Pharmacology and Medication Administration Flashcards
6 cards from real RMA 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 Administration flashcards as text
A patient is prescribed atenolol (a beta-blocker) for hypertension. Before administering this medication, which vital sign is MOST important to assess?
Answer: Blood pressure and heart rate
Beta-blockers decrease heart rate and blood pressure; before administration, the medical assistant must assess both — hold the medication and notify the provider if the heart rate is below 60 bpm or blood pressure is below the provider's specified hold parameters.
Which of the following is the correct action if a patient reports an anaphylactic reaction to a medication that was just administered in the office?
Answer: Administer epinephrine 1:1000 IM thigh, call 911, place supine with legs elevated, and prepare for resuscitation
Anaphylaxis is a medical emergency treated with immediate IM epinephrine (1:1000 concentration) in the anterolateral thigh, emergency services activation, and supportive management — epinephrine is the only life-saving first-line treatment.
What does the term 'pharmacokinetics' describe in relation to drug therapy?
Answer: How the body processes a drug — absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME)
Pharmacokinetics describes what the BODY does to a drug — the four processes of absorption (into the bloodstream), distribution (throughout the body), metabolism (chemical transformation), and excretion (elimination).
A patient taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) for depression asks whether they can take pseudoephedrine for nasal congestion. What is the CORRECT response?
Answer: No — this combination can cause a potentially fatal hypertensive crisis
MAOIs combined with sympathomimetic agents like pseudoephedrine can trigger a hypertensive crisis — dangerously high blood pressure that can cause stroke, MI, or death — because MAOIs prevent breakdown of norepinephrine released by pseudoephedrine.
When a physician orders a medication and the medical assistant has concerns about the dose, what is the appropriate action?
Answer: Clarify the order with the prescribing physician before administering and document the clarification
When in doubt about any medication order, the medical assistant must verify the order with the prescribing physician before administration — both to protect the patient and because administering an incorrect dose places the MA in legal and ethical jeopardy.
Which of the following describes an 'idiosyncratic' drug reaction?
Answer: An abnormal, unexpected reaction that is unique to an individual patient and not related to dose or known mechanism
An idiosyncratic reaction is an unusual, unexpected drug response that occurs in a small percentage of individuals due to unique genetic factors, often unrelated to dose — it cannot be predicted from the drug's known pharmacology.