relieve cancer pain. Approximately every 7 days the
medication is no longer effective in controlling the patient's pain and a larger dose
is needed to have the same effect. How might the nurse explain why this is
happening?
A)Tolerance
B)Cumulation
C)Interactions
D)Addiction - CORRECT ANSWER Ans: A
Feedback:
The body may develop a tolerance to some drugs over time. Tolerance may arise
because of increased biotransformation of the drug, increased resistance to its
effects, or other pharmacokinetic factors. When tolerance occurs, the amount of
the drug no longer causes the same reaction. Therefore, increasingly larger doses
are needed to achieve a therapeutic effect. Cumulative effect occurs when the
drug is not properly eliminated and more of the drug is administered, resulting in
toxic levels accumulating. Interactions occur when the drug reacts badly with
another substance such as food, another drug, or an alternative or
complementary therapy. Addiction is the psychological need for a substance.
Drugs do not metabolize the same way in all people. For what patient would a
nurse expect to assess for an alteration in drug metabolism?
A) A35-year-old woman with cervical cancer
B)A 41-year-old man with kidney stones
C)A 50-year-old man with cirrhosis of the liver
D)A 62-year-old woman in acute renal failure - CORRECT ANSWER Ans:
C
Feedback:
The liver is the most important site of drug metabolism. If the liver is not
functioning effectively, as in patients with cirrhosis, drugs will not metabolize
normally so that toxic levels could develop unless dosage is reduced. A patient
with cervical cancer or kidney stones would not be expected to have altered
ability to metabolize drugs so long as no liver damage existed. The patient with
Answers
The nurse is preparing discharge teaching for four patients. Which patient should
be advised by the nurse that over-the-counter cold and allergy preparations
contain phenylephrine and should be avoided?
A)A 47-year-old woman with hypertension
B)A 52-year-old man with adult onset diabetes
C)A 17-year-old girl with symptoms of an upper respiratory infection
D)A 62-year-old man with gout - CORRECT ANSWER Ans: A
Feedback:
Phenylephrine, a potent vasoconstrictor and alpha1-agonist with little or no effect
on the heart or bronchi, is used in many combination cold and allergy products.
Patients with hypertension should avoid these drugs because serious increases in
blood pressure could occur. Use of this drug in patients with diabetes and gout
are not contraindicated. An upper respiratory infection may be an indication for
the drug.
A nurse is assessing the patient's home medication use. After listening to the
patient list current medications, the nurse asks what priority question?
A)Do you take any generic medications?
B)Are any of these medications orphan drugs?
C)Are these medications safe to take during pregnancy?
D)Do you take any over-the-counter medications? - CORRECT ANSWER Ans: D
Feedback:
It is important for the nurse to specifically question use of over-the-counter
medications because patients may not consider them important. The patient is
unlikely to know the meaning of orphan drugs unless they too are health care
providers. Safety during pregnancy, use of a generic medication, or classification
of orphan drugs are things the patient would be unable to answer but could be
found in reference books if the nurse wishes to research them.
,Before administering a prescription medication, what information does the nurse
find on the drug label? (Select all that apply.)
A)Brand name
B)Generic name
C)Drug concentration
D)Expiration date
E)Adverse effects - CORRECT ANSWER Ans: A, B, C, D
Feedback:
Prescription drug labels will contain the brand name, generic name, drug
concentration, and expiration date. Adverse effects will not be listed on drug
labels.
Discharge planning for patients leaving the hospital should include instructions on
the use of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. Which comment by the patient would
demonstrate a good understanding of OTC drugs?
A)OTC drugs are safe and do not cause adverse effects if taken properly.
B)OTC drugs have been around for years and have not been tested by the Food
and Drug Administration (FDA).
C)OTC drugs are different from any drugs available by prescription and cost less.
D)OTC drugs could cause serious harm if not taken according to directions. -
CORRECT ANSWER Ans: D
Feedback:
It is important to follow package directions because OTCs are medications that
can cause serious harm if not taken properly. OTCs are drugs that have been
determined to be safe when taken as directed; however, all drugs can produce
adverse effects even when taken properly. They may have originally been
prescription drugs that were tested by the FDA or they may have been
grandfathered in when the FDA laws changed. OTC education should always be
included as a part of the hospital discharge instructions.
The patient asks the nurse, Is it safe to take over-the-counter (OTC) medications
with prescription medications? What is the nurse's best response? (Select all that
apply.)
,A)OTC medications can interact with prescription medications.
B)It is important to tell your doctor all medications you take, including OTC.
C)OTC medications could mask or hide signs and symptoms of a disease.
D)You should avoid taking any OTC medication when taking prescription drugs.
E)Taking OTC medications can make your prescription medication more effective.
- CORRECT ANSWER Ans: A, B, C
Feedback:
OTC medications can interact with prescription medications or other OTC so it is
always important to consult your pharmacist and provider for advice. To provide
the most accurate instruction, the health care provider must know all medications
taken including dietary supplements, OTC, and prescription. OTC medications
could mask or hide symptoms of a disease so it is always important to consult a
physician if symptoms persist. OTC medications are not prohibited when taking
prescription drugs as long as no drug interaction occurs. How an OTC will impact a
prescription medication varies depending on the medications involved, so it is
incorrect to say it will make the prescription drug more effective.
Several processes enable a drug to reach a specific concentration in the body.
Together they are called dynamic equilibrium. What are these processes? (Select
all that apply.)
A)Distribution to the active site
B)Biotransformation
C)Absorption from the muscle
D)Excretion
E)Interaction with other drugs - CORRECT ANSWER Ans: A, B, D
Feedback:
The actual concentration that a drug reaches in the body results from a dynamic
equilibrium involving several processes: Absorption from the site of entry (can be
from the muscle, the gastrointestinal (GI) tract if taken orally, of the
subcutaneous tissue if given by that route); Distribution to the active site;
biotransformation (metabolism) in the liver; excretion from the body. Interaction
with other drugs is not part of the dynamic equilibrium.
, The patient, diagnosed with cancer, is receiving morphine sulfate (a potent
narcotic pain reliever) to relieve cancer pain. Approximately every 7 days the
medication is no longer effective in controlling the patient's pain and a larger dose
is needed to have the same effect. How might the nurse explain why this is
happening?
A)Tolerance
B)Cumulation
C)Interactions
D)Addiction - CORRECT ANSWER Ans: A
Feedback:
The body may develop a tolerance to some drugs over time. Tolerance may arise
because of increased biotransformation of the drug, increased resistance to its
effects, or other pharmacokinetic factors. When tolerance occurs, the amount of
the drug no longer causes the same reaction. Therefore, increasingly larger doses
are needed to achieve a therapeutic effect. Cumulative effect occurs when the
drug is not properly eliminated and more of the drug is administered, resulting in
toxic levels accumulating. Interactions occur when the drug reacts badly with
another substance such as food, another drug, or an alternative or
complementary therapy. Addiction is the psychological need for a substance.
Drugs do not metabolize the same way in all people. For what patient would a
nurse expect to assess for an alteration in drug metabolism?
A) A35-year-old woman with cervical cancer
B)A 41-year-old man with kidney stones
C)A 50-year-old man with cirrhosis of the liver
D)A 62-year-old woman in acute renal failure - CORRECT ANSWER Ans:
C
Feedback:
The liver is the most important site of drug metabolism. If the liver is not
functioning effectively, as in patients with cirrhosis, drugs will not metabolize
normally so that toxic levels could develop unless dosage is reduced. A patient
with cervical cancer or kidney stones would not be expected to have altered
ability to metabolize drugs so long as no liver damage existed. The patient with
