Deck 8: Medication Use

Question 1

Which is not a true statement about medication?

A) medications are chemicals that are taken into the body and interact within body cells, organs and tissues to exert their effects
B) medications are substances that treat, prevent or reduce symptoms or the progression of a disease
C) medications treat symptoms but not underlying illnesses
D) all medications have side effects
E) all are true

Answer 1

medications treat symptoms but not underlying illnesses

Question 2

Which Medicare portion pays a portion of prescription drug costs?

A) Medicare Part A
B) Medicare Part B
C) Medicare Part C
D) Medicare Part D
E) none of the above

Answer 2

Medicare Part D

Question 3

What is pharmacokinetics?

A) the study of what happens to a drug after it enters the body
B) an act of noncompliant behavior
C) the effect of mixing medications
D) a side effect of medication
E) none of the above

Answer 3

the study of what happens to a drug after it enters the body

Question 4

Which of these statements are not true of OTC medications?

A) the potential for misuse and abuse are low
B) the FDA does not oversee OTC medications
C) the benefits outweigh the risks for most people
D) the consumer can use them for self-diagnosed conditions
E) all are true

Question 5

Medication errors are those errors made by:

A) physicians
B) pharmacists
C) patients
D) all of the above
E) a and b only

Question 6

Elders tend to distribute drugs differently than younger people because of:

A) increased body fluid
B) weigh less
C) increased body fat
D) all of the above
E) b and c

Question 7

Which of the following statements regarding compliance is false?

A) the physician has the primary responsibility for drug education
B) pharmacists are an underutilized resource for physicians and elders
C) social workers can assist by serving as patient advocates
D) consumers are responsible to make decisions about their treatment plan
E) all of the above are true

Question 8

On the average, what is the approximate total yearly cost of prescription drugs for elders?

A) less than $500
B) almost $1000
C) more than $2000
D) close to $5000
E) more than $5000

Question 9

Which of the following is not the responsibility of the FDA?

A) information on drug labels
B) how drugs are packaged
C) determines the effectiveness of drugs before permitting their sale
D) more than one of the above is not an FDA responsibility
E) all are FDA responsibilities

Question 10

Which are the three most common drugs are prescribed to elders?

A) antidepressants, pain relief, and antibiotics
B) pain relief, high blood pressure, and antidepressants
C) thyroid replacement, antidepressants and high cholesterol
D) high cholesterol, pain relief and antibiotics
E) high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and pain relief

Question 11

Older people comprise only 12 percent of the population in the U.S., but they purchase approximately ____ of all drugs prescribed.

A) one-tenth
B) one-fifth
C) one-fourth
D) one-third
E) one-half

Question 12

Which of the following were reported by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey regarding older adults and prescription drug use?

A) 84 percent used at lest one prescription medication in the past month
B) older women reported higher drug use than older men
C) blacks used more prescription drugs than whites
D) all of the above are true
E) a and b only

Question 13

Which of the following is true regarding the pharmacokinetics of drugs in elders?

A) the aging process has little effect on the absorption of drugs into bloodstream.
B) older adults need a higher dose of most drugs because their immune system does not function as well.
C) age changes in the liver significantly reduce the time a drug remains in the body.
D) age-associated decrease in kidney function decreases the effect of the drug
E) all are true

Question 14

Which of the following are characteristic of OTC drugs?

A) the benefits outweigh the risks
B) potential for misuse and abuse is low
C) most are not effective in reducing symptoms
D) a and b only
E) all of the above

Question 15

In 2005, the most commonly prescribed prescription drug (all ages) in the US was:

A) antibiotics
B) birth control pills
C) blood pressure medication
D) antidepressants
E) opioid pain relievers

Question 16

Which of the following is not part of the "5 rights of medication administration?"

A) right patient
B) right to refuse medication
C) right dose
D) right drug
E) all of above are part of the 5 rights

Question 17

Which of the following is affected by age-associated changes in body function?

A) drug absorption
B) drug distribution
C) drug metabolism
D) drug excretion
E) both b and

Question 18

The patent for a brand name drug lasts for ___ years, after which time it may be sold as a generic drug.

A) 5
B) 7
C) 12
D) 15
E) 20

Question 19

What percentage of prescription drugs have a generic equivalent?

A) 10 percent
B) 25 percent
C) 50 percent
D) 70 percent
E) 90 percent

Question 20

There are over 10,000 prescription medications.

Question 21

Generic drugs can save the consumer as much as 20% of their drug costs.

Question 22

Polypharmacy is the practice of prescribing multiple medications to a patient.

Question 23

Adverse drug effects kill approximately 25,000 people a year.

Question 24

Medicare Part D covers the cost of prescription, but not OTC drugs.

Question 25

Elders are more likely to receive a prescription at a physician's visit than younger people.

Question 26

Most OTC drugs are ineffective.

Question 27

Elder men are prescribed more drugs than elder women.

Question 28

Whereas OTC drugs treat only symptoms of a disease, prescription drugs treat the cause of illness.

Question 29

Brand name drugs are generally safer and more effective than generic drugs.

Question 30

People in the United States pay more for their prescription medications than any other country in the world.

Question 31

Physicians' prescribing practices are influenced primarily by studies reported in the medical literature.

Question 32

Albumin is the protein in the blood that carries drugs to their intended destination.

Question 33

Reduced kidney function in elders is the main reason why they need a lower dosage of medications than do younger adults.

Question 34

It is a law that all prescription drugs include inserts with information pertinent to their use by older people and dosage recommendations.

Question 35

Between 1990 and 2003, prescription drug expenditures increased more than fourfold.

Question 36

At least 85 percent of all prescription drugs sold in our country have a generic equivalent.

Question 37

It is mandatory that all people on Medicare choose a Medicare Part D plan.

Question 38

The incidence of adverse effects has decreased significantly over the past 20 years.

Question 39

What are the differences between non-prescription and prescription drugs and give examples of each.

Question 40

Discuss how low levels of the drug-carrier protein albumin can affect drug distribution.

Question 41

List five common health problems that can be solved with lifestyle modifications rather than drugs.

Question 42

List ways a consumer may take a more active role in drug therapy.

Question 43

What are the similarities and differences between generic and brand name drugs?

Question 44

What barriers must be overcome in educating elders to use generic drugs?

Question 45

Discuss the prevalence of drug use among institutionalized elders and how it might be reduced.

Question 46

List several memory aids that might increase medication compliance among elders.

Question 47

The passage of a drug through the body is affected by a number of factors. Describe six of them.

Question 48

List five reasons why prescription drugs cost so much in the United States.

Question 49

What is a generic drug? How does a prescription drug become a generic drug? What are the advantages? Why are they not more commonly used?

Question 50

What are the differences between herbs and pharmaceutical drugs? What are the advantages and disadvantages of herbal products? Why are herbal supplements not overseen by the FDA?

Question 51

What does "start low and go slow" refer to?

Question 52

What happens physiologically in a drug-drug interaction?

Question 53

List three ways to reduce medical errors in the hospital setting.

Question 54

What is non-compliant behavior? What factors affect compliance among elders? How can compliance among elders be improved?

Question 55

Discuss reasons why drug misuse is common among elders.

Question 56

What are the major problems with the drug industry in our country? Discuss how these affect drug use and misuse.

Question 57

Discuss the age-related factors that affect the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of drugs within the body.

Question 58

Drug interactions (both drug-drug and drug-food) are most common among elder age groups. Define and discuss these interactions with examples.

Question 59

What is Medicare Part D? Who is eligible? Who must enroll? What are guidelines for standard coverage? What are the alternatives to purchasing Medicare Part D?

Question 60

Why is medication compliance important? Discuss factors that may cause noncompliance among elders. List ways in which the health professional can increase compliance among older people.

Question 61

List five commonly used herbal supplements and briefly discuss their use and effectiveness.

Question 62

Discuss the benefits and drawbacks of the so-called miracle drugs.

Question 63

Give five reasons why prescription drugs are more expensive in the U.S. than other countries.

Question 64

Discuss five reasons why drug use in the United States is climbing.

Question 65

Discuss at least six characteristics of older people that increase the risk of adverse drug effects.

Question 66

List at least 10 things you can do to be a savvy drug consumer.

Question 67

List which medications are on the Beers' list and discuss reason(s) for each.

Question 68

Discuss the roles of the physician, the pharmacist, the nurse, the caregiver, and the elder in promoting compliance with prescribed drug regimens.