D116 WGU - PHARMACOLOGY QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
1. ACE inhibitors: Slow the progression of kidney injury in diabetic patients with renal damage.
2. Beta Blockers: Can mask signs of hypoglycemia and must be used with caution in diabetics.
3. Thiazides: Diuretics that promote hyperglycemia
4. Long Acting Beta Agonists (LABA): Can increase the risk of asthma-related deaths when used
improperly; risk is minimized when combined with an inhaled glucocorticoid they are not safer than SABAs, and they
are not used PRN and increase the risk of asthma-related deaths.
5. Limiting prescriptive authority for APRNs: Can create barriers to quality, attordable, and
accessible patient care. It may also lead to poor collaboration among providers and higher health care costs. It would not
directly impact patient's health literacy.
6. A patient reports that a medication prescribed for recurrent migraine
headaches is not working. Which action should be taken first?: Ask the patient about the
number and frequency of tablets taken
7. A patient is receiving intravenous gentamicin. A serum drug test reveals toxic
levels. The dosing is correct, and this medication has been tolerated by this
patient in the past. Which could be a probable cause of the test result?: The patient is
taking another medication that binds to serum albumin
8. The nurse is administering morning medications. The nurse gives a patient
multiple medications, two of which compete for plasma albumin receptor sites.
As a result of this concurrent administration, the nurse can anticipate that what
might occur?: Binding of one or both agents will be reduced
Plasma levels of free drug will rise
The increase in free drug will intensify ettects
9. A patient with myasthenia gravis will be eating lunch at 1200. It is now 1000
and the patient is scheduled to take Pyridostigmine. At what time should this
medication be taken so the patient will have the maximum benefit of this
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,medication?: 1 hour before the patient eats (1100)
10. How does Pyridostigmine improve muscle strength?: It prevents the breakdown of
acetylcholine. Remember the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are damaged and the patient needs as much acetyl-
choline as possible to prevent muscle weakness. Therefore, this medication will allow more acetylcholine to be
used...hence improving muscle strength.
11. A 25-year-old patient has been newly diagnosed with Parkinson disease, and
the prescriber is considering using pramipexole [Mirapex]. Before beginning
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, therapy with this drug, the nurse will ask the patient about:: Any history of alcohol abuse or
compulsive behaviors
12. Pramipexole: Associated with impulse control disorders, and this risk increases in patients with a history of
alcohol abuse or compulsive behaviors. Increases the risk of hypotension and sleep attacks, so a history of hypertension or
insomnia would not be cautionary. Unlike with levodopa, the risk of psychoses is not increased.
13. A nurse is preparing to administer memantine [Nemanda] to a patient and
notes a slight elevation in the patient's creatinine clearance level. What will the
nurse expect the provider to order for this patient?: Continuing the memantine as ordered
14. The amount of time in which drug concentration decreases by 50%: Half-life
(t1/2)
15. Macrolides:
Azithromycin
Clarithromycin
Erythromycin
16. Antifungals: Action: impairs cell membrane of fungus
17. Antifungals: Side Effects: hepatotoxicity, throbocytopenia, leukopenia, hemorrhage, pruritus,
18. Antifungals: Ketoconazole, Flucanazol
19. Cimetidine: (Tagamet)
- Diarrhea (look for black, tarry stools), N+V
- Headache
- Avoid ASA, NSAIDS
- If taking another antacid, take one hour apart
20. Citalopra
m: Celexa
SSRI
Antidepressant
3/
16
1. ACE inhibitors: Slow the progression of kidney injury in diabetic patients with renal damage.
2. Beta Blockers: Can mask signs of hypoglycemia and must be used with caution in diabetics.
3. Thiazides: Diuretics that promote hyperglycemia
4. Long Acting Beta Agonists (LABA): Can increase the risk of asthma-related deaths when used
improperly; risk is minimized when combined with an inhaled glucocorticoid they are not safer than SABAs, and they
are not used PRN and increase the risk of asthma-related deaths.
5. Limiting prescriptive authority for APRNs: Can create barriers to quality, attordable, and
accessible patient care. It may also lead to poor collaboration among providers and higher health care costs. It would not
directly impact patient's health literacy.
6. A patient reports that a medication prescribed for recurrent migraine
headaches is not working. Which action should be taken first?: Ask the patient about the
number and frequency of tablets taken
7. A patient is receiving intravenous gentamicin. A serum drug test reveals toxic
levels. The dosing is correct, and this medication has been tolerated by this
patient in the past. Which could be a probable cause of the test result?: The patient is
taking another medication that binds to serum albumin
8. The nurse is administering morning medications. The nurse gives a patient
multiple medications, two of which compete for plasma albumin receptor sites.
As a result of this concurrent administration, the nurse can anticipate that what
might occur?: Binding of one or both agents will be reduced
Plasma levels of free drug will rise
The increase in free drug will intensify ettects
9. A patient with myasthenia gravis will be eating lunch at 1200. It is now 1000
and the patient is scheduled to take Pyridostigmine. At what time should this
medication be taken so the patient will have the maximum benefit of this
1/
16
,medication?: 1 hour before the patient eats (1100)
10. How does Pyridostigmine improve muscle strength?: It prevents the breakdown of
acetylcholine. Remember the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are damaged and the patient needs as much acetyl-
choline as possible to prevent muscle weakness. Therefore, this medication will allow more acetylcholine to be
used...hence improving muscle strength.
11. A 25-year-old patient has been newly diagnosed with Parkinson disease, and
the prescriber is considering using pramipexole [Mirapex]. Before beginning
2/
16
, therapy with this drug, the nurse will ask the patient about:: Any history of alcohol abuse or
compulsive behaviors
12. Pramipexole: Associated with impulse control disorders, and this risk increases in patients with a history of
alcohol abuse or compulsive behaviors. Increases the risk of hypotension and sleep attacks, so a history of hypertension or
insomnia would not be cautionary. Unlike with levodopa, the risk of psychoses is not increased.
13. A nurse is preparing to administer memantine [Nemanda] to a patient and
notes a slight elevation in the patient's creatinine clearance level. What will the
nurse expect the provider to order for this patient?: Continuing the memantine as ordered
14. The amount of time in which drug concentration decreases by 50%: Half-life
(t1/2)
15. Macrolides:
Azithromycin
Clarithromycin
Erythromycin
16. Antifungals: Action: impairs cell membrane of fungus
17. Antifungals: Side Effects: hepatotoxicity, throbocytopenia, leukopenia, hemorrhage, pruritus,
18. Antifungals: Ketoconazole, Flucanazol
19. Cimetidine: (Tagamet)
- Diarrhea (look for black, tarry stools), N+V
- Headache
- Avoid ASA, NSAIDS
- If taking another antacid, take one hour apart
20. Citalopra
m: Celexa
SSRI
Antidepressant
3/
16
