Nurses should ask patients about their use of over-the-counter medications because
a. they may cause drug-drug or nutrient-drug interactions.
b. the medical staff has a legal responsibility to know what patients are using.
c. they may be able to advise patients about cheaper generic forms of drugs.
d. patients should not take prescription and over-the-counter drugs at the same time.
A
Over-the-counter medications are just as likely as prescription medications to cause drug-drug or nutrient-drug interactions. It is important to ask patients, but medical staff are not legally re-quired to know what patients are using, especially if patients do not offer this information. It would be more appropriate for a pharmacist to advise patients about generic forms of drugs. Prescription and over-the-counter drugs may be taken at the same time, but it is important for the medical staff to know what patients are taking to avoid harmful interactions.
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