Pharmacology Edmunds Chapter 03
A primary care nurse practitioner (NP) prescribes a drug to an 80-year-old African-American woman.
When selecting a drug and determining the correct dose, the NP should understand that the knowledge
of how age, race, and gender may affect drug excretion is based on an understanding of:
a.
bioavailability.
b.
pharmacokinetics.
c.
pharmacodynamics.
d.
anatomy and physiology. - (correct Answer) - ANS: B
Pharmacokinetics is the study of the action of drugs in the body and may be thought of as what the body
does to the drug. Factors such as age, race, and gender may change the way the body acts to metabolize
and excrete a drug. Bioavailability refers to the amount of drug available at the site of action.
Pharmacodynamics is the study of the effects of drugs on the body. Anatomy and physiology is a basic
understanding of how the body functions.
A patient asks the primary care NP which medication to use for mild to moderate pain. The NP should
recommend:
a.
APAP.
b.
Tylenol.
c.
acetaminophen.
d.
any over-the-counter pain product. - (correct Answer) - ANS: C
Providers should use generic drug names when prescribing drugs or recommending them to patients,
unless a particular brand is essential for some reason. Because acetaminophen can have many trade
, names, it is important for patients to understand that the drug is the same for all to avoid overdosing on
acetaminophen. APAP is a commonly used abbreviation but should not be used when recommending
the drug to patients.
A patient wants to know why a cheaper version of a drug cannot be used when the primary care NP
writes a prescription for a specific brand name of the drug and writes, "Dispense as Written." The NP
should explain that a different brand of this drug:
a.
may cause different adverse effects.
b.
does not necessarily have the same therapeutic effect.
c.
is likely to be less safe than the brand specified in the prescription.
d.
may vary in the amount of drug that reaches the site of action in the body. - (correct Answer) - ANS: D
Different formulations of the same drug may have varying degrees of bioavailability, and it may be
important to stick to a particular brand for drugs with narrow therapeutic ranges. All drugs with similar
active ingredients should have the same therapeutic actions and side effects and should be equally safe.
A primary care NP wishes to order a drug that will be effective immediately after administration of the
drug. Which route should the NP choose?
a.
Rectal
b.
Topical
c.
Sublingual
d.
Intramuscular - (correct Answer) - ANS: C
The sublingual route is preferred for quick action because the drug is directly absorbed into the
bloodstream and avoids the pass through of the liver, where much of an oral drug is metabolized. Rectal
routes have unpredictable absorption rates. Topical routes are the slowest. Intramuscular routes are
slow.
A primary care nurse practitioner (NP) prescribes a drug to an 80-year-old African-American woman.
When selecting a drug and determining the correct dose, the NP should understand that the knowledge
of how age, race, and gender may affect drug excretion is based on an understanding of:
a.
bioavailability.
b.
pharmacokinetics.
c.
pharmacodynamics.
d.
anatomy and physiology. - (correct Answer) - ANS: B
Pharmacokinetics is the study of the action of drugs in the body and may be thought of as what the body
does to the drug. Factors such as age, race, and gender may change the way the body acts to metabolize
and excrete a drug. Bioavailability refers to the amount of drug available at the site of action.
Pharmacodynamics is the study of the effects of drugs on the body. Anatomy and physiology is a basic
understanding of how the body functions.
A patient asks the primary care NP which medication to use for mild to moderate pain. The NP should
recommend:
a.
APAP.
b.
Tylenol.
c.
acetaminophen.
d.
any over-the-counter pain product. - (correct Answer) - ANS: C
Providers should use generic drug names when prescribing drugs or recommending them to patients,
unless a particular brand is essential for some reason. Because acetaminophen can have many trade
, names, it is important for patients to understand that the drug is the same for all to avoid overdosing on
acetaminophen. APAP is a commonly used abbreviation but should not be used when recommending
the drug to patients.
A patient wants to know why a cheaper version of a drug cannot be used when the primary care NP
writes a prescription for a specific brand name of the drug and writes, "Dispense as Written." The NP
should explain that a different brand of this drug:
a.
may cause different adverse effects.
b.
does not necessarily have the same therapeutic effect.
c.
is likely to be less safe than the brand specified in the prescription.
d.
may vary in the amount of drug that reaches the site of action in the body. - (correct Answer) - ANS: D
Different formulations of the same drug may have varying degrees of bioavailability, and it may be
important to stick to a particular brand for drugs with narrow therapeutic ranges. All drugs with similar
active ingredients should have the same therapeutic actions and side effects and should be equally safe.
A primary care NP wishes to order a drug that will be effective immediately after administration of the
drug. Which route should the NP choose?
a.
Rectal
b.
Topical
c.
Sublingual
d.
Intramuscular - (correct Answer) - ANS: C
The sublingual route is preferred for quick action because the drug is directly absorbed into the
bloodstream and avoids the pass through of the liver, where much of an oral drug is metabolized. Rectal
routes have unpredictable absorption rates. Topical routes are the slowest. Intramuscular routes are
slow.
