Module 9 Study Questions
Medications 

STUDY ACTIVITY 9.1: If eating a meal increases gastrointestinal motility, what factors will have an effect on the absorption of a drug taken with the meal?

STUDY ACTIVITY 9.2: The text describes the topics of drug use, misuse, and noncompliance in the elderly. What do you think is the most important issue in these areas? Be specific with rationale to support your answer. Include any suggestions you would have to institute change for a problem area. Feel free to include issues that have not been addressed by the text.

STUDY ACTIVITY 9.3: What would you do if you were told to take a medication three times a day with meals, and you only eat two meals a day? What would you do if you were instructed to take a medication every day that caused you to be drowsy all day and interfered with your social activities?

STUDY ACTIVITY 9.4: The F & F text discusses the issue of medication and memory, providing suggestions to aid memory for medication usage. What if your aging parent lives alone (quite safely so), but does not remember to take medications even when you put them out in obvious places? Is this only deficit enough to consider nursing home placement? What other options would you try?

STUDY ACTIVITY 9.5: The text discusses several common health problems which can be solved with lifestyle modifications rather than drugs. Discuss the issue of vitamin supplements as alternatives to drugs. Are there risks with supplements as with drugs? Are the issues of misuse and noncompliance relevant?

STUDY ACTIVITY 9.6: Discuss how the factors of socio-economic status, personal beliefs and values, perceived health status, and perceived benefits of health care might influence drug therapy relative to drug misuse and noncompliance.

STUDY ACTIVITY 9.7: Elders residing in a nursing home depend upon physicians and nurses to assess their medication needs, and prescribe and administer medications correctly. Consider the information learned in this unit about pharmacokinetics, drug action, and interactions:

1. Discuss the impact of a staff uneducated about medications on the delivery of quality patient care. Helpful background information: Remember that when a physician orders a specific medication it is the responsibility of the person administering it to be knowledgeable about it.

2. What knowledge would be important to know?

3. What if the doctor ordered the wrong medication?

4. What are the implications of a nursing home resident refusing to take a medication?

STUDY ACTIVITY 9.8: Do you believe that taking an active role in drug therapy and being an informed consumer has an impact on health care costs? Provide rationale for your response. Discuss if and how you as a consumer will now play a more active role in drug therapy for yourself and an elder family member after completing this unit.