ADVANCED PHARMACOLOGY QUIZZES AND EXPLAINED ANSWERS

Which of the following statements is true about the prescribing practices of physicians? Antibiotic medications remain in the top five classifications of medications prescribed. Older physicians tend to prescribe more ...

Which of the following statements is true about the prescribing practices of physicians? Antibiotic medications remain in the top five classifications of medications prescribed. Older physicians tend to prescribe more appropriate medications than younger physicians. Correct! The dominant form of drug information used by primary care physicians continues to be that provided by pharmaceutical companies. Most physicians rely on a “therapeutic armamentarium” that consists of less than 100 drug preparations per physician. Even though most physicians claim to place little weight on drug advertisements, pharmaceutical representatives, and patient preference and state that they rely on academic sources for drug information, a study showed that commercial rather than scientific sources of drug information dominated their drug information materials. Younger physicians tend to prescribe fewer and more appropriate drugs. Antibiotics have dropped out of the top five classifications of drugs prescribed. Most physicians have a therapeutic armamentarium of about 144 drugs. Question 2 0 / 0 pts A primary care NP recommends an over-the-counter medication for a patient who has acid reflux. When teaching the patient about this drug, the NP should tell the patient: not to worry about taking this drug with any other medications. that over-the-counter acid reflux medications are generally safe to take with other medications. Correct! to take the dose recommended by the manufacturer. to avoid taking other drugs that cause sedation while taking this drug. Because patients often increase over-the-counter drug doses themselves, it is important to reinforce the need to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for dosing. As with any drug, interactions may occur with other medications. Antacids do not cause sedation, so patients need not be cautioned to avoid other sedating medications. Question 3 0 / 0 pts A woman who has been taking a COCP for 2 months tells the primary care NP that she has had several headaches, breakthrough bleeding, and nausea. The NP should counsel the woman: Correct! that these effects will likely decrease in another month. to change to a progestin-only pill. to stop taking the COCP immediately. to use a backup form of contraception. Breakthrough bleeding, nausea, and headaches are common during the first 3 months of therapy and should improve without intervention. Progestin-only pills are used for lactating women only. Prolonged bleeding and severe headache would warrant discontinuation of the COCP. Backup contraception is not indicated. Question 4 0 / 0 pts A patient asks a primary care nurse practitioner (NP) about using over-the-counter medications to treat an upper respiratory infection with symptoms of cough, fever, and nasal congestion. The NP should: Correct! suggest using single-ingredient products to treat each symptom separately. tell the patient that over-the-counter medications are usually not effective in manufacturerrecommended doses. recommend a cough preparation that also contains acetaminophen. recommend a product containing antitussive, antipyretic, and decongestant ingredients. A basic principle guiding over-the-counter use is to look at specific symptoms and treat each separately because some products contain therapeutic doses of one ingredient and subtherapeutic doses of others. Cough preparations containing acetaminophen often do not contain therapeutic doses, and patients often overdose when they supplement with acetaminophen. Over-the-counter medications are effective at recommended doses. Patients should follow dosing recommendations on the package. Question 5 0 / 0 pts A patient has recurrent symptoms and tells the primary care NP that she can’t remember to take her medication all the time. The NP should: Correct! ask her about her lifestyle, her schedule, and her understanding of her condition. administer the medication in the clinic to ensure that she takes the drug. give her shortened regimens of the drug to facilitate compliance. provide written information about her condition and the medication. If the attitude is that the patient has a problem for the health care provider to solve, then the provider owns the problem and often hastens to solve it. When patients own their problems, they are more likely to engage in their care and treatment. Giving shortened regimens, providing written information, and administrating medication in the clinic are examples of the provider solving the problem for the patient. Question 6 0 / 0 pts A postpartum woman will begin taking the minipill while she is nursing her infant. The primary care NP should instruct the patient: that irregular periods while taking the minipill may indicate she is pregnant. Correct Answer that this method does not increase her risk of thromboembolic events. You Answered to use backup contraception while taking the minipill. to continue using the minipill for 6 months after she stops nursing. Minipills are used primarily in breastfeeding women. There is no increased risk for thromboembolic events for women taking these pills. It is not necessary to use a backup method of contraception. Women should be advised to contact the provider when they stop nursing so that a COCP can be prescribed. The more disrupted the bleeding pattern, the more likely it is that ovulation is inhibited.