Author Question: The nurse learns that a drug needed by the patient is classified as an orphan drug and recognizes ... (Read 115 times)

eruditmonkey@yahoo.com · **on:** Jul 23, 2018

The nurse learns that a drug needed by the patient is classified as an orphan drug and recognizes what as a reason for this classification? (Select all that apply.)

A) The drug is rarely prescribed.
B) The drug has dangerous adverse effects.
C) The drug treats a rare disease.
D) The patent on the medication is still effective.
E) Production by a company that only manufactures drugs.

Question 2

A 10-year-old patient is being seen by a physician for severe depression. The physician prescribes an antidepressant. What antidepressant could the nurse safely administer to a child?

A) Trazodone
B) Nortriptyline
C) Fluvoxamine
D) Phenelzine

Hdosisshsbshs · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 23, 2018

Answer to Question 1

A, B, C
Feedback:
Drugs are classified as orphan drugs when they are not financially viable for a drug company to produce either because of risk for lawsuits about adverse effects or because the drug is not prescribed, which is often seen in rare diagnoses. Generic drugs are not produced until the patent expires, but this has no impact on classifying a particular drug as an orphan drug. Generic drugs are often produced by companies that only manufacture drugs without conducting research, but this has no bearing on the classification of orphan drugs.

Answer to Question 2

B
Feedback:
Nortriptyline has established pediatric doses and can be used in children older than 6 years but such children should be monitored closely for adverse effects. Phenelzine is a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), a class of drugs that should be avoided in children if at all possible because of the potential for drugfood interactions and the serious adverse effects. Trazodone can be used with children but is not a first-line drug because it has many adverse effects on the central nervous system associated with its use. Luvox is an SSRI that can be used in children to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder but selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors can cause serious adverse effects in children.