A nurse completes a drug history for an 83-year-old patient newly hospitalized with syncope. Which information would be the most important for the nurse to assess to prevent drug-to-drug interactions?

Question

a. Prescription and nonprescription drugs and substances the patient uses
b. Places the patient stores medications at home
c. Names of persons who assist the patient daily with medication management
d. Name of the pharmacy where the patient routinely has prescriptions filled

Answer 1

ANS: A
The most important information the nurse can assess is the potential drug-to-drug interactions that can occur with prescription and nonprescription drugs, as well as herbal substances.
The places the patient stores the medication may be significant if the medications are sensitive to light, but this is not related to drug-to-drug interactions.
The names of persons who assist the patient are not the priority in drug-to-drug interactions unless the individual is administering the drugs improperly, and the question as stated does not indicate such.
The name of the pharmacy is not important either, because there is no indication that the patient has the prescriptions filled at multiple pharmacies.