Chapter 1: Orientation to Pharmacology
Copyright © 2006 by Mosby, Inc.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

	1.	The nurse would use which of the following terms when referring to the study of the effects of drugs within a living system?
1.	Pharmacokinetics	
2.	Pharmacology	
3.	Pharmacy	
4.	Pharmacopeia	

ANS:	2
Pharmacology is a science that studies drug effects within a living system. Pharmacokinetics refers to the study of drug concentration during drug absorption, distribution, biotransformation, and excretion. A pharmacy is a location for purchasing prescription or over-the-counter medications. A pharmacopoeia is a reference for reading drug information.

PTS:	1	DIF:	Cognitive Level: Comprehension	REF:	Text Reference: 1
TOP:	Nursing Process: General	MSC:	NCLEX: General	

	2.	The nurse anticipates that trends in health care and pharmaceutics in the twenty-first century will most likely focus on which of the following?
1.	Controlling overpopulation with the use of oral contraceptives	
2.	Providing quality, cost-effective health care to promote healthy living and disease prevention	
3.	Instructing clients on how to take responsibility for their health and maintain compliant behaviors	
4.	Researching drug use in geographic areas with high incidences of infectious diseases	

ANS:	2
Trends into the twenty-first century will focus on providing quality health care that is cost effective and client focused and that promotes health. The other options listed are not as comprehensive or global as option 2.

PTS:	1	DIF:	Cognitive Level: Comprehension	REF:	Text Reference: 2
TOP:	Nursing Process: General	MSC:	NCLEX: General	

	3.	A client overhears the physician use the term “legend drug” when discussing his medication regimen with a pharmacist on the telephone. When the client asks the nurse what this means, the appropriate response by the nurse is that this drug
1.	can be dispensed over the counter.	
2.	has a registered trademark.	
3.	is the same as a generic drug.	
4.	requires a legal order before it can be dispensed.	

ANS:	4
A prescription drug, which requires a legal prescription or an order, is also called a legend drug. The other statements are inaccurate.

PTS:	1	DIF:	Cognitive Level: Knowledge	REF:	Text Reference: 4
TOP:	Nursing Process: General	MSC:	NCLEX: General	

	4.	The nurse would do which of the following as part of the implementation phase of the nursing process when monitoring the client receiving drug therapy?
1.	Scheduling the timing of doses for optimal effect	
2.	Using special handling during drug storage	
3.	Providing the outcome criteria for reviewing care	
4.	Observing the status of the client's symptoms	

ANS:	4
Observing the status of the client’s symptoms is part of monitoring drug effects. The implementation step of the nursing process incorporates the nursing activities of monitoring, intervention, and education. Option 1 reflects planning; option 2 reflects intervention as part of implementation; option 3 reflects evaluation.

PTS:	1	DIF:	Cognitive Level: Application	
REF:	Text Reference: 10		TOP:	Nursing Process: Implementation
MSC:	NCLEX: Physiological Integrity: Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies

	5.	For which of the following activities would the nurse be responsible during the evaluation phase of drug administration?
1.	Preparing and administering medications safely and as ordered	
2.	Providing outcome results to predicted criteria related to drug therapy	
3.	Ongoing monitoring of the client for therapeutic and adverse effects	
4.	Gathering data in a drug and dietary history	

ANS:	2
Evaluation provides outcome criteria for reviewing care of the client regarding safe and effective drug therapy. Options 1 and 3 reflect implementation and option 4 reflects assessment.

PTS:	1	DIF:	Cognitive Level: Application	
REF:	Text Reference: 10		TOP:	Nursing Process: Evaluation
MSC:	NCLEX: Physiological Integrity: Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies

	6.	A client is discharged home with a prescription for tetracycline 250 mg PO three times daily. Which type of name does “tetracycline” represent?
1.	Chemical	
2.	Generic	
3.	Trade	
4.	Brand	

ANS:	2
Tetracycline is the generic name, which is often assigned by the manufacturer.

PTS:	1	DIF:	Cognitive Level: Comprehension	REF:	Text Reference: 4
TOP:	Nursing Process: General	MSC:	NCLEX: General	

	7.	The nurse would identify that which of the following drugs is not derived from a plant source?
1.	Vincristine	
2.	Digoxin	
3.	Colchicine	
4.	Epinephrine	

ANS:	4
Epinephrine is derived from an animal source, not a plant source.

PTS:	1	DIF:	Cognitive Level: Comprehension	REF:	Text Reference: 4
TOP:	Nursing Process: General	MSC:	NCLEX: General	

	8.	The nurse preceptor explains to a beginning nursing student that digoxin is an example of what type of plant drug?
1.	Alkaloid	
2.	Glycoside	
3.	Gum	
4.	Oil	

ANS:	2
Glycosides are active plant substances that, on hydrolysis, yield a sugar plus one or more additional active substances; digoxin is an important cardiac glycoside used in medicine.

PTS:	1	DIF:	Cognitive Level: Comprehension	REF:	Text Reference: 3
TOP:	Nursing Process: General	MSC:	NCLEX: General	

	9.	Which of the following drug sources would be least useful to the nurse who needs to identify medications brought to the hospital by a client who removed them from their original prescription bottles?
1.	Physician’s Desk Reference (PDR)	
2.	United States Pharmacopeia Dispensing Information (USP DI)	
3.	Mosby’s Drug Consult	
4.	A nursing drug handbook	

ANS:	4
The PDR, USP DI, and Mosby’s Drug Consult all provide pictures of medication pills or tablets to aid in identification of drugs. Not all nursing drug handbooks routinely include this type of information, making it the least reliable source for this information.

PTS:	1	DIF:	Cognitive Level: Application	REF:	Text Reference: 8
TOP:	Nursing Process: General	MSC:	NCLEX: General	

	10.	A new drug has become available on the market and a client who has begun taking it is admitted to the hospital. Which of the following strategies by the nurse is likely to be most effective in learning about this new drug?
1.	Study it in relation to the prototype drug in its category	
2.	Memorize both the generic and trade name for the drug	
3.	Try to identify the top three organ systems affected by adverse effects	
4.	Repeatedly look up the drug with each dose until the information is committed to memory	

ANS:	1
The nurse should study the drug in relation to the prototype drug in its category. In this way the nurse can identify both similarities and differences between the new drug and its prototype. The other strategies are likely to lead to retention of insufficient information (options 2 and 3) or be inefficient (option 4).

PTS:	1	DIF:	Cognitive Level: Application	REF:	Text Reference: 5
TOP:	Nursing Process: General	MSC:	NCLEX: General