Maryville Pharm Exam 1 with Complete Solutions

Pharmokinetics - ANSWER-the study of drugs within the body, absorption , distribution, metabolism, excretion Pharmodynamics - ANSWER-what the drug does to the body Pharmacotherapeutics - ANSWER-The treatment of pathologic conditions through the use of drugs Who gives the APRN the authority to practice and prescribe medications? - ANSWER-The state board of nursing WHO steps of prescribing - ANSWER-Step 1: Define the patients problem Step 2: Specify therapeutic objective Step 3: Choose what drug treatment is needed Step 4: administer correctly Step 5: Educate the patient on warnings and side effects Step 6: Monitor the treatment What factors are associated with clinical judgement when prescribing medications? - ANSWER-Thorough assessment of pt and environment, medical and RN diagnosis, review of potential therapies, the best therapy is least invasive, least expensive and least adverse reactions What are the criteria for choosing an effective drug? - ANSWER-Consult nationally recognized guidelines for disease management. The JNC 7 What is a black box warning? - ANSWER-is considered a contraindication to administer that drug. How does hypoalbuminemia affect the process of prescribing? - ANSWER-Many drugs carry an electric charge are bound to albumin in blood. Low albumin = more free drug = increased adverse effects What is a drug's half-life? - ANSWER-It means that it takes about 4 to 5 times a half-life for a drug serum concentration to reach a steady state after regular dosing is started, stopped, or the dose is changed. Half-life specifically means the amount of time it takes for an administered drug to be halfway cleared from the system. Example: digoxin has a half-life of 24 to 36 hours, this means that a change in dose will have the best part of a week to take effect. For this reason, drugs with a long half-life, like amiodarone, which has a half-life of 58 days, are usually started with a loading dose to achieve their desired clinical effect more quickly. You must use the drugs half-life to determine the length of time required between dosage administrations.