Chapter 7 pharm

Assessment Process

• Patient education is considered important for patient safety because it enables patients to make informed decisions about their health.
• An important characteristic of goals and outcomes in the assessment process is that they are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).

Patient Assessment

• An important aspect of patient assessment related to potential drug interactions is the consideration of all medications, including over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and herbal supplements, to prevent adverse interactions.
• Important information to obtain during assessment includes all medications, including OTC drugs and herbal supplements.

Over-the-Counter (OTC) Drugs

• In order for a drug to be allowed to be OTC, it must have a high therapeutic index, indicating a wide safety margin between the effective dose and the toxic dose.
• The practicality criteria for OTC drugs include that they are safe for self-medication, have a wide therapeutic index, and are used for a self-limiting condition or a condition that can be diagnosed by the patient.

Concerns and Hazards

• Three concerns of OTC drug use mentioned in the text are altered GI elimination, altered need for sleep, and altered physical activity.
• One of the potential hazards of OTC medication mentioned in the text is the risk for injury.

Dietary Supplements

• Dietary supplements are vitamins, minerals, amino acids, or other botanical products used to supplement the diet.
• Herbal supplements are plant components, including bark, berries, roots, leaves, gums, seeds, stems, and flowers, used for their medicinal qualities.
• Ginkgo and Garlic are examples of herbal supplements that can interact with medications.
• The manufacturers of herbal products are not required to prove safety and effectiveness, which is a concern for patient safety.

Nursing Diagnoses

• Altered GI elimination, altered need for sleep, altered physical activity, altered safety needs, altered interchange of gases, freedom from pain, ineffective health maintenance, insomnia, risk for injury, and urinary retention are considered nursing diagnoses.

Miscellaneous

• The statement "Natural always means safe" is not necessarily true.
• Therapeutic responses will vary based on the supplemental product used.
• For a drug to be OTC, the patient must be able to diagnose and treat the condition themselves.