,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?
Pharmacoeconomics Pharmacotherapeutics 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:
Bioavailability is the portion of a dose of a drug that reaches the systemic circulation and is available to act on body cells.
Binders used in a generic drug may not be the same as those used in the brand name drug. Therefore, the way the body
breaks down and uses the drug may differ, which may eliminate a generic drug substitution. Critical concentration is the
amount of a drug that is needed to cause a therapeutic effect and should not differ between generic and brand name
medications.
Distribution is the phase of pharmacokinetics, which involves the movement of a drug to the body’s tissues and is the
,Same in generic and brand name drugs. A drug’s half-life is the time it takes for the amount of drug to decrease to half the
peak level, which should not change when substituting a generic medication.
A nurse is assessing the patient’s home medication use. After listening to the patient list current medications, the nurse asks
what priority question?
Do you take any generic medications?
Are any of these medications orphan drugs?
Are these medications safe to take during pregnancy? Do you take any over-the-counter medications?
Ans: D
Response:
It is important for the nurse to specifically question use of over-the-counter medications because patients may not consider
them important. The patient is unlikely to know the meaning of orphan drugs unless they too are health care providers. Safety
during pregnancy, use of a generic medication, or classification of orphan drugs are things the patient would be unable to
answer but could be found in reference books if the nurse wishes to research them.
After completing a course on pharmacology for nurses, what will the nurse know? Everything necessary for safe and
effective medication administration
Current pharmacologic therapy; the nurse will not require ongoing education for 5 years. General drug information; the nurse
can consult a drug guide for specific drug information. The drug actions that are associated with each classification of
medication Ans: C
Response:
After completing a pharmacology course nurses will have general drug information needed for safe and effective medication
administration but will need to consult a drug guide for specific drug information before administering any medication.
Pharmacology is constantly changing, with new drugs entering the market and new uses for existing drugs identified.
Continuing education in pharmacology is essential to safe practice. Nurses tend to become familiar with the medications they
administer most often, but there will always be a need to research new drugs and also those the nurse is not familiar with
because no nurse knows all medications.
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?
Pharmacoeconomics Pharmacotherapeutics 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:
Bioavailability is the portion of a dose of a drug that reaches the systemic circulation and is available to act on body cells.
Binders used in a generic drug may not be the same as those used in the brand name drug. Therefore, the way the body
breaks down and uses the drug may differ, which may eliminate a generic drug substitution. Critical concentration is the
amount of a drug that is needed to cause a therapeutic effect and should not differ between generic and brand name
medications.
Distribution is the phase of pharmacokinetics, which involves the movement of a drug to the body’s tissues and is the
,Same in generic and brand name drugs. A drug’s half-life is the time it takes for the amount of drug to decrease to half the
peak level, which should not change when substituting a generic medication.
A nurse is assessing the patient’s home medication use. After listening to the patient list current medications, the nurse asks
what priority question?
Do you take any generic medications?
Are any of these medications orphan drugs?
Are these medications safe to take during pregnancy? Do you take any over-the-counter medications?
Ans: D
Response:
It is important for the nurse to specifically question use of over-the-counter medications because patients may not consider
them important. The patient is unlikely to know the meaning of orphan drugs unless they too are health care providers. Safety
during pregnancy, use of a generic medication, or classification of orphan drugs are things the patient would be unable to
answer but could be found in reference books if the nurse wishes to research them.
After completing a course on pharmacology for nurses, what will the nurse know? Everything necessary for safe and
effective medication administration
Current pharmacologic therapy; the nurse will not require ongoing education for 5 years. General drug information; the nurse
can consult a drug guide for specific drug information. The drug actions that are associated with each classification of
medication Ans: C
Response:
After completing a pharmacology course nurses will have general drug information needed for safe and effective medication
administration but will need to consult a drug guide for specific drug information before administering any medication.
Pharmacology is constantly changing, with new drugs entering the market and new uses for existing drugs identified.
Continuing education in pharmacology is essential to safe practice. Nurses tend to become familiar with the medications they
administer most often, but there will always be a need to research new drugs and also those the nurse is not familiar with
because no nurse knows all medications.
