PHARMACOLOGY QUESTIONS 2

1. A health care provider has written an order for digoxin for the client, but the nurse
cannot read whether the order is for 0.25 mg, 0.125 mg, or 125 mg because there is
no “zero” and the decimal point may be a “one.” What action would be the best to
prevent a medication error?
A. Check the dosage with a more experienced nurse.
B. Consult a drug handbook and administer the normal dose.
C. Contact the hospital pharmacist about the order.
D. Contact the health care provider to clarify the illegible order.

2. As the nurse enters a room to administer medications, the client states, “I’m in the
bathroom. Just leave my pills on the table and I’ll take them when I come out.” What
is the nurse’s best response?
A. Leave them on the table as requested and check back with the client later to verify
they were taken.
B. Leave the medications with the client’s visitors so they can verify that they were
taken.
C. Inform the client that the medications must be taken now; otherwise, they must be
documented as “refused.”
D. Inform the client that the nurse will return in a few minutes when the client is
available to take the medications.

3. The nurse is preparing to give an oral medication to a 6-month-old infant. How

should this drug be administered?
A. By placing the medication in the next bottle of formula.
B. By mixing the medication with juice in a bottle.
C. By placing the medicine dropper in the inner cheek, allowing time for the infant to
swallow.
D. By placing the medication toward the back of the mouth to avoid having the
infant immediately spit out the medication.

4. A 16-year-old adolescent is 6 weeks pregnant. The pregnancy has exacerbated her

acne. She asks the nurse if she can resume taking her isotretinoin (Accutane)
prescription, a category X drug. What is the most appropriate response by the nurse?
A. “Since you have a prescription for Accutane, it is safe to resume using it.”
B. “You should check with your health care provider at your next visit.”
C. “Accutane is known to cause birth defects and should never be taken during
pregnancy.”
D. “You should reduce the Accutane dosage by half during pregnancy.”