BSN 215 PHARMACOLOGY QUIZ QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
What are the properties of an ideal drug? - Answers - - Chemical stability
- Predictability
- Ease of administration
The nurse receives an order to give morphine 5 mg IV every 2 hours PRN pain. Which
action is not part of the six rights of drug administration? - Answers - Assessing the
patient's pain level 15 to 30 minutes after giving the medication
A patient has been receiving intravenous penicillin for pneumonia for several days and
begins to complain of generalized itching. The nurse auscultates bilateral wheezing and
notes a temperature of 38.5C (101F). - Answers - Hold the next dose and notify the
prescriber of the symptoms
A nurse is teaching nursing students about the use of nonproprietary names of drugs.
The nurse tells them which fact about nonproprietary names? - Answers - They are
assigned by the U.S. Adopted Names Council
A nursing student asks a nurse about pharmaceutical research and wants to know the
purpose of randomization in drug trials. The nurse explains that randomization is used
to do what? - Answers - To ensure that differences in outcomes are the results of
treatment and not differences in subjects
A patient has had dilation of the eyes with an anticholinergic agent. What will the nurse
say when preparing this patient to go home after the examination? - Answers - "You
may need to wear dark glasses until this medication wears off."
The nurse is reviewing personal knowledge of the medications used in the treatment of
open-angle glaucoma. - Answers - - Alpha2 agonists
- Prostaglandin analogs
- Beta blockers
- Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors
A nurse is teaching a patient diagnosed with wet ARMD who will begin receiving
bevacizumab [Avastin]. Which statement by the patient indicates a need for further
teaching? - Answers - "This medication will not reduce the risk of blindness."
An adolescent has recently been experiencing pimples. The nurse notes several closed
comedones across the patient's forehead and on the nose. The nurse will expect to
teach this patient about the use of which medication? - Answers - Benzoyl peroxide
, A patient has severe acne that has been refractory to treatment. The patient is taking
tetracycline and using topical tretinoin [Retin-A] and has been applying benzoyl
peroxide twice daily. The provider asks the nurse to teach this patient about isotretinoin
[Accutane], which the patient will begin taking in a few weeks. - Answers - "Tetracycline
must be discontinued before beginning the isotretinoin."
A patient receives a drug that has a narrow therapeutic range. The nurse administering
this medication will expect to do what? - Answers - Monitor plasma drug levels
A patient reports becoming "immune" to a medication because it no longer works to
alleviate symptoms. The nurse recognizes that this decreased effectiveness is likely
caused by: - Answers - Desensitization of receptor sites by continual exposure to the
drug
The prescriber has ordered an antibiotic for a patient with a bacterial infection. The
nurse provides patient education at discharge an instructs the patient to take the drug
on an empty stomach. When should the patient take the drug? - Answers - - At least 2
hours after a meal
- 1 hour or more before a meal
Which actions occur in 90% of fatal medication errors? - Answers - - Writing a
prescription illegibly
- Giving Nasal instead of Nizoral
- Giving a drug intravenously instead of intramuscularly
Nurse is preparing to give an antibiotic to a who reports being allergic to antibiotics.
Before giving the medication, what will the nurse do first? - Answers - Ask whether the
patient has taken this antibiotic for other infections
A patient asks a nurse why a friend who is taking the same drug responds differently to
that drug. The nurse knows that the most common variation in drug response is due to
differences in each patient's: - Answers - Metabolism of drugs
Which group of people are especially sensitive to medication effects? - Answers - -
Older adults
- Infants
A nurse is preforming a preoperative drug history on a patient who is admitted to the
hospital for surgery. To evaluate the risk of hemorrhage, the nurse will ask the patient
about anti-platelet and anticoagulant medications as well as which dietary supplement?
- Answers - Ginkgo biloba
A patient will begin taking drugs for hyperlipidemia. The patient asks about using
flaxseed supplements to increase fiber. What will the nurse tell the patient? - Answers -
Take the flaxseed 1 hour before taking the drug
ANSWERS
What are the properties of an ideal drug? - Answers - - Chemical stability
- Predictability
- Ease of administration
The nurse receives an order to give morphine 5 mg IV every 2 hours PRN pain. Which
action is not part of the six rights of drug administration? - Answers - Assessing the
patient's pain level 15 to 30 minutes after giving the medication
A patient has been receiving intravenous penicillin for pneumonia for several days and
begins to complain of generalized itching. The nurse auscultates bilateral wheezing and
notes a temperature of 38.5C (101F). - Answers - Hold the next dose and notify the
prescriber of the symptoms
A nurse is teaching nursing students about the use of nonproprietary names of drugs.
The nurse tells them which fact about nonproprietary names? - Answers - They are
assigned by the U.S. Adopted Names Council
A nursing student asks a nurse about pharmaceutical research and wants to know the
purpose of randomization in drug trials. The nurse explains that randomization is used
to do what? - Answers - To ensure that differences in outcomes are the results of
treatment and not differences in subjects
A patient has had dilation of the eyes with an anticholinergic agent. What will the nurse
say when preparing this patient to go home after the examination? - Answers - "You
may need to wear dark glasses until this medication wears off."
The nurse is reviewing personal knowledge of the medications used in the treatment of
open-angle glaucoma. - Answers - - Alpha2 agonists
- Prostaglandin analogs
- Beta blockers
- Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors
A nurse is teaching a patient diagnosed with wet ARMD who will begin receiving
bevacizumab [Avastin]. Which statement by the patient indicates a need for further
teaching? - Answers - "This medication will not reduce the risk of blindness."
An adolescent has recently been experiencing pimples. The nurse notes several closed
comedones across the patient's forehead and on the nose. The nurse will expect to
teach this patient about the use of which medication? - Answers - Benzoyl peroxide
, A patient has severe acne that has been refractory to treatment. The patient is taking
tetracycline and using topical tretinoin [Retin-A] and has been applying benzoyl
peroxide twice daily. The provider asks the nurse to teach this patient about isotretinoin
[Accutane], which the patient will begin taking in a few weeks. - Answers - "Tetracycline
must be discontinued before beginning the isotretinoin."
A patient receives a drug that has a narrow therapeutic range. The nurse administering
this medication will expect to do what? - Answers - Monitor plasma drug levels
A patient reports becoming "immune" to a medication because it no longer works to
alleviate symptoms. The nurse recognizes that this decreased effectiveness is likely
caused by: - Answers - Desensitization of receptor sites by continual exposure to the
drug
The prescriber has ordered an antibiotic for a patient with a bacterial infection. The
nurse provides patient education at discharge an instructs the patient to take the drug
on an empty stomach. When should the patient take the drug? - Answers - - At least 2
hours after a meal
- 1 hour or more before a meal
Which actions occur in 90% of fatal medication errors? - Answers - - Writing a
prescription illegibly
- Giving Nasal instead of Nizoral
- Giving a drug intravenously instead of intramuscularly
Nurse is preparing to give an antibiotic to a who reports being allergic to antibiotics.
Before giving the medication, what will the nurse do first? - Answers - Ask whether the
patient has taken this antibiotic for other infections
A patient asks a nurse why a friend who is taking the same drug responds differently to
that drug. The nurse knows that the most common variation in drug response is due to
differences in each patient's: - Answers - Metabolism of drugs
Which group of people are especially sensitive to medication effects? - Answers - -
Older adults
- Infants
A nurse is preforming a preoperative drug history on a patient who is admitted to the
hospital for surgery. To evaluate the risk of hemorrhage, the nurse will ask the patient
about anti-platelet and anticoagulant medications as well as which dietary supplement?
- Answers - Ginkgo biloba
A patient will begin taking drugs for hyperlipidemia. The patient asks about using
flaxseed supplements to increase fiber. What will the nurse tell the patient? - Answers -
Take the flaxseed 1 hour before taking the drug
