Pharmacology & Medication Management Flashcards
7 cards from real AP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Pharmacology & Medication Management flashcards as text
A patient is taking digoxin for heart failure and wants to add hawthorn (Crataegus) for cardiac support. The AP should advise:
Answer: Hawthorn may have additive cardiac effects and the prescribing physician should be consulted
Hawthorn has positive inotropic and vasodilatory effects that may be additive with digoxin, requiring physician coordination and monitoring.
The Beers Criteria is most relevant to AP practice when treating which patient population?
Answer: Adults aged 65 and older
The Beers Criteria identifies potentially inappropriate medications in older adults (≥65), helping APs recognize when herbal or supplement recommendations may exacerbate polypharmacy risks.
Which property of a drug determines its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier most effectively?
Answer: High lipid solubility and low protein binding
Lipid-soluble, non-ionized drugs with low protein binding more readily cross the blood-brain barrier by passive diffusion.
A patient asks about using valerian root for insomnia while on benzodiazepines. The AP should warn about:
Answer: Additive CNS depression, increasing sedation and respiratory depression risk
Valerian acts on GABA-A receptors similar to benzodiazepines, and combining them produces additive CNS depression with enhanced sedation risk.
In pharmacokinetics, 'first-pass metabolism' refers to:
Answer: Hepatic metabolism that reduces a drug's systemic availability after oral administration
First-pass metabolism occurs when orally absorbed drugs pass through the portal circulation and are metabolized by the liver before reaching systemic circulation.
A patient on phenytoin for epilepsy asks about taking Ginkgo biloba. The AP should be aware that:
Answer: Ginkgo may induce CYP3A4/2C9, potentially lowering phenytoin levels and risking seizures
Ginkgo can induce hepatic cytochrome enzymes and has been reported to lower phenytoin levels, potentially compromising seizure control.
Which pharmacokinetic parameter describes the time required for plasma drug concentration to decrease by half?
Answer: Half-life (t½)
Half-life (t½) is the time for plasma drug concentration to fall by 50%, determining dosing intervals and time to steady state.