Drug History
It is due to the Assignment Drop Box in FerrisConnect by 11:59 pm on April 5.
Purpose:
Identify patient’s reason for medication use, how it
is absorbed and metabolized as well as associated
drug interactions.
Describe patient’s ability to recognize problems
attributed with his/her medications and safely take
them based on Gordon’s functional health patterns.
Explain how patient’s age, gender, culture, and
environment influences his/her pharmacotherapy.
Discuss key elements for patient teaching related
to his/her pharmacotherapy based on best practice.
Examine the assessment data and outcomes
pertinent to patient’s pharmacotherapy.
Identify the nurse’s role to implement policies and
procedures as well as strategies that reduce
medication errors and incidents.
1. Describe nurse’s role in the therapeutic use of
drug therapy for patients with complex health
needs. (Collaborative Leadership)
2. Explain pharmacological principles from a
theoretical basis. (Theoretical Base for
Practice)
3. Identify special considerations for diverse
patient populations in relation to drug therapy
and health care policy. (Generalist Nursing
Practice)
4. Recognize the importance of using most
current and evidence-based resources in the
determination of nursing interventions related
to drug therapy. (Scholarship for Practice)
5. Demonstrate the use of the nursing process in
simulated situations related to drug therapy.
(Health Care Environment)
6. Identify the legal/ethical responsibilities of the
nurse in providing safe drug therapy.
(Professionalism)
Directions:
Using the form below, students will gather a medication history from a patient in clinical, family member,
friend, or acquaintance. The individual selected must take 5 or more different medications. One may be
an herbal supplement, with the remainder being prescription medications. HIPAA rules must be strictly
adhered to. Use initials only as name identifiers. There will be a 10% deduction if names are used.
Medication history
Name: Cody Kryfka (your name)
Why: (reason you are conducting this history)
I am conducting this medication history to become more familiar with drugs.
Where: (hospital, neighbor’s house)
Hospital
Who: JR (initials) 72 (age) Male (gender) __capable of participating________ (capable of
participating? or from chart?)
How:



Introduction (how did you start the ‘meeting’)
I started the meeting by asking my patient “how he was doing?” I then followed it by asking if he
would alright with talking a little about his medication and if he could tell me as much as he knows
about them.
Review past medical history
After reviewing his past medical history I noticed a history of multiple mild myocardial infarctions
along with parkison’s disease and anxiety.
List medications (scheduled and ‘prn’: OTC, Rx, illicit, herbal, etc.)
Name
Dose
Frequen
cy
Reason for use
How
long
taking
Pharmacokineti
cs
Drug interactions
Amlodipine;
PO
5mg
Once a
day
Helps in
managing
hypertension,
angina, pectoris,
and vasospastic
angina.
8
years
64-90%
absorbed after
oral
administration.
Mostly
metabolized by
the liver.
Ketoconazole,
itraconazole, and
ritonavir may
increase levels.
Simvastatin may
increase risk of
myopathy (do
not exceed
20mg/day).
Carbidopalevodopa;
PO
25mg/100
mg
Twice a
day
Helps with
parkison’s
disease.
15
years
Well absorbed
and widely
distributed. It is
metabolized by
the GI tract and
30% excreted by
the kidneys.
Use of MAO
inhibitors may
result in
hypertensive
reactions.
Phenothiazines,
haloperidol,
papaverine,
phenytoin, and
reserpine may
decrease effect
of levodopa.
Large doses of
pyridoxine and
methyldopa may
alter the
effectiveness of
levodopa. Anti
cholinergics may
decrease
absorption of
levodopa.
Clopidogrel;
PO
75mg
Once a
day
Treatment to
decrease
occurrence of
atherosclerotic
events in
patients at risk.
3
years
Well absorbed
following oral
administration
and Distribution
is unknown.
Rapidly and
extensively
converted by
the liver and
eliminated 50%
in urine and 45%
in feces.
Concurrent use
of abciximab,
eptifibatide,
tirofiban, aspirin,
NSAIDs, heparin,
LMWHs,
thrombolytic
agents,
ticlopidine, or
warfarin may
increase risk of
bleeding.
Concurrent use
of the CYP2C19
inhibitors,
omeprazole, or
esomeprazole
may decrease
antiplatelet
effects.
Isosorbide
mononitrate
; PO
60mg
Once a
day
Acute treatment
of angina
attacks.
8
years
Has 100%
bioavailability if
does not
undergo firstpass metabolism
and distribution
Concurrent use
of sildenafil,
tadalafil, or
vardenafil may
result in
significant and
unknown.
Primarily
metabolized by
the liver to
inactive
metabolites and
excreted in
urine as
metabolites.
potentially fatal
hypotension. Do
not use within 24
hours of
isosorbide
dinitrate or
mononitrate.
Docusate
sodium; PO
100mg
Twice a
day
Aids in the
prevention of
constipation in
patients who
should avoid
straining such as
after MI.
2 days
Small amounts
may be
absorbed by the
small intestine
after oral
administration
and distribution
unknown.
Amounts
absorbed after
oral
administration
are eliminated
in bile.
None significant.
Pantoprazol
e; PO
40mg
Once a
day with
food
Aids in
decreasing
heartburn
symptoms in
patients with
GERD and
treatment of
duodenal ulcers.
5
years
Absorption only
occurs after
tablet leaves the
stomach and
distribution
unknown.
Mostly
metabolized by
the liver and
excreted in
urine 71% and
feces 18%.
May increase risk
of bleeding with
warfarin.
Hypomagnesaem
ia increase risk of
digoxin toxicity.
Cocn


Identify concerns or barriers (use Gordon’s functional health patterns)
o
o
o
o
o
Have you had problems that can be attributed to the medications? Give
example(s).
When I asked him if has experienced any problems while taking these drugs he said
“nope, not that I can remember.”
Are you able to safely take medications as prescribed? Give example(s).
Yes he is safely able to take his medications now with the help of a friend because before
he would forget to take them some days. He also, has them in a pill box with the days of
the week written on it.
What information or instructions were you given when the medications were first
prescribed?
They let him know the importance of taking the medications daily and the possible effects
of forgetting to take them. They also, let him know the drugs that should be taken with
food such as the pantoprazole. They also, explained to him the action of each drug and
the common/serious side effects he should be looking for.”
Do you think the medications are doing what they were prescribed to do? Give
example(s).
Yes he does because when he doesn’t take his antiparkisons medication his tremors get
much worse to the point of barely being able to pick up anything.
He also, experiences chest pain when he forgets a day of taking his antianginal
medication.
Does anyone else help you take your medications?
Other than his friends ensuring that he takes his pills weekly a nurse will also, stop by
every week to fill his pill box for him so he doesn’t take extra or lose them.
Wrap up:

Reflection (~300 words)
o Identify questions that could have been asked as well as patient teaching that
could have been conducted if you had more knowledge about the medications.
I would have asked him about the issues he has with taking his medications daily such as are you to
busy, do you forget, is it because you don’t have a routine?
I definitely would’ve taught the patient about the importance of taking his medications for angina and MI
since he has a long history of myocardial infarctions. I would have also, taught him about the symptoms
that can occur because even though they were explained to him at one point I don’t think he remembered
the important symptoms for the drugs.
o Identify strategies you would offer to reduce medication errors or incidents.
I would give him the idea of placing his medications in little cups that sit in his pill box so once he takes
them he can flip the cup over and this will help him keep track of the days of the week so he doesn’t
accidentally take two doses. I would also, see if a family member could stop over once a day to ensure he
is taking them since I don’t know how often his friend is actually able to stop by and make sure he has
taken his medications.
o Identify aspects of a medication history you would change in the future (gather
more or less information).
I don’t if I’d change anything because I feel that the information gathered was the perfect amount.
Gathering less information would make it hard to ensure everything is going well for the patient and
gathering more information could be overwhelming to an individual and possibly make them tell you less
of key information you would need to know.
o Identify what you learned doing this assignment.
I learned a ton from doing this assignment. The first thing I learned was how important it is to be familiar
with the drugs we as nurses will be dealing with so we can be as knowledgeable as possible for the
patient. The second thing I learned is patients who must take mediations at their home have a tendency
to forget to take their medications and they should be educated on techniques or strategies that will help
them remember to take them.