NCCT PHARMACOLOGY INTERACTIVE QUESTIONS

mEq

milliequivalent.

pc

after meals

disp

dispensary.

TB

tuberculosis,

Tsp (

sometimes tsp

TAT

indicate turn-around time.

AU.

both ears

AD

right ear

AS

left ear

Bilat

bilateral

OU

both eyes

OS

left eye

OD

right eye

qd

every day

qid

four times a day

tid

three times a day

eye.

o.d. = oculus dexter (right eye), o.s. = oculus sinister (left eye), o.u. = oculus uterque (both eyes)

hs.

hours of sleep,

prn

as needed.

PDR, or Physician’s Desk Reference

provides information about medications, their functions, contraindications, etc.

A material safety data sheet (MSDS)

provides information about how to safely manage chemicals and prevent injuries.

The Poison Control Center gives information

about how to avoid exposure to poisonous substances and how to treat exposure that does occur.

The Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS)

Is a system of healthcare codes put in place to ensure insurance claims are handled correctly.

Since this system works with insurance and healthcare codes, this would not help the medical assistant determine what type of medication was found in the patient’s purse.

albuterol

classified as a bronchodilator, which means that it opens up the bronchioles and increases the flow of air to the lungs so the patient can breathe easier

An antihistamine

is typically used to treat allergies

mucolytic

used to treat respiratory issues by breaking down the thick mucous that is in the respiratory tract

antitussive

used to treat and suppress coughs.

Cystic fibrosis

an inherited disorder of the lungs and digestive system;

meningitis

meningitis is a bacterial or viral disorder of the spinal fluid

parvovirus B19.

fifth disease

metoprolol (Lopressor).

hypertension.

Gastroesophageal reflux

backward flow of the contents of the stomach into the esophagus that is due to malfunctioning of a sphinphincter at the lower end of the esophagus and results especially in heartburn.

Polydipsia

excessive or abnormal thirst.

Anuria

the absence or defective excretion of urine

Echinacea((believed to stimulate immune system, cold prevention)

cause liver toxicity when combined with other liver toxic drugs such as Methotrexate

Zoster

Long term use of corticosteroids, such as prednisone can cause immunosuppression. Immunosuppressed patients receiving the Zoster vaccine are at an increased risk for developing chicken pox and/or shingles.

placebo.

A placebo is a substance that does not contain any medication. It is commonly used as a control (comparison) in medical research when testing new drugs, and the use of placebos outside of clinical research is considered unethical.

narcotic

pain reliever.a stimulant is a medication used to increase energy, and a generic name of a medication refers to the chemical makeup of it.

RSV

respiratory syncytial virus.(no vaccine for it)

Pertussis,

whooping cough

IPV

Inactivated Polio Vaccine

1 tsp = 5mL,

5mL

5 tsp

24.64mL,

5 Tbs

73.9mL,

1 cup

236.5mL

duragesic

used to treat chronic pain

analgesic

used to treat and relieve pain. Ex. Robitussin™ (Guaifenesen), Delsym™, Mucinex DM ™.

Xanax

reducing anxiety and induces calmness in a patient.

Dementia

brain disorder,

IBS

Irritable Bowel Syndrome)

gastrointestinal disorder,

anticoagulants

Also known as a “blood thinner”- interrupts the clot formation process in the body.

Antihypertensives

lowers blood pressure to prevent the complications of high blood pressure, such as stroke and myocardial infarction.

Anti-inflammatory agents

make up about half of analgesics, remedying pain by reducing inflammation.

Antihistamines

inhibits the action of histamine by either blocking its attachment to histamine receptors, or inhibiting the enzymatic activity of histidine decarboxylase which catalyzes the transformation of histidine into histamine.

omeprazole (Prilosec).

A patient experiencing gastric reflux would most likely be prescribed a proton pump inhibitor, such as omeprazole (Prilosec). These medications decrease acidity in the stomach, which will help the gastric reflux.

azithromycin (Zithromax),

Antibiotics

antifungals

miconazole (Monistat),

antihistamines,

diphenhydramine (Benadryl)

atorvastatin calcium (Lipitor)

The medications that end in ‘statin, such as atorvastatin calcium (Lipitor) are used to lower cholesterol.

Heparin, enoxaparin sodium (Lovenox), and warfarin sodium (Coumadin)

are all anticoagulants and work to prevent blood clots.

duloxetine (Cymbalta)

he drug duloxetine (Cymbalta) is used to treat major depressive disorder and helps to relieve anxiety by affecting the chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced and causing the depression or anxietyt

pregabalin (Lyrica)

used to treat muscle and nerve pain

esomeprazole magnesium (Nexium)

sed to treat heartburn and reflux problems, an

vasodilator

Hydralazine.

Benadryl

one of several antihistamines and is used for the temporary relief of seasonal and perennial allergy symptoms, not pain, inflammation or fever reduction.

Nitroglycerin

contains nitrates that work by relaxing and widening blood vessels, which increases the blood flow to heart.

pruritis (itching)

(itching)

asthmaticus

Status asthmaticus is an acute asthma attack, and the patient would most likely be prescribed albuterol sulfate (Proventil HFA). It is a fast-acting bronchodilator that helps promote relaxation and prevents bronchospasms

cetrizine HCL (Zyrtec)

llergies, fluticasone/salmeterol (Advair) is a long-acting beta2- adrenergic agonist and shouldn’t be used for an acute asthma attack.

montelukast (Singulair

treat asthma,

ondansetron (Zofran)

anti-emetic to help relieve nausea and vomiting.

ranitidine(Zantac)

given to help relieve symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), zolpidem tartrate (Ambien CR) is given to treat insomnia, and

zolpidem tartrate (Ambien CR) is given to treat inso

is given to treat insomna

cetirizine (Zyrtec)

treat allergies.

CHF

Congestive Heart Failure and pitting edema (swelling) symptom suffered when fluid builds up.

diuretic

(a.k.a. water pill) is prescribed to treat various symptoms, including edema and high blood pressure. Basically, diuretics promote the removal of fluid from the body by way of urination.

antiemetic

when a patient is nauseous and/or vomiting.

Antitussives

coughing

Mucolytic

agents might be prescribed if this patient was coughing up thick mucus.

Important Conversions (NCCT Loves These)

Conversion	Value
1 g	1000 mg
1 mg	1000 mcg
1 kg	2.2 lb
1 tsp	5 mL
1 tbsp	15 mL

Important Conversions (NCCT Loves These)

Conversion	Value
1 g	1000 mg
1 mg	1000 mcg
1 kg	2.2 lb
1 tsp	5 mL
1 tbsp	15 mL

1. Basic Medication Formula Dose orderedDose available×Quantity\frac{\text{Dose ordered}}{\text{Dose available}} \times \text{Quantity}Dose availableDose ordered​×Quantity

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2. Pound → Kilogram Conversion kg=lb2.2\text{kg} = \frac{\text{lb}}{2.2}kg=2.2lb​

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3. Insulin U-100

100 units = 1 mL

---

4. Gram to Milligram

1 g = 1000 mg

---

5. Milligram to Microgram

1 mg = 1000 mcg

1. Basic Medication Formula Dose orderedDose available×Quantity\frac{\text{Dose ordered}}{\text{Dose available}} \times \text{Quantity}Dose availableDose ordered​×Quantity

---

2. Pound → Kilogram Conversion kg=lb2.2\text{kg} = \frac{\text{lb}}{2.2}kg=2.2lb​

---

3. Insulin U-100

100 units = 1 mL

---

4. Gram to Milligram

1 g = 1000 mg

---

5. Milligram to Microgram

1 mg = 1000 mcg