Nokea
A nurse is teaching her patient about the use of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. Which of the following statements best informs the patient about their safe use?
- A. OTC drugs are products that are available without prescription for self-treatment of minor complaints.'
- B. OTC drugs are considered medications and should be reported on a drug history.'
- C. OTC drugs were approved as prescription drugs but later were found to be safe without the need for a prescription.'
- D. OTC drugs need to be taken with caution. They can mask the signs and symptoms of an underlying disease and interfere with prescription drug therapy.'
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: OTC drugs are considered medications and should be reported. OTC drugs are available without a prescription, although some were first approved as prescription drugs. The most important teaching should relate to their safe use and that OTC drugs can mask symptoms of disease and interfere with prescribed drugs.
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A nurse is teaching a client who has a new prescription for Brimonidine ophthalmic drops and wears soft contact lenses. Which of the following instructions should the nurse include in the teaching?
- A. This medication can stain your contacts.
- B. This medication can cause your pupils to constrict.
- C. This medication can absorb into your contacts.
- D. This medication can slow your heart rate.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Brimonidine can absorb into contacts , requiring removal before use to avoid irritation.
Which of the following can be used for treatment of hypothyroidism:
- A. Liothironine
- B. Iodides (lugol solution)
- C. Carbimazole
- D. Methimazole
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Liothyronine (T3) is used to replace thyroid hormone in hypothyroidism.
A nurse is teaching a client who has a new prescription for Verapamil to control Hypertension. Which of the following instructions should the nurse include?
- A. Increase the amount of dietary fiber in the diet.
- B. Drink grapefruit juice daily to increase vitamin C intake.
- C. Decrease the amount of calcium in the diet.
- D. Withhold food for 1 hr after the medication is taken
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Fiber prevents constipation, a common side effect of verapamil; grapefruit juice interacts adversely.
The patient tells the nurse about a new drug being tested to treat the disease she was diagnosed with and asks the nurse whether the doctor can prescribe a medication still in the preclinical phase of testing. What is the nurse's best response?
- A. The doctor would have to complete a great deal of paperwork to get approval to prescribe that drug.
- B. Sometimes pharmaceutical companies are looking for volunteers to test a new drug and the doctor could give them your name.
- C. Drugs in the preclinical phase of testing are only tested on animals and so would not be available to you.
- D. Drugs in the preclinical phase of testing are given only to healthy young men and so would not be available to you.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: During the preclinical phase of testing drugs are tested on animals and are not available to patients. In phase I, the drug is tested on volunteers who are usually healthy young men. It is only in phase III studies that the drug is made available to prescribers who agree to closely monitor patients getting the medication.
Teaching the patient/caregiver about their medications is an important step in reducing the risk of medication errors. What is an important teaching point about medications?
- A. Speak up
- B. Store medications in a warm humid place
- C. Adjust your medication according to your weight
- D. Keep a list of your prescribed medications
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Keeping a medication list enhances safety by ensuring all providers know current drugs, reducing error risk.