HAC Pharmacology & Drug Administration 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient is prescribed a medication 'PRN.' What does this mean?
- Give the medication at scheduled times
- Give the medication as needed (Correct answer)
- Give the medication with food only
- Give the medication by injection only
Correct answer: Give the medication as needed
PRN is a Latin abbreviation for 'pro re nata,' meaning the medication should be given only when the patient requires it.
Question 2: Which route of drug administration delivers medication directly into muscle tissue?
- Sublingual
- Topical
- Intramuscular (Correct answer)
- Intravenous
Correct answer: Intramuscular
Intramuscular (IM) injections deliver medication into muscle tissue, allowing for moderate absorption speed.
Question 3: A healthcare aide notices a medication label is smudged and unreadable. What is the correct action?
- Administer the medication based on memory
- Ask a coworker what the drug is
- Do not administer and notify the nurse immediately (Correct answer)
- Guess based on the container shape
Correct answer: Do not administer and notify the nurse immediately
An unreadable label is a safety concern; the aide must not administer the medication and should report it to the nurse immediately.
Question 4: Which of the following is an example of a topical medication route?
- Swallowing a tablet
- Applying a medicated patch to the skin (Correct answer)
- Placing a tablet under the tongue
- Receiving a nasal spray
Correct answer: Applying a medicated patch to the skin
Topical medications are applied directly to the skin surface, such as ointments, creams, or transdermal patches.
Question 5: What is the term for an unexpected, harmful reaction to a medication?
- Placebo effect
- Therapeutic effect
- Adverse drug reaction (Correct answer)
- Drug tolerance
Correct answer: Adverse drug reaction
An adverse drug reaction (ADR) is an unintended and harmful response that occurs at normal therapeutic doses.
Question 6: A resident refuses to take their prescribed medication. What should the healthcare aide do?
- Crush it and hide it in food without telling the resident
- Force the resident to take it
- Respect the refusal, document it, and report to the nurse (Correct answer)
- Skip documenting since it was refused
Correct answer: Respect the refusal, document it, and report to the nurse
Patients have the right to refuse medication; the aide must document the refusal and notify the supervising nurse.
Question 7: Which abbreviation on a medication order means 'twice daily'?
- QID
- TID
- BID (Correct answer)
- QD
Correct answer: BID
BID stands for 'bis in die,' the Latin term for twice a day.
HAC Pharmacology & Drug Administration 2
A patient is prescribed a medication 'PRN.' What does this mean?