Pharmacology Exam #2 Practice
Questions and Answers
Which patient does the nurse identify as being at highest risk for the development of
an adverse drug reaction?
A. A 1-month-old patient whose mother has allergies to penicillin, aspirin, and
codeine
B. A 16-year-old patient with multiple traumatic injuries who is taking morphine and
an antibiotic
C. A 54-year-old patient with multiple sclerosis who has been enrolled in a clinical
trial of a new drug
D. An 84-year-old patient with diabetes, heart failure, and hypertension who takes
seven prescription medications each day - ANSWER-D. An 84-year-old patient with
diabetes, heart failure, and hypertension who takes seven prescription medications
each day
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 - ANSWER-B.
Aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase
The healthcare provider writes a medication order that the nurse cannot read. What
should the nurse do?
A. Consult with the charge nurse to verify the order.
B. Discuss the order with the pharmacist.
C. Check with the patient to determine the correct medication.
D. Contact the prescriber to clarify the order. - ANSWER-D. Contact the prescriber to
clarify the order.
The nurse reviews a patient's admission orders written by the healthcare provider.
Which medication order should the nurse question?
A. Cyanocobalamin 100 mcg intramuscularly every month
B. Mso4 2.0 mg IV every 2 to 4 hours as needed for pain
C. Levothyroxine 75 mcg orally every morning
D. Enoxaparin 40 mg subq. every day for 7 days - ANSWER-B. Mso4 2.0 mg IV
every 2 to 4 hours as needed for pain
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." - ANSWER-C. "You have developed a tolerance to morphine and will need
a higher dose."
The nurse is preparing to administer warfarin [Coumadin] to a patient. The nurse
notes that the patient has altered CYP2D6 genes. It is most important for the nurse
to do which of the following?
A. Check for signs of a transient ischemic attack.
B. Monitor for ST segment elevation or depression.
C. Observe the patient's legs for symptoms of a blood clot.
D. Examine the patient's stools for the presence - ANSWER-D. Examine the
patient's stools for the presence
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 - ANSWER-B. "Have you
taken all of the antibiotics as directed?"
The nurse is assessing an infant delivered by a patient who is suspected of regularly
using alcohol and cocaine during her pregnancy. It is most important for the nurse to
observe the infant for what?
A. Lethargy, hypothermia, and weight gain
B. High-pitched cry, vomiting, and jitteriness
C. Depressed reflexes, jaundice, and dysphagia
D. Hypotonia, absent sucking reflex, and epistaxis - ANSWER-B. High-pitched cry,
vomiting, and jitteriness
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." - ANSWER-A.
"The risk of harm to the fetus is remote."
Questions and Answers
Which patient does the nurse identify as being at highest risk for the development of
an adverse drug reaction?
A. A 1-month-old patient whose mother has allergies to penicillin, aspirin, and
codeine
B. A 16-year-old patient with multiple traumatic injuries who is taking morphine and
an antibiotic
C. A 54-year-old patient with multiple sclerosis who has been enrolled in a clinical
trial of a new drug
D. An 84-year-old patient with diabetes, heart failure, and hypertension who takes
seven prescription medications each day - ANSWER-D. An 84-year-old patient with
diabetes, heart failure, and hypertension who takes seven prescription medications
each day
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 - ANSWER-B.
Aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase
The healthcare provider writes a medication order that the nurse cannot read. What
should the nurse do?
A. Consult with the charge nurse to verify the order.
B. Discuss the order with the pharmacist.
C. Check with the patient to determine the correct medication.
D. Contact the prescriber to clarify the order. - ANSWER-D. Contact the prescriber to
clarify the order.
The nurse reviews a patient's admission orders written by the healthcare provider.
Which medication order should the nurse question?
A. Cyanocobalamin 100 mcg intramuscularly every month
B. Mso4 2.0 mg IV every 2 to 4 hours as needed for pain
C. Levothyroxine 75 mcg orally every morning
D. Enoxaparin 40 mg subq. every day for 7 days - ANSWER-B. Mso4 2.0 mg IV
every 2 to 4 hours as needed for pain
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." - ANSWER-C. "You have developed a tolerance to morphine and will need
a higher dose."
The nurse is preparing to administer warfarin [Coumadin] to a patient. The nurse
notes that the patient has altered CYP2D6 genes. It is most important for the nurse
to do which of the following?
A. Check for signs of a transient ischemic attack.
B. Monitor for ST segment elevation or depression.
C. Observe the patient's legs for symptoms of a blood clot.
D. Examine the patient's stools for the presence - ANSWER-D. Examine the
patient's stools for the presence
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 - ANSWER-B. "Have you
taken all of the antibiotics as directed?"
The nurse is assessing an infant delivered by a patient who is suspected of regularly
using alcohol and cocaine during her pregnancy. It is most important for the nurse to
observe the infant for what?
A. Lethargy, hypothermia, and weight gain
B. High-pitched cry, vomiting, and jitteriness
C. Depressed reflexes, jaundice, and dysphagia
D. Hypotonia, absent sucking reflex, and epistaxis - ANSWER-B. High-pitched cry,
vomiting, and jitteriness
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." - ANSWER-A.
"The risk of harm to the fetus is remote."
