NUR202: Ch 9 Individual Variations of
Drug Response fully solved
The parents of a child being assessed for a mental health issue learn that medication will not be started
at this time.
Which intervention should the nurse expect to be prescribed for the child?
a. Psychosocial therapy
b. Dietary therapy
c. Acupuncture
d. Complementary and alternative medicine therapy - correct answer ✔✔a. Psychosocial therapy
Rational : Psychosocial interventions should be viewed as complementary to pharmacotherapy and may
lead to improved compliance with drug therapy. Dietary therapy can be useful when foods interact with
medications, but this would not be appropriate if medications are not yet prescribed. Acupuncture and
complementary and alternative medicine therapy will depend upon the mental health issue and if these
approaches can be used.
A patient of Asian descent is prescribed codeine.
For which effect should the nurse monitor this patient?
a. Drug toxicity
b. Below-normal plasma level of the drug
c. Allergic reaction to the drug
d. Lack of response to the drug - correct answer ✔✔a. Drug toxicity
Rational : Asian Americans are less able to metabolize codeine to morphine due to a genetic absence of
the enzyme CYP2D6, a defect that interferes with the analgesic properties of codeine. This means that
the drug will build up in the blood, resulting in adverse and toxic effects. Metabolism of codeine is
, slowed, so the plasma level of the drug will be higher, not lower, than normal. This polymorphism does
not cause allergic reactions, nor does it cause a lack of reaction to the drug.
A female patient believes a new health problem is developing and wants to stop taking a newly
prescribed medication.
For which gender-specific symptom should the nurse assess this patient?
a. Hirsutism
b. Muscle cramps
c. Rash
d. Nausea - correct answer ✔✔a. Hirsutism
Rational : Certain drugs can cause masculine side effects, such as increased hair growth or hirsutism,
which can be a cause of nonadherence in women taking these medications. Muscle cramps, rash, and
nausea would not be identified as gender-specific symptoms.
A Caucasian patient asks why the same antihypertensive medication than a friend who is an African-
American takes is not prescribed.
Which response should the nurse make?
a. "Patients need to take the drugs that are prescribed for them."
b. "Genetic differences based on ethnicity can influence how a drug is metabolized."
c. "This is the medication that your healthcare provider prefers."
d. "Most drugs work well for patients if they give them a chance." - correct answer ✔✔b. "Genetic
differences based on ethnicity can influence how a drug is metabolized."
Rational : As a result of genetic polymorphisms (DNA mutations that change proteins), the way drugs are
metabolized and excreted may vary among ethnicities, affecting how well a drug will work in different
people. Telling the patient to just "take the drug as prescribed" or to "give it a chance" does not address
the patient's question. The healthcare provider's preference for a medication does not take the patient
variables and health status into consideration.
Drug Response fully solved
The parents of a child being assessed for a mental health issue learn that medication will not be started
at this time.
Which intervention should the nurse expect to be prescribed for the child?
a. Psychosocial therapy
b. Dietary therapy
c. Acupuncture
d. Complementary and alternative medicine therapy - correct answer ✔✔a. Psychosocial therapy
Rational : Psychosocial interventions should be viewed as complementary to pharmacotherapy and may
lead to improved compliance with drug therapy. Dietary therapy can be useful when foods interact with
medications, but this would not be appropriate if medications are not yet prescribed. Acupuncture and
complementary and alternative medicine therapy will depend upon the mental health issue and if these
approaches can be used.
A patient of Asian descent is prescribed codeine.
For which effect should the nurse monitor this patient?
a. Drug toxicity
b. Below-normal plasma level of the drug
c. Allergic reaction to the drug
d. Lack of response to the drug - correct answer ✔✔a. Drug toxicity
Rational : Asian Americans are less able to metabolize codeine to morphine due to a genetic absence of
the enzyme CYP2D6, a defect that interferes with the analgesic properties of codeine. This means that
the drug will build up in the blood, resulting in adverse and toxic effects. Metabolism of codeine is
, slowed, so the plasma level of the drug will be higher, not lower, than normal. This polymorphism does
not cause allergic reactions, nor does it cause a lack of reaction to the drug.
A female patient believes a new health problem is developing and wants to stop taking a newly
prescribed medication.
For which gender-specific symptom should the nurse assess this patient?
a. Hirsutism
b. Muscle cramps
c. Rash
d. Nausea - correct answer ✔✔a. Hirsutism
Rational : Certain drugs can cause masculine side effects, such as increased hair growth or hirsutism,
which can be a cause of nonadherence in women taking these medications. Muscle cramps, rash, and
nausea would not be identified as gender-specific symptoms.
A Caucasian patient asks why the same antihypertensive medication than a friend who is an African-
American takes is not prescribed.
Which response should the nurse make?
a. "Patients need to take the drugs that are prescribed for them."
b. "Genetic differences based on ethnicity can influence how a drug is metabolized."
c. "This is the medication that your healthcare provider prefers."
d. "Most drugs work well for patients if they give them a chance." - correct answer ✔✔b. "Genetic
differences based on ethnicity can influence how a drug is metabolized."
Rational : As a result of genetic polymorphisms (DNA mutations that change proteins), the way drugs are
metabolized and excreted may vary among ethnicities, affecting how well a drug will work in different
people. Telling the patient to just "take the drug as prescribed" or to "give it a chance" does not address
the patient's question. The healthcare provider's preference for a medication does not take the patient
variables and health status into consideration.
