The patient calls the clinic nurse and says, "I looked this medication up on the Internet after it was prescribed yesterday and there is nothing in the literature about this drug being used to treat my disorder
Should I still take it?" What is the nurse's best response? A) "No, stop taking it immediately until I can consult with the doctor because it is obvious a mistake was made."
B) "Oh, that's okay. Go ahead and take it because the doctor wouldn't order it if he or she didn't think it would be effective."
C) "It is quite common for drugs to be found to have positive effects for a condition not originally intended so it is safe to take."
D) "Let me talk with the physician about why this medication was ordered for you and I will call you back."
D
Feedback:
Off-label use is relatively common because new information is gathered when the drug is used by large numbers of people that may indicate another condition for which the drug is effective. However, if the nurse does not know for a fact that the drug prescribed is the right drug for the patient's condition, it is always best to consult with the prescriber to make sure the patient is taking the right drug and to avoid a medication error. The medication may be perfectly safe so the patient should not be told the doctor made a mistake.
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