AAMA Pharmacology 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient is prescribed metformin for type 2 diabetes. Which of the following is a contraindication for this medication?
- Hypertension
- Renal impairment with eGFR below 30 (Correct answer)
- Hyperthyroidism
- Osteoporosis
Correct answer: Renal impairment with eGFR below 30
Metformin is contraindicated in severe renal impairment (eGFR <30 mL/min/1.73m²) due to risk of lactic acidosis.
Question 2: Which drug schedule classification applies to medications with accepted medical use but the highest potential for abuse and dependence?
- Schedule II (Correct answer)
- Schedule I
- Schedule III
- Schedule IV
Correct answer: Schedule II
Schedule II drugs have accepted medical uses but carry the highest abuse potential among legally prescribed medications, examples include oxycodone and amphetamines.
Question 3: A medical assistant is documenting a medication order. The abbreviation 'pc' means the medication should be taken:
- Before meals
- After meals (Correct answer)
- At bedtime
- Every morning
Correct answer: After meals
The Latin abbreviation 'pc' (post cibum) means after meals.
Question 4: Which route of administration provides the fastest onset of drug action?
- Oral
- Subcutaneous
- Intravenous (Correct answer)
- Transdermal
Correct answer: Intravenous
Intravenous administration delivers the drug directly into the bloodstream, resulting in the fastest onset of action.
Question 5: A patient taking warfarin reports starting to take aspirin daily. The medical assistant should recognize this as a concern because:
- Aspirin decreases warfarin absorption
- Aspirin increases bleeding risk when combined with warfarin (Correct answer)
- Aspirin reverses warfarin's anticoagulant effect
- Aspirin causes warfarin to be excreted more rapidly
Correct answer: Aspirin increases bleeding risk when combined with warfarin
Both warfarin and aspirin have anticoagulant/antiplatelet properties, and combining them significantly increases the risk of bleeding.
Question 6: The term 'idiosyncratic reaction' to a drug refers to:
- A predictable dose-dependent side effect
- An unexpected abnormal reaction unique to an individual (Correct answer)
- A life-threatening allergic response
- A reaction that occurs only after repeated doses
Correct answer: An unexpected abnormal reaction unique to an individual
An idiosyncratic reaction is an unpredictable, unusual response to a drug that is unique to a specific individual, often due to genetic factors.
Question 7: Which of the following medications is classified as a beta-blocker?
- Lisinopril
- Amlodipine
- Metoprolol (Correct answer)
- Furosemide
Correct answer: Metoprolol
Metoprolol is a beta-blocker used to treat hypertension, heart failure, and angina by blocking beta-adrenergic receptors.
AAMA Pharmacology 2
A patient is prescribed metformin for type 2 diabetes.
Which of the following is a contraindication for this medication?