And Answers SNHU
Q1. Which factor should receive the greatest consideration when
selecting a medication for an individual patient?
A) Whether the drug is the newest agent available
B) Expected benefit, safety, patient-specific factors, and therapeutic goals
C) Whether the drug has the shortest generic name
D) Whether the medication is advertised frequently
Correct Answer: B) Expected benefit, safety, patient-specific factors, and
therapeutic goals
Rationale: Rational pharmacotherapy balances effectiveness, safety,
contraindications, comorbidities, interactions, patient preferences, cost, and
monitoring requirements.
Q2. Which step should occur before initiating pharmacologic
treatment for a newly identified condition?
A) Select the most expensive medication
B) Begin combination therapy automatically
C) Prescribe before completing the assessment
D) Establish an appropriate diagnosis and therapeutic goal
Correct Answer: D) Establish an appropriate diagnosis and therapeutic goal
Rationale: Appropriate prescribing begins with adequate assessment and
diagnostic reasoning followed by a clearly defined treatment objective.
Q3. Which statement best describes pharmacotherapeutics?
A) The clinical use of medications to prevent, diagnose, or treat disease
B) The study of drug manufacturing only
C) The study of microorganisms exclusively
D) The process of measuring laboratory values without medication use
Correct Answer: A) The clinical use of medications to prevent, diagnose, or
treat disease
Rationale: Pharmacotherapeutics applies pharmacologic knowledge to
medication selection and management for specific clinical problems.
Q4. Which prescribing approach best supports medication safety?
A) Add medications without reviewing the existing regimen
B) Select therapy only from patient advertisements
C) Review current medications, allergies, comorbidities, kidney and liver
function, and potential interactions
D) Avoid asking about nonprescription products
Correct Answer: C) Review current medications, allergies, comorbidities,
, kidney and liver function, and potential interactions
Rationale: Medication reconciliation and patient-specific assessment reduce
preventable adverse drug events and interaction risks.
Q5. Which characteristic most strongly supports selection of one
medication over another when both are similarly effective?
A) More complicated dosing
B) Better safety, adherence potential, affordability, and suitability for the
individual patient
C) Higher pill burden
D) Greater number of potential interactions
Correct Answer: B) Better safety, adherence potential, affordability, and
suitability for the individual patient
Rationale: Therapeutic decisions should account for effectiveness together
with safety, practicality, patient preference, and cost.
Q6. Which action best demonstrates appropriate follow-up after
initiating a new medication?
A) Establish a plan to assess efficacy, adverse effects, adherence, and
relevant laboratory findings
B) Assume treatment is effective if the prescription is filled
C) Avoid follow-up unless the patient experiences an emergency
D) Add a second medication before evaluating the first
Correct Answer: A) Establish a plan to assess efficacy, adverse effects,
adherence, and relevant laboratory findings
Rationale: Prescribing includes monitoring the patient's response and
adjusting therapy when goals are not achieved or adverse effects occur.
Q7. Which prescription element is essential for reducing medication
errors?
A) An abbreviation that can have multiple meanings
B) Verbal instructions without documentation
C) The diagnosis alone
D) Clear medication name, strength, dose, route, frequency, quantity, and
directions
Correct Answer: D) Clear medication name, strength, dose, route, frequency,
quantity, and directions
Rationale: Complete, unambiguous prescribing information reduces
dispensing errors and misunderstanding.
Q8. Which approach best promotes medication adherence?
A) Assume missed doses reflect unwillingness to cooperate