Pharmacology Chapters 3 & 5 – Teacher Review Questions & Answers

Rights of Medication Administration

  • Definition: The essential guidelines to ensure safe medication delivery.
  • Components:
    • Right patient
    • Right medication
    • Right dose
    • Right time
    • Right route
    • Right assessment/review
    • Right documentation
    • Right reason

Off-Label Drug Use

  • Definition: The practice of using a medication for indications or purposes beyond its approved labeling.

Do Not Use Abbreviation List

  • Publisher: The Joint Commission is responsible for publishing this list, which helps prevent medication errors related to unclear abbreviations.

Tall Man Letters

  • Definition: A method of writing that uses capitalized letters within drug names to help distinguish between look-alike and sound-alike medications, thus preventing medication errors.

Physical Activity and Medications

  • Effects:
    • Increases the speed of absorption of medications.
    • Enhances the metabolism of drugs within the body.

Food Interactions

  • Grapefruit: Known to interfere with many medications, affecting their metabolism and efficacy.

Average Weight for Drug Dosing

  • Standard Weight: 150 pounds is commonly used as the baseline for calculating drug dosages.

Organs of Metabolism and Excretion

  • Liver: Primarily responsible for drug metabolism.
  • Kidneys: Key organs for excretion of medications from the body.

Polypharmacy

  • Definition: The concurrent use of five or more medications, which may increase the risk of adverse drug reactions and interactions.

Fetal Protection from Medications

  • Barrier: The blood-placental barrier serves to protect the fetus from potentially harmful medications.

Fetal Vulnerability

  • Critical Period: The fetus is most vulnerable during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Patient Autonomy

  • Patient Rights: A patient has the right to refuse medication administration.
  • Legal Consideration: Forcing a medication upon a patient may constitute battery.

Patient Privacy Laws

  • Law: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protects patient privacy regarding medical information.

Stat Order

  • Definition: An order for immediate administration of medication.

RX Meaning

  • Abbreviation: 'Prescription' is often denoted by the symbol RX.

Authors of Medication Orders

  • Eligible Prescribers: Physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants are authorized to write medication orders.

Controlled Substances

  • Requirement: A DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) number is required for the prescribing of controlled substances.

Medical Abbreviations

  • AC: Stands for 'Before Meals'.

Injection Techniques

  • IM Injection Angle: 90 degrees is the angle for intramuscular injections.
  • Subcutaneous Injection Angle: Recommended at 45–90 degrees.
  • Intradermal Injection Angle: Requires an angle of 10–15 degrees.

Medication Administration Timing

  • Reason for Equal Intervals: Administering medications at consistent intervals is crucial for maintaining therapeutic drug levels in the bloodstream.

Drug Class Functions

  • Antihypertensives: Medications designed to lower blood pressure in patients suffering from hypertension.
  • Thrombolytics: A class of drugs that aid in breaking up clots in the bloodstream.

Risks Associated with Organ Dysfunction

  • Kidney Dysfunction: Heightens the risk for nephrotoxicity, which may result from drug accumulation.
  • Liver Dysfunction: Increases the risk of hepatotoxicity, often due to impaired metabolism of medications.

Allergic Reactions

  • Mild Symptoms: Include hives, itching, and rash as common signs of a mild allergic reaction.
  • Anaphylaxis Treatment: The emergency treatment for anaphylaxis involves administering epinephrine.

PRN

  • Meaning: The abbreviation 'PRN' signifies 'as needed', indicating medications that are administered on an as-needed basis.

Lavage

  • Definition: The process of washing out a body cavity, often used in toxicology and emergency medicine to clear ingested substances or contaminants.