Unit 01 Introduction 1
Unit 02 Basic Principles of Pharmacology 6
Unit 03 Drug Therapy Across the Life Span 15
Unit 04 Peripheral Nervous System Drugs 22
Unit 05 Central Nervous System Drugs 31
Unit 06 Drugs for Pain 38
Unit 07 Psychotherapeutic Drugs 43
Unit 08 Substance Use Disorders 51
Unit 09 Drugs That Affect the Heart, Blood Vessels, Blood, and Blood Volume 59
Unit 10 Drugs for Endocrine Disorders 68
Unit 11 Women’s Health 73
Unit 12 Men’s Health 78
Unit 13 Antiinflammatory, Antiallergic, and Immunologic Drugs 83
Unit 14 Drugs for Bone and Joint Disorders 91
Unit 15 Respiratory Tract Drugs 97
Unit 16 Gastrointestinal Drugs 102
Unit 17 Nutrition and Complimentary Therapies 110
Unit 18 Therapy of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases 116
Unit 19 Cancer Therapy 140
Unit 20 Drugs for Eyes, Ears, and Skin 145
Unit 21 Drugs Therapy in Acute Care 152
,Unit 01: Introduction
Rosenthal: Lehne's Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Practice Nurses and Physician
Assistants, 3rd Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
Question 1
A patient diagnosed with chronic pain calls to request an oxycodone (OxyContin) refill. Which
action should the prescriber take initially?
a. Fax the renewal order to the pharmacy.
b. Arrange to schedule an appointment with the patient.
c. Verify the patient’s adherence to the prescribed drug regimen.
d. Determine the patient’s current medication dosage and pain level.
Answer: B – Arrange to schedule an appointment with the patient.
Rationale:
Oxycodone is a Schedule II controlled substance, which cannot be refilled; each
prescription must be handwritten and reassessed. The safest and most appropriate first step
is to have the patient evaluated in person. While verifying adherence and assessing
dosage/pain are important, these are done during the appointment, not over the phone.
Faxing the prescription would be inappropriate and illegal for this type of drug.
Question 2
A metered-dose albuterol inhaler is prescribed for asthma management. The patient reports
feeling jittery sometimes when taking the medication and states it is not always effective.
Which action should the provider take to minimize risks and maximize medication
effectiveness?
a. Ask the patient to demonstrate use of the inhaler and assess effectiveness.
b. Assess the patient’s exposure to first- and second-hand tobacco smoke.
c. Auscultate the patient’s lung sounds and obtain other relevant vital signs.
d. Decrease the dosage to reduce side effects.
Answer: C – Auscultate the patient’s lung sounds and obtain other relevant vital signs.
Rationale:
The priority is to evaluate the patient’s physical response to the medication and compare
findings to baseline values. This ensures safety and determines whether the drug is
controlling asthma effectively. Although checking inhaler technique (option A) is valuable,
it is not the immediate priority when the patient reports ongoing symptoms and side effects.
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, Tobacco smoke assessment (option B) is useful for long-term management but does not
address the acute concern. Decreasing the dosage (option D) may reduce jitteriness but
could worsen asthma control.
Question 3
A patient is prescribed metronidazole for bacterial vaginosis. Which patient history finding
would be most concerning to the provider?
a. The patient had a recent yeast infection.
b. There is a family history of cervical cancer.
c. The patient drinks two glasses of wine every night.
d. The patient is unemployed.
Answer: C – The patient drinks two glasses of wine every night.
Rationale:
Metronidazole has a serious drug-alcohol interaction that can cause a disulfiram-like
reaction (nausea, vomiting, flushing, hypotension). Alcohol must be avoided during
treatment and for at least 48–72 hours after completion of therapy. A history of yeast
infection (option A) is not a contraindication. Family history of cervical cancer (option B)
and employment status (option D) are not directly relevant to the safe administration of the
medication.
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