,Chapter 01 - Introduction to Drugs
A nurse working in radiology administers iodine to a patient who is having a computed
tomography (CT) scan. The nurse working on the oncology unit administers
chemotherapy to patients who have cancer. At the Public Health Department, a nurse
administers a measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine to a 14-month-old child as a
routine immunization. Which branch of pharmacology best describes the actions of all
three nurses?
Pharmacoeconomic
s
Pharmacotherapeut
ics
Pharmacodynamics
Pharmacokinetics
Ans B
Response:
Pharmacology is the study of the biologic effects of chemicals. Nurses are involved with
clinical pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics, which is a branch of pharmacology that
deals with the uses of drugs to treat, prevent, and diagnose disease. The radiology nurse is
administering a drug to help diagnose a disease. The oncology nurse is administering a drug
to help treat a disease.
Pharmacoeconomics includes any costs involved in drug therapy. Pharmacodynamics
involves how a drug affects the body and pharmacokinetics is how the body acts on the body.
A physician has ordered intramuscular (IM) injections of morphine, a narcotic, every 4 hours as
needed for pain in a motor vehicle accident victim. The nurse is aware this drug has a high
abuse potential.
Under what category would morphine be classified?
Schedule I
Schedule II
Schedule III
,Schedule IV
Ans B
Response:
Narcotics with a high abuse potential are classified as Schedule II drugs because of severe
dependence
, liability. Schedule I drugs have high abuse potential and no accepted medical use. Schedule
III drugs have a lesser abuse potential than II and an accepted medical use. Schedule IV
drugs have low abuse potential and limited dependence liability.
When involved in phase III drug evaluation studies, what responsibilities would the
nurse have? Working with animals who are given experimental drugs
Choosing appropriate patients to be involved in the drug study
Monitoring and observing patients closely for adverse effects
Conducting research to determine effectiveness of the drug
Ans C
Response:
Phase III studies involve use of a drug in a vast clinical population in which patients are asked
to record any symptoms they experience while taking the drugs. Nurses may be responsible
for helping collect and analyze the information to be shared with the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) but would not conduct research independently because nurses do not
prescribe medications. Use of animals in drug testing is done in the preclinical trials. Select
patients who are involved in phase II studies to participate in studies where the participants
have the disease the drug is intended to treat. These patients are monitored closely for drug
action and adverse effects. Phase I studies involve healthy human volunteers who are usually
paid for their participation. Nurses may observe for adverse effects and toxicity.
What concept is considered when generic drugs are substituted for brand name drugs?
Bioavailability
Critical
concentration
Distribution
Half-life
Ans A
Response:
A nurse working in radiology administers iodine to a patient who is having a computed
tomography (CT) scan. The nurse working on the oncology unit administers
chemotherapy to patients who have cancer. At the Public Health Department, a nurse
administers a measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine to a 14-month-old child as a
routine immunization. Which branch of pharmacology best describes the actions of all
three nurses?
Pharmacoeconomic
s
Pharmacotherapeut
ics
Pharmacodynamics
Pharmacokinetics
Ans B
Response:
Pharmacology is the study of the biologic effects of chemicals. Nurses are involved with
clinical pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics, which is a branch of pharmacology that
deals with the uses of drugs to treat, prevent, and diagnose disease. The radiology nurse is
administering a drug to help diagnose a disease. The oncology nurse is administering a drug
to help treat a disease.
Pharmacoeconomics includes any costs involved in drug therapy. Pharmacodynamics
involves how a drug affects the body and pharmacokinetics is how the body acts on the body.
A physician has ordered intramuscular (IM) injections of morphine, a narcotic, every 4 hours as
needed for pain in a motor vehicle accident victim. The nurse is aware this drug has a high
abuse potential.
Under what category would morphine be classified?
Schedule I
Schedule II
Schedule III
,Schedule IV
Ans B
Response:
Narcotics with a high abuse potential are classified as Schedule II drugs because of severe
dependence
, liability. Schedule I drugs have high abuse potential and no accepted medical use. Schedule
III drugs have a lesser abuse potential than II and an accepted medical use. Schedule IV
drugs have low abuse potential and limited dependence liability.
When involved in phase III drug evaluation studies, what responsibilities would the
nurse have? Working with animals who are given experimental drugs
Choosing appropriate patients to be involved in the drug study
Monitoring and observing patients closely for adverse effects
Conducting research to determine effectiveness of the drug
Ans C
Response:
Phase III studies involve use of a drug in a vast clinical population in which patients are asked
to record any symptoms they experience while taking the drugs. Nurses may be responsible
for helping collect and analyze the information to be shared with the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) but would not conduct research independently because nurses do not
prescribe medications. Use of animals in drug testing is done in the preclinical trials. Select
patients who are involved in phase II studies to participate in studies where the participants
have the disease the drug is intended to treat. These patients are monitored closely for drug
action and adverse effects. Phase I studies involve healthy human volunteers who are usually
paid for their participation. Nurses may observe for adverse effects and toxicity.
What concept is considered when generic drugs are substituted for brand name drugs?
Bioavailability
Critical
concentration
Distribution
Half-life
Ans A
Response:
