Deck 1: Introduction to Pharmacology

Question 1

A client with chronic back pain informs the nurse he has been receiving therapeutic touch in addition to his medications. What is the nurse's best classification of this client's treatment?

A) Pharmacotherapy
B) Drug-absence therapy
C) Complementary therapy
D) Biologic therapy

Answer 1

Complementary therapy

Question 2

A client has been taking paroxetine (Paxil) for a year and tells a nurse it is no longer working. What is the best response by the nurse?

A) "This sounds like your medication needs changing."
B) "Let's look for interactions with other medications you are taking."
C) "Are you taking name brand Paxil or the generic version paroxetine?"
D) "It is time for us to do the Beck Depression assessment again."

Answer 2

"Are you taking name brand Paxil or the generic version paroxetine?"

Question 3

A client comes to the emergency department with a myocardial infarction. The client's husband tells the nurse that his wife has been taking calcium carbonate (Tums) for years for what she thought was indigestion. What is the best response by the nurse?

A) "Your wife should not have self-diagnosed herself. I hope she will be okay."
B) "Why did you let her do that? She should have seen a physician."
C) "Well, I am glad she is here, as it certainly wasn't indigestion."
D) "Your wife was self-diagnosing, which is generally not a good idea."

Answer 3

"Your wife was self-diagnosing, which is generally not a good idea."

Question 4

A nurse is teaching a class for clients about over-the-counter (OTC) medications. The nurse determines that education has been effective when the clients make which of the below statements?

A) "I will check with my provider first before I take any over-the-counter (OTC) medicine."
B) "A pharmacist can tell me how to take the over-the-counter (OTC) medicine."
C) "After reading all the directions on the label, I will call the healthcare provider's office if they are not clear."
D) "Medicines that are available over-the-counter (OTC) are really safe, or they would be prescription medicines."

Question 5

A student nurse asks a nursing instructor how to remember all of the antibiotic drugs since there are so many. What is the best response by the nursing instructor?

A) "Mnemonics will help you tell the difference between drugs."
B) "A flow chart will help enhance your memory."
C) "Categorize the individual drugs by therapeutic effect."
D) "Focus on a representative drug from each class."

Question 6

A nurse is providing medication education to a client with hypertension. The nurse teaches the client that the healthcare provider ordered a diuretic to decrease the amount of fluid in the client's body. Which statement best describes the nurse's instruction?

A) The nurse provided appropriate medication education.
B) The nurse explained the drug's mechanism of action.
C) The nurse taught the client about a prototype drug.
D) The nurse explained the consequences of not using the drug.

Question 7

A student nurse asks a nursing instructor why anatomy and physiology as well as microbiology are required courses when the student only wants to learn about pharmacology. What is the best response by the instructor?

A) "Because pharmacology is an outgrowth of those subjects."
B) "You must learn all, since all of those subjects are part of the curriculum."
C) "Knowledge of all those subjects will prepare you to administer medication."
D) "An understanding of those subjects is essential to understand pharmacology."

Question 8

A nurse is reviewing key events in the history of pharmacology with a student nurse. Which student comment from below indicates a need for further teaching?

A) "Modern pharmacology began in the early 1600s."
B) "Herbal medicine is one of the oldest forms of healthcare."
C) "John Jacob Abel is considered the father of American pharmacology."
D) "New drugs can be synthesized faster than isolating active agents from natural resources."

Question 9

A nurse is preparing to teach pharmacology concepts to a group of students. The nurse should include which of the following?

A) Biologics include natural plant extracts and dietary supplements.
B) Biosimilar drugs don't require the same clinical testing as the comparable biologic drug.
C) Alternative therapies are agents produced in animal cells or by microorganisms.
D) Therapeutics is using drugs for the purpose of treating diseases and treatment of suffering.

Question 10

A student nurse has completed an initial pharmacology course and tells a nurse that it was difficult. What is the best response by the nurse?

A) "It may be over, but now you must apply what you have learned to patient care."
B) "Learning is gradual and continuous; we never completely master all areas of pharmacology."
C) "Learning is always painful, but we must continue anyway."
D) "It really isn't over; you should take a graduate course next."

Question 11

A healthcare provider orders Lasix (furosemide) for a client. The hospital formulary substitutes the generic equivalent of the brand name drug, and the nurse administers the generic drug. Which of the statements best represent the nurse's action? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply.

A) The nurse should have contacted the physician prior to administering the drug.
B) The nurse should have called the pharmacist to see if the drugs were bioequivalent.
C) The nurse used good judgment in administering the drug.
D) The nurse was correct; hospital policies allow for this.
E) The nurse should ask the client which brand of drug is used at home.

Question 12

A client is receiving a very expensive medication. The client asks the nurse why the medicine is so expensive. What is the best response by the nurse?

A) "It is expensive, but your insurance covers it and you have a low co-pay."
B) "Drug companies are allowed to advertise medications and this adds to the cost."
C) "Drug companies must recoup the cost of developing and producing the drug."
D) "I think the drug companies should be more accountable for lowering costs."

Question 13

A client is receiving a brand name drug and wants to change to the generic form because it is less expensive. What is the best outcome for this client?

A) State two ways a brand name drug differs from a generic name drug.
B) Take the brand name drug after speaking with the physician.
C) Ask the nurse why brand name drugs are better than generic drugs.
D) List two ways to obtain the medication at a reduced cost.

Question 14

A nurse teaches a student nurse about the pharmacological classification of drugs. The nurse evaluates that learning has occurred when the student makes which response?

A) "An anti-anginal treats angina."
B) "A calcium channel blocker blocks heart calcium channels."
C) "An antihypertensive lowers blood pressure."
D) "An anticoagulant influences blood clotting."

Question 15

A nurse is reviewing key events in the history of pharmacology with a student nurse. Which student comment indicates an understanding?

A) "Early researchers used themselves as test subjects."
B) "A primary goal of pharmacology is to prevent disease."
C) "Penicillin is one of the initial drugs isolated from a natural source."
D) "Pharmacologists began synthesizing drugs in the laboratory in the nineteenth century."

Question 16

A nurse administers a vaccine to a client. What is the nurse's best understanding as it relates to the manufacture of a vaccine?

A) The vaccine is produced by natural plant extracts in the laboratory.
B) The vaccine is naturally produced in animal cells or microorganisms.
C) The vaccine is produced by a combination of animal and plant products.
D) The vaccine is most commonly synthesized in a laboratory.

Question 17

A client says to the nurse, "My wife and I take the same drug, but we have different side effects. Are we doing something wrong?" What is the best response by the nurse?

A) "Differences such as your sex can result in different side effects."
B) "I'll have to check. What is the name of the drug you were using?"
C) "Possibly. This could happen if one uses generic or brand name drugs."
D) "I'm not sure. Maybe the drug is not the same; you should check it."

Question 18

A nurse is teaching a group of nurses about the differences between pharmacology and therapeutics. The nurse determines that learning has occurred when which statements are made? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply.

A) "Pharmacology is the development of medicines."
B) "Pharmacology is the study of medicines."
C) "Therapeutics relates to drug use to treat suffering."
D) "Therapeutics is the study of drug interactions."
E) "Pharmacology is the study of drugs to prevent disease."

Question 19

An older client is admitted with gastrointestinal bleeding. The client says to the nurse, "I don't understand this. All I did was take ibuprofen (Advil) for my arthritis." What is the nurse's best response?

A) Review nonpharmacologic methods to relieve joint pain.
B) Encourage the client to substitute safer drugs, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol).
C) Remind the client to contact their healthcare provider before taking any over-the-counter (OTC) medications.
D) Teach the client about the side effects of ibuprofen (Advil).

Question 20

A client asks a nurse why a prescribed medication is very expensive. What is the best response by the nurse?

A) Help the client receive free medicine through a "patient assistance" program.
B) Ask the healthcare provider if a cheaper brand name drug may be substituted.
C) Contact the healthcare provider to ask if a generic drug may be substituted.
D) Maintain the client on samples of the brand name drug from the physician's office.

Question 21

A client with advanced heart disease says, "I read about a new drug that was just released. Do you think my doctor could get it for me?" What should the nurse include in discussion with the client? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply.

A) "Since the drug is new it is dangerous to use."
B) "Decisions on using drugs are based on many different variables."
C) "We certainly can talk to your physician about the drug."
D) "When drugs are first developed, they are very expensive and their use is limited to those who can afford to purchase them."
E) "People who are very sick often have unrealistic expectations of what drugs can do."

Question 22

A student nurse asks a nursing instructor about which type of classification system is being used when drugs are grouped together because they help treat a particular disease or condition? What is the nursing instructor's best response?

A) Therapeutic
B) Mechanism of action
C) Chemical
D) Pharmacological

Question 23

A nurse is explaining the benefits of using a prototype approach to learn pharmacology to a nursing student. The nurse understands that studying the prototype drug makes it possible to predict certain characteristics of drugs in the same class. Which response by the nursing student below indicates the need for further teaching?

A) Therapeutic indications
B) Mechanism of action
C) Adverse effects
D) Duration of action

Question 24

A nursing student asks a nursing instructor whether there are any tips that will make learning pharmacology easier. The instructor gives an example of the anticoagulant heparin. The instructor indicates that knowing heparin and comparing other drugs to it will facilitate learning the many anticoagulants. Which approach is the instructor using?

A) Mechanism of action approach
B) Generic name approach
C) Trade name approach
D) Prototype drug approach

Question 25

A client says to a nurse, "Why do you need to know the names of all the over-the-counter supplements I take? They aren't drugs." Which of the nurse's responses are appropriate? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply.

A) "The healthcare provider needs to know everything you are taking."
B) "You're right. I'm not sure why the admitting paperwork asks for this information. Would you mind listing them anyway?"
C) "The law requires us to keep a list of over-the-counter drugs and supplements that you are taking."
D) "It is true that supplements are not considered drugs; however, some of these products can cause adverse effects with prescribed drugs."
E) "We need to know if you are having an allergic reaction to one of them."

Question 26

A client says, "I don't understand why so much money is spent on trying to find a cure for cancer. I have epilepsy and wish more money went into epilepsy drugs." What should the nurse consider prior to responding? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply.

A) More people are affected by cancer than by epilepsy.
B) Drugs that are effective in treating epilepsy exist.
C) The amounts of money spent on drug development are determined at the federal level.
D) It would be easier to achieve a cure for cancer than to achieve a cure for epilepsy.
E) The client should realize that personal family may develop cancer one day.

Question 27

A nurse understands that chemical names are assigned for each drug. What are the major reasons that nursing usually does not use the chemical name of the drugs? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply.

A) They are usually not brief or easy to remember.
B) They are often difficult to pronounce.
C) There is no standard for assigning names.
D) They do not explain the nature of the drug.
E) There is only one chemical name for each drug.

Question 28

A student nurse asks a nurse what the generic name of a drug means. Which of the following is true regarding the generic name of a drug?

A) It describes the chemical composition of the medication.
B) Drugs that contain more than one active ingredient are classified as generic drugs.
C) The name drug is assigned by the company marketing the drug.
D) There is only one name for each medication.

Question 29

A nurse is documenting a client's list of current medications. Which substances would be categorized as complementary and alternative medicine? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply.

A) Garlic
B) Vitamin C
C) Zinc
D) Aspirin
E) Benadryl

Question 30

A nurse understands that a particular agent causes a reduction in blood pressure by blocking receptor sites. The nurse recognizes that this is an example of which drug information?

A) Drug-drug interaction
B) Adverse effects
C) Indication
D) Mechanism of action