PHARMACOLOGY EXAM #2 PRACTICE WITH 23 QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
A 15-month-old patient develops chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Which medication, if
ordered by the healthcare provider, should the nurse question?
A. Ondansetron [Zofran]
B. Dexamethasone [Decadron]
C. Promethazine [Phenergan]
D. Metoclopramide [Reglan] - -C. Promethazine [Phenergan]
-A 2-year-old child is prescribed an oral drug that is eliminated by
metabolism in the liver. Based on the child's age, the nurse would expect to make which adjustment?
A. The drug may need to be administered more frequently.
B. The dosage of the drug may need to be decreased.
C. The route should be changed from oral to intramuscular.
D. The drug should be administered on an empty stomach - -A. The drug may need to be administered
more frequently.
-A patient is 2 months pregnant and complains of gastric distress. It is most appropriate for the nurse to
do what?
A. Consult with the healthcare provider about a prescription for misoprostol (Cytotec).
B. Instruct the patient to avoid acidic foods such as orange juice and tomatoes.
C. Suggest an over-the-counter medication such as bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol).
D. Use an alternative therapy such as valerian as a dietary supplement. - -B. Instruct the patient to avoid
acidic foods such as orange juice and tomatoes.
-A patient is prescribed a medication that is potentially hepatotoxic. Before administering the
medication, it is most important for the nurse to assess what?
A. Blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine
B. Aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase
C. Prolonged QT interval on the electrocardiogram
D. Serum potassium, serum sodium, and serum magnesium - -B. Aspartate aminotransferase and alanine
aminotransferase
-A patient is prescribed a medication to be taken on an empty stomach. Which statement should the
nurse include when providing patient teaching?
A. "Take the medication 1 hour before eating."
B. "Take the medication with a small glass of water."
C. "Take the medication before going to bed at night."
D. "Take the medication 1 hour after a meal." - -A. "Take the medication 1 hour before eating."
, -A patient is taking a Category A drug during pregnancy. Which statement by the nurse is accurate?
A. "The risk of harm to the fetus is remote."
B. "The drug is safe to take during pregnancy."
C. "This drug has caused congenital birth defects."
D. "No controlled studies of this drug have been done in humans." - -A. "The risk of harm to the fetus is
remote."
-A patient is taking two prescription medications that both cause bradycardia. The nurse should monitor
the patient for which type of effect?
A. An increased therapeutic effect
B. An increased adverse effect
C. A reduced therapeutic effect
D. A reduced adverse effect - -B. An increased adverse effect
-A patient was discharged from the hospital with instructions to take an antibiotic for 7 days to treat a
bladder infection. Twelve days later, a home care nurse visits the patient and finds that the symptoms
have not resolved. What is the most important question for the nurse to ask?
A. "Do you think you have another bladder infection?"
B. "Have you taken all of the antibiotics as directed?"
C. "How much water have you been drinking each day?"
D. "What antibiotic do you usually take to treat an infection - -B. "Have you taken all of the antibiotics as
directed?"
-A patient who is breast-feeding her newborn infant is prescribed an antibiotic to take after discharge.
Which statement should the nurse include when providing discharge instructions?
A. "Drink plenty of fluids to dilute the drug in your breast milk."
B. "Take the drug at night with a full glass of water."
C. "Pump your breasts, and then discard all of the milk."
D. "Take the antibiotic immediately after breast-feeding." - -D. "Take the antibiotic immediately after
breast-feeding."
-A patient with cancer is receiving morphine for pain control. The patient calls the nurse to report that
the morphine is no longer controlling his pain. What is the most appropriate response by the nurse?
A. "Increasing the dose of morphine will make you so sleepy that you will not be able to function."
B. "This means that you have developed a psychological addiction to morphine."
C. "You have developed a tolerance to morphine and will need a higher dose."
D. "It is recommended that we wait to increase the morphine until the pain is more severe." - -C. "You
have developed a tolerance to morphine and will need a higher dose."
-A toddler has been prescribed a medication that does not have an established pediatric dose. To
calculate the appropriate dose for the child, the nurse should consider what information?
A. The child's weight is 26 pounds.
AND ANSWERS
A 15-month-old patient develops chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Which medication, if
ordered by the healthcare provider, should the nurse question?
A. Ondansetron [Zofran]
B. Dexamethasone [Decadron]
C. Promethazine [Phenergan]
D. Metoclopramide [Reglan] - -C. Promethazine [Phenergan]
-A 2-year-old child is prescribed an oral drug that is eliminated by
metabolism in the liver. Based on the child's age, the nurse would expect to make which adjustment?
A. The drug may need to be administered more frequently.
B. The dosage of the drug may need to be decreased.
C. The route should be changed from oral to intramuscular.
D. The drug should be administered on an empty stomach - -A. The drug may need to be administered
more frequently.
-A patient is 2 months pregnant and complains of gastric distress. It is most appropriate for the nurse to
do what?
A. Consult with the healthcare provider about a prescription for misoprostol (Cytotec).
B. Instruct the patient to avoid acidic foods such as orange juice and tomatoes.
C. Suggest an over-the-counter medication such as bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol).
D. Use an alternative therapy such as valerian as a dietary supplement. - -B. Instruct the patient to avoid
acidic foods such as orange juice and tomatoes.
-A patient is prescribed a medication that is potentially hepatotoxic. Before administering the
medication, it is most important for the nurse to assess what?
A. Blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine
B. Aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase
C. Prolonged QT interval on the electrocardiogram
D. Serum potassium, serum sodium, and serum magnesium - -B. Aspartate aminotransferase and alanine
aminotransferase
-A patient is prescribed a medication to be taken on an empty stomach. Which statement should the
nurse include when providing patient teaching?
A. "Take the medication 1 hour before eating."
B. "Take the medication with a small glass of water."
C. "Take the medication before going to bed at night."
D. "Take the medication 1 hour after a meal." - -A. "Take the medication 1 hour before eating."
, -A patient is taking a Category A drug during pregnancy. Which statement by the nurse is accurate?
A. "The risk of harm to the fetus is remote."
B. "The drug is safe to take during pregnancy."
C. "This drug has caused congenital birth defects."
D. "No controlled studies of this drug have been done in humans." - -A. "The risk of harm to the fetus is
remote."
-A patient is taking two prescription medications that both cause bradycardia. The nurse should monitor
the patient for which type of effect?
A. An increased therapeutic effect
B. An increased adverse effect
C. A reduced therapeutic effect
D. A reduced adverse effect - -B. An increased adverse effect
-A patient was discharged from the hospital with instructions to take an antibiotic for 7 days to treat a
bladder infection. Twelve days later, a home care nurse visits the patient and finds that the symptoms
have not resolved. What is the most important question for the nurse to ask?
A. "Do you think you have another bladder infection?"
B. "Have you taken all of the antibiotics as directed?"
C. "How much water have you been drinking each day?"
D. "What antibiotic do you usually take to treat an infection - -B. "Have you taken all of the antibiotics as
directed?"
-A patient who is breast-feeding her newborn infant is prescribed an antibiotic to take after discharge.
Which statement should the nurse include when providing discharge instructions?
A. "Drink plenty of fluids to dilute the drug in your breast milk."
B. "Take the drug at night with a full glass of water."
C. "Pump your breasts, and then discard all of the milk."
D. "Take the antibiotic immediately after breast-feeding." - -D. "Take the antibiotic immediately after
breast-feeding."
-A patient with cancer is receiving morphine for pain control. The patient calls the nurse to report that
the morphine is no longer controlling his pain. What is the most appropriate response by the nurse?
A. "Increasing the dose of morphine will make you so sleepy that you will not be able to function."
B. "This means that you have developed a psychological addiction to morphine."
C. "You have developed a tolerance to morphine and will need a higher dose."
D. "It is recommended that we wait to increase the morphine until the pain is more severe." - -C. "You
have developed a tolerance to morphine and will need a higher dose."
-A toddler has been prescribed a medication that does not have an established pediatric dose. To
calculate the appropriate dose for the child, the nurse should consider what information?
A. The child's weight is 26 pounds.
