Author Question: When discussing pharmacological considerations a 68-year-old client asks, Why do medications seem to ... (Read 47 times)

Caiter2013 · **on:** Jul 11, 2018

When discussing pharmacological considerations a 68-year-old client asks, Why do medications seem to act differently than they did when I was younger? The nurse bases the response on the concept that:

a. Age-related changes affect the way drugs are metabolized by older adults
b. Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs have standardized dosages that are appropriate all ages
c. Older adults may need larger doses of medication to bring about the desired effects
d. Adverse drug reactions occur with similar frequency in older adults as the general population

Question 2

When performing the initial assessment on a new client in the geriatric outpatients practice, the most effective method the nurse can implement to elicit an accurate medi-cation assessment is to ask that the client:

a. make a list of all their current medications
b. work with a family member to make a list of their medications
c. bring in all of the medications that they are currently taking
d. allow their previous primary care provider to provide a list of medications

kthug · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 11, 2018

Answer to Question 1

ANS: A
Age-related pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes explain why older adults react differently to medications. OTC drugs can result altered drug outcomes since that relates to the individual's response to the medication. Age-related changes may require smaller doses of medication in older patients than in younger patients. The rule is to start low and go slow. The older a person is, the more likely he or she is to have an adverse drug reaction.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: C
The gold standard is to use the brown bag approach. The patient is asked to bring all med-ications including prescription drugs, OTC drugs, and herbal and dietary supplements. The patient may not remember all of the medications that are being taken. As each medication is removed from the bag, necessary information is obtained. A complete medication assessment includes OTC drugs, as well as herbal and dietary supplements, not just prescription medications. Your primary source of information should be the patient if she is able to provide the information; the previous provider may not be able to provide information on supplements or OTC and herbal medications. The nurse needs to include more than just prescription medications. In addition, prescribed medications do not always reflect what is being taken.