Pharmacology 3rd Edition by Michael Adams, Carol Urban

Exercise 7

Remember the patient "Elizabeth Washington" at the beginning of the chapter? Now read the remainder of the case study, Based on the infornlation presented within this chapter, respond to the critical thinking questions that follow.

The more medication an individual takes, the more likely it is that an adverse reaction may occur. For Elizabeth Washington this is a real possibility because she takes multiple medications for various physical problems. Elizabeth is a 77-year-old African American woman with several chronic conditions that require pharmacotherapy, including diabetes, heart failure, arthritiS, and depression. She has been wheelchair bound since her stroke 2 years ago and has lost functional ability of her left side.
Unfortunately, she does not have a regular health care provider. Elizabeth obtains all her health care from a clinic operated for lower income individuals, The primary health care providers in the clinic are medical residents and interns who rotate every month as part oftheir medical training. Therefore, it is unlikely that she will see the same prescriber more than a couple of times. Her medical record is quite extensive and spans her health history for the last 15 years. Because her medical history record is so lengthy, Elizabeth fears that the new doctors will not take the time to read the entire chart before prescribing the newest treatment or therapy.
Discuss how drug reactions can affect pharmacokinetics.