Pharmacology and Medication Actions Flashcards
6 cards from real CMT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Pharmacology and Medication Actions flashcards as text
A Certified Medical Technician (CMT) is preparing to administer a medication to a resident. The Medication Administration Record (MAR) says to give 'Lisinopril 10 mg by mouth once daily'. The medication package from the pharmacy is labeled 'Lisinopril 20 mg'. What is the MOST appropriate action for the CMT to take?
Answer: Withhold the medication and report the discrepancy to the supervising nurse immediately.
The 'Six Rights of Medication Administration' include the Right Drug, Right Dose, Right Time, Right Route, Right Patient, and Right Documentation. In this scenario, the dose on the pharmacy label (20 mg) does not match the dose on the MAR (10 mg). A CMT's scope of practice does not include altering medication dosages. Therefore, the safest and most appropriate action is to stop the administration process and immediately report the discrepancy to the supervising nurse for clarification and resolution.
Which of the following terms describes the process by which a drug is transported from the site of administration to the body's bloodstream?
Answer: Absorption
Pharmacokinetics involves four main processes: absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. Absorption is the first step, where the medication moves from the administration site (e.g., the stomach after swallowing a pill, or muscle after an injection) into the circulatory system.
A resident begins to experience shortness of breath, hives, and swelling of the lips shortly after receiving a new antibiotic. The CMT recognizes these signs are indicative of what type of medication action?
Answer: An anaphylactic reaction
The signs described—shortness of breath, hives (urticaria), and swelling (angioedema)—are classic symptoms of anaphylaxis, a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction. This is an adverse drug reaction that requires immediate medical intervention. A therapeutic effect is the desired outcome, and an expected side effect is a known, non-allergic reaction that is generally less severe.
A physician has ordered a medication to be given 'PRN'. What does this abbreviation mean?
Answer: As needed
The medical abbreviation 'PRN' comes from the Latin phrase 'pro re nata,' which means 'as the thing is needed' or simply 'as needed.' This indicates the medication should be administered only when the patient has specific symptoms or requests it, within the parameters of the order.
When administering a transdermal patch, which of the following actions is a critical step to ensure patient safety and proper medication effect?
Answer: Writing the date, time, and your initials on the new patch before application.
To ensure proper tracking and administration, the CMT should always label the new transdermal patch with the date, time of application, and their initials. It is also crucial to remove the old patch before applying the new one and to rotate application sites to prevent skin irritation. Patches should never be cut, and they should be applied to clean, dry, intact skin.
The process by which the body breaks down a drug into a less active or inactive form is known as:
Answer: Metabolism
Metabolism, also known as biotransformation, is the chemical alteration of a drug by the body. The liver is the primary site for drug metabolism. This process transforms the drug into metabolites that can be more easily eliminated from the body.