A patients liquid cough medicine has been discontinued with one half of the bottle remaining. The home health nurse is aware that according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines on prescription medication disposal, the next step should be to:

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The nurse must follow specific disposal instructions on the drug label or in the patient information leaflet that accompanies the medication. Prescription medications should not be shared among patients. Prescription drugs should not be flushed down the toilet unless specifically instructed to do so by the manufacturer. The first action to be taken is to follow disposal instructions on the label. If the drug label indicates it should be emptied into a hazardous waste container, measures should be taken to prevent leaking and/or accidental ingestion.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Enteric-coated tablets must be swallowed whole to maintain a therapeutic drug level since they are designed to be absorbed in the small intestine. If crushed, an initial excessive release of the drug may occur, causing toxicity. Enteric-coated tablets should not be dissolved in liquid.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: To avoid contact with the medication, nurses should wear gloves when applying topical medications. Some topical medications are applied sparingly. Skin should be clean and dry, but it is not necessary to use alcohol. It is not always necessary to use sterile technique.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Patients giving subcutaneous medication should be taught not to aspirate after inserting the needle. They should not apply pressure. The needle should be inserted at a 45- to 90-degree angle. Absorption is slower with this route than with the intramuscular and intravenous (IV) routes.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The proper size syringe for ID injection is 1-mL tuberculin. The other syringes pictured are incorrect. Insulin syringes (marked in units) are not used for intradermal injections.