Galen Pharm 210 EXAM GUIDE 2024

Unit 1 Questions: 1. Which drug will go through a disintegration process after it is administered? a. Intramuscular (IM) cephalosporins b. Intravenous (IV) vasopressors c. Oral analgesics d. Subcutaneous antiglycemics Rationale: When drugs are administered parenterally, there is no disintegration process, which occurs when a drug becomes a solution that can cross the biologic membrane. 2. The nurse is preparing to administer an oral medication and wants to ensure a rapid drug action. Which form of the medication will the nurse administer? a. Capsule b. Enteric-coated pill c. Liquid suspension d. Tablet Rationale: Liquid drugs are already in solution, and is the form necessary for absorption in the GI (gastrointestinal) tract Capsule, enteric-coated pill, and a tablet must disintegrate into small particles and then dissolve before being absorbed. 3. The nurse is teaching a patient who will be discharged home with a prescription for an enteric-coated tablet. Which statement by the patient indicates understanding of the teaching? a. “I may crush the tablet and put it in applesauce to improve absorption” b. “I should consume acidic foods to enhance absorption of this medication.” c. “I should expect a delay in onset of the drug’s effects after taking the tablet.” d. “I should take this medication with high-fat foods to improve its action.” Rationale: Enteric-coated tablets resist disintegration in acidic environment of the stomach and disintegrate when they reach the small intestine. There is usually some delay in onset of actions after taking these medications. Enteric-coated tablets SHOULD NOT be crushed or chewed, it would ALTER THE TIME AND LOCATION of absorption. The patient SHOULD NOT EAT high-fat food before ingesting an enteric-coated tablet because high-fat foods decrease the absorption rate. 4. A newly patient diagnosis with type 1 diabetes mellitus asks why insulin must be given by subcutaneous injection instead of by mouth. The nurse will explain that this is because a. absorption is diminished by the first pass effects in the liver b. absorption is faster when insulin is given subcutaneously c. digestive enzymes in the GI tract prevent absorption d. the oral form is less predictable with more adverse effects Rationale: Insulin, growth hormones, and other protein -based drugs are destroyed in the small intestine by digestive enzymes and must be given parentally. Because insulin is destroyed by digestive enzymes it would not make it to the liver for metabolism with a first -pass effect. Subcutaneous tissue has fewer blood vessels, so absorption is slower in such tissue. Insulin is given subcutaneously because it is desirable to have it absorb slowly. 5. The nurse is preparing to administer an oral medication that is water soluble. The nurse understands that this drug a. must be taken on an empty stomach b. requires active transport for absorption c. should be taken with fatty foods d. will readily diffuse into the GI tract