NR 293 Pharmacology Exam 1 Review
1.Review medication errors
o Medication error: any preventable event that may cause or lead to
inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the
control of the health care professional, patient, or consumer.
o Drugs commonly involved in severe medication errors include central
nervous system drugs, anticoagulants, and chemotherapeutic drugs.
o Use generic drug names to avoid med errors
o Five Steps to prevent medication errors: (1) Multiple systems of checks and
balances should be implemented to prevent medication errors, (2)
Prescribers must write legible orders that contain correct information, (3)
Authoritative resources, such as pharmacists or current drug
references/literature, must be consulted if there is any area of concern or
lack of clarity, (4) Nurses need to always check the medication order three
times before giving the drug and consult with authoritative resources, (5)
The basic Nine Rights of medication administration need to be used
consistently: Right drug, Right dose, Right time, Right route, Right patient,
Right documentation, Right indication, Right to refuse, and Right response
o Report medication errors. It is important to include in this documentation
assessment of patient status before, during, and after the medication error,
as well as specific orders carried out in response to the error
2. Review the nursing process as related to pharmacology
o Assessment about the specific drug is also important and involves the
collection of specific information about prescribed, OTC, and
herbal/complementary/alternative therapeutic drug use, with attention to
the drug’s action; signs and symptoms of allergic reaction; adverse effects;
dosages and routes of administration; contraindications; drug
incompatibilities; drug-drug, drug-food, and drug–laboratory test
interactions; and toxicities and available antidotes.
o The major purpose of the planning phase is to prioritize the human needs
and specify outcomes including the time frame for their achievement. With
regard to medication administration, these outcomes may address special
, storage and handling techniques, administration procedures, equipment
needed, drug interactions, adverse effects, and contraindications.
o Implementation requires constant communication and collaboration with
the patient and with members of the health care team involved in the
patient’s care, as well as with any family members, significant others, or
other caregivers. With medication administration, you need to know and
understand all of the information about the patient and about each
medication prescribed.
o Evaluation occurs after the nursing care plan has been implemented but
also needs to occur at each phase of the nursing process. Evaluation also
includes monitoring the implementation of standards of care.
3. Review pharmacokinetics... half-life, first pass effect etc.
o Pharmacokinetics is the study of what happens to a drug from the time it is
put into the body until the parent drug and all metabolites have left the
body.
o Absorption is the movement of a drug from its site of administration into
the bloodstream (affected by route, gastric emptying, and interactions:
drug-drug or food-drug)
Bioavailability is the term used to express the extent of drug
absorption.
First-pass effect reduces the bioavailability of the drug to less than
100%
o Distribution refers to the transport of a drug by the bloodstream to its site
of action
Areas of rapid distribution include the heart, liver, kidneys, and brain.
Areas of slower distribution include muscle, skin, and fat.
Albumin is the most common blood protein and carries the majority
of protein-bound drug molecules.
o Metabolism involves the biochemical alteration of a drug into an inactive
metabolite, a more soluble compound, a more potent active metabolite, or
a less active metabolite.
The organ most responsible for the metabolism of drugs is the liver.
o Excretion is the elimination of drugs from the body (affected by renal
sufficiency)
1.Review medication errors
o Medication error: any preventable event that may cause or lead to
inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the
control of the health care professional, patient, or consumer.
o Drugs commonly involved in severe medication errors include central
nervous system drugs, anticoagulants, and chemotherapeutic drugs.
o Use generic drug names to avoid med errors
o Five Steps to prevent medication errors: (1) Multiple systems of checks and
balances should be implemented to prevent medication errors, (2)
Prescribers must write legible orders that contain correct information, (3)
Authoritative resources, such as pharmacists or current drug
references/literature, must be consulted if there is any area of concern or
lack of clarity, (4) Nurses need to always check the medication order three
times before giving the drug and consult with authoritative resources, (5)
The basic Nine Rights of medication administration need to be used
consistently: Right drug, Right dose, Right time, Right route, Right patient,
Right documentation, Right indication, Right to refuse, and Right response
o Report medication errors. It is important to include in this documentation
assessment of patient status before, during, and after the medication error,
as well as specific orders carried out in response to the error
2. Review the nursing process as related to pharmacology
o Assessment about the specific drug is also important and involves the
collection of specific information about prescribed, OTC, and
herbal/complementary/alternative therapeutic drug use, with attention to
the drug’s action; signs and symptoms of allergic reaction; adverse effects;
dosages and routes of administration; contraindications; drug
incompatibilities; drug-drug, drug-food, and drug–laboratory test
interactions; and toxicities and available antidotes.
o The major purpose of the planning phase is to prioritize the human needs
and specify outcomes including the time frame for their achievement. With
regard to medication administration, these outcomes may address special
, storage and handling techniques, administration procedures, equipment
needed, drug interactions, adverse effects, and contraindications.
o Implementation requires constant communication and collaboration with
the patient and with members of the health care team involved in the
patient’s care, as well as with any family members, significant others, or
other caregivers. With medication administration, you need to know and
understand all of the information about the patient and about each
medication prescribed.
o Evaluation occurs after the nursing care plan has been implemented but
also needs to occur at each phase of the nursing process. Evaluation also
includes monitoring the implementation of standards of care.
3. Review pharmacokinetics... half-life, first pass effect etc.
o Pharmacokinetics is the study of what happens to a drug from the time it is
put into the body until the parent drug and all metabolites have left the
body.
o Absorption is the movement of a drug from its site of administration into
the bloodstream (affected by route, gastric emptying, and interactions:
drug-drug or food-drug)
Bioavailability is the term used to express the extent of drug
absorption.
First-pass effect reduces the bioavailability of the drug to less than
100%
o Distribution refers to the transport of a drug by the bloodstream to its site
of action
Areas of rapid distribution include the heart, liver, kidneys, and brain.
Areas of slower distribution include muscle, skin, and fat.
Albumin is the most common blood protein and carries the majority
of protein-bound drug molecules.
o Metabolism involves the biochemical alteration of a drug into an inactive
metabolite, a more soluble compound, a more potent active metabolite, or
a less active metabolite.
The organ most responsible for the metabolism of drugs is the liver.
o Excretion is the elimination of drugs from the body (affected by renal
sufficiency)
