Chapter 07: Over-the-Counter Medications

Chapter 07: Over-the-Counter Medications

Complete Chapter Questions With Answers

Sample Questions Are Posted Below

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. A patient asks a primary care nurse practitioner (NP) about using over-the-counter medications to treat an upper respiratory infection with symptoms of cough, fever, and nasal congestion. The NP should:

ANS:  B

A basic principle guiding over-the-counter use is to look at specific symptoms and treat each separately because some products contain therapeutic doses of one ingredient and subtherapeutic doses of others. Cough preparations containing acetaminophen often do not contain therapeutic doses, and patients often overdose when they supplement with acetaminophen. Over-the-counter medications are effective at recommended doses. Patients should follow dosing recommendations on the package.

DIF:    Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)             REF:   89| 90

2. A patient asks a primary care NP whether over-the-counter drugs are safer than prescription drugs. The NP should explain that over-the-counter drugs are:

ANS:  A

Over-the-counter products have a wider margin of safety because most of these drugs have undergone rigorous testing before marketing and further refinement through years of over-the-counter use by consumers. When labels are understood and followed, over-the-counter medications are safe. Over-the-counter medications are regulated by the FDA.

DIF:    Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)             REF:   88

3. A parent calls a clinic for advice about giving an over-the-counter cough medicine to a 6-year-old child. The parent tells the NP that the medication label does not give instructions about how much to give a child. The NP should:

ANS:  B

Over-the-counter cough medications often contain dextromethorphan, which can be toxic to young children. It is important to identify ingredients of an over-the-counter medication before deciding if it is safe for children. A prescription antitussive is probably not warranted until the cough is evaluated to determine the cause. Until the ingredients are known, it is not safe to approximate the child’s dose based on only the active ingredient.

DIF:    Cognitive Level: Applying (Application)                           REF:   89

4. A primary care NP recommends an over-the-counter medication for a patient who has acid reflux. When teaching the patient about this drug, the NP should tell the patient:

ANS:  A

Because patients often increase over-the-counter drug doses themselves, it is important to reinforce the need to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for dosing. As with any drug, interactions may occur with other medications. Antacids do not cause sedation, so patients need not be cautioned to avoid other sedating medications.

DIF:    Cognitive Level: Applying (Application)                           REF:   89