,Chapter01 - Introductionto Drugs
A nurseworking in radiologyadministersiodineto a patientwho 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
PharmacokineticsAns:
B
Response:
Pharmacology is the study of the biologic effects of chemicals. Nurses are involved with clinical pharmacology
or pharmacotherapeutics,which is a branchof pharmacologythatdeals withtheusesof 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.
Pharmacoeconomicsincludesany costsinvolvedin drug therapy.Pharmacodynamicsinvolveshowa drug
affects the body and pharmacokinetics is how the body acts on the body.
A physicianhas orderedintramuscular(IM) injectionsof morphine,a narcotic,every4 hoursas neededfor pain in a
motor vehicle accident victim. The nurse is aware this drug has a high abuse potential.
Under whatcategorywouldmorphinebe classified?
Schedule I
Schedule II
Schedule III
Schedule IV
Ans: B
,Response:
Narcoticswith a high abusepotentialareclassifiedas ScheduleII drugsbecauseof severedependence
, liability. ScheduleI drugs havehigh abusepotentialand no acceptedmedicaluse.ScheduleIII drugs have a
lesserabusepotentialthan II and an accepted medical use.Schedule IV drugshave lowabuse potential and
limited dependence liability.
When involvedin phaseIII drug evaluationstudies,whatresponsibilitieswouldthenursehave?
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
researchto
determineeffectivenessof thedrug Ans: C
Response:
PhaseIII studiesinvolveuseof a drug in a vastclinical populationin which patientsareaskedto 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 drugistestingdonein the
preclinicaltrials.Selectpatientswho areinvolvedin phaseII studiesto participate in studies where the
participants have the disease the drug is intended to treat. These patients are monitored
closelyfor drug action
and adverseeffects.PhaseI studiesinvolvehealthyhumanvolunteers who are usually paid for their
participation. Nurses may observe for adverse effects and toxicity.
What conceptis consideredwhengenericdrugsaresubstitutedfor brandnamedrugs?Bioavailability
Critical concentration
Distribution
Half-life Ans:
A
Response:
Bioavailabilityis theportionof a doseof a drug thatreachesthesystemiccirculationand 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.
Distributionis thephaseof pharmacokinetics,which involvesthe movementof a drug to thebody’s tissues
A nurseworking in radiologyadministersiodineto a patientwho 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
PharmacokineticsAns:
B
Response:
Pharmacology is the study of the biologic effects of chemicals. Nurses are involved with clinical pharmacology
or pharmacotherapeutics,which is a branchof pharmacologythatdeals withtheusesof 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.
Pharmacoeconomicsincludesany costsinvolvedin drug therapy.Pharmacodynamicsinvolveshowa drug
affects the body and pharmacokinetics is how the body acts on the body.
A physicianhas orderedintramuscular(IM) injectionsof morphine,a narcotic,every4 hoursas neededfor pain in a
motor vehicle accident victim. The nurse is aware this drug has a high abuse potential.
Under whatcategorywouldmorphinebe classified?
Schedule I
Schedule II
Schedule III
Schedule IV
Ans: B
,Response:
Narcoticswith a high abusepotentialareclassifiedas ScheduleII drugsbecauseof severedependence
, liability. ScheduleI drugs havehigh abusepotentialand no acceptedmedicaluse.ScheduleIII drugs have a
lesserabusepotentialthan II and an accepted medical use.Schedule IV drugshave lowabuse potential and
limited dependence liability.
When involvedin phaseIII drug evaluationstudies,whatresponsibilitieswouldthenursehave?
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
researchto
determineeffectivenessof thedrug Ans: C
Response:
PhaseIII studiesinvolveuseof a drug in a vastclinical populationin which patientsareaskedto 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 drugistestingdonein the
preclinicaltrials.Selectpatientswho areinvolvedin phaseII studiesto participate in studies where the
participants have the disease the drug is intended to treat. These patients are monitored
closelyfor drug action
and adverseeffects.PhaseI studiesinvolvehealthyhumanvolunteers who are usually paid for their
participation. Nurses may observe for adverse effects and toxicity.
What conceptis consideredwhengenericdrugsaresubstitutedfor brandnamedrugs?Bioavailability
Critical concentration
Distribution
Half-life Ans:
A
Response:
Bioavailabilityis theportionof a doseof a drug thatreachesthesystemiccirculationand 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.
Distributionis thephaseof pharmacokinetics,which involvesthe movementof a drug to thebody’s tissues
