CMT Medication Administration 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does the term 'PRN' mean on a medication order?
- Give every night
- Give as needed (Correct answer)
- Give before meals
- Give with food
Correct answer: Give as needed
PRN is a Latin abbreviation for 'pro re nata,' meaning the medication is given only when a specific condition or symptom arises.
Question 2: Which action is MOST important when administering eye drops to a resident?
- Drop the medication directly onto the cornea
- Pull down the lower eyelid to create a conjunctival sac (Correct answer)
- Ask the resident to squeeze their eyes shut immediately
- Use the same dropper for both eyes without cleaning
Correct answer: Pull down the lower eyelid to create a conjunctival sac
Pulling down the lower eyelid creates the conjunctival sac, the correct target for ophthalmic drops to avoid corneal damage.
Question 3: A resident is ordered a nitroglycerin patch. The CMT notes an old patch is still in place. What should the CMT do?
- Apply the new patch on top of the old one
- Remove the old patch before applying the new one (Correct answer)
- Skip the dose and document it
- Apply the new patch to the same site as the old one
Correct answer: Remove the old patch before applying the new one
Transdermal patches must be removed before a new one is applied to prevent overdose from stacking doses.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes an adverse drug reaction (ADR)?
- An expected therapeutic effect of the medication
- An unintended and harmful response to a medication at a normal dose (Correct answer)
- Forgetting to take a scheduled dose
- A patient deliberately misusing their medication
Correct answer: An unintended and harmful response to a medication at a normal dose
An ADR is an unintended, harmful response occurring at therapeutic doses and must be reported and documented promptly.
Question 5: When a resident has difficulty swallowing tablets, the CMT should FIRST:
- Crush all medications and mix into any food
- Contact the nurse to clarify whether the medication may be crushed (Correct answer)
- Substitute a different medication independently
- Skip the dose to avoid choking risk
Correct answer: Contact the nurse to clarify whether the medication may be crushed
Some medications (e.g., extended-release, enteric-coated) must never be crushed; the nurse or pharmacist must approve before altering the dosage form.
Question 6: The abbreviation 'BID' on a medication order means the drug should be given:
- Three times daily
- Four times daily
- Twice daily (Correct answer)
- Every other day
Correct answer: Twice daily
BID stands for 'bis in die,' meaning twice a day, typically spaced about 12 hours apart.
Question 7: During medication administration, a CMT discovers a label is smudged and the drug name is unreadable. The correct action is to:
- Administer the medication based on what it looks like
- Ask another CMT to guess what the medication is
- Set it aside and inform the nurse before giving anything (Correct answer)
- Substitute a similar-looking medication
Correct answer: Set it aside and inform the nurse before giving anything
An unreadable label is a safety hazard; the CMT must stop and consult the nurse rather than guessing the medication identity.
CMT Medication Administration 3
What does the term 'PRN' mean on a medication order?