Instructions

This assignment is to be completed individually and is due by 11:30 am, submitted through
Blackboard in the same manner it was downloaded.

At 11:30 am, a key will be made available in the “Drug Information” folder accessible through
the Blackboard home page. Because this assignment is intended as a teaching tool, it will be
graded on the basis of completeness; however, in preparation for the Drug Information exam, it
is important to review the key from 11:30 am to 12 noon (and anytime thereafter) to ensure
accuracy.

The objective of this assignment is to experientially introduce you to the various functions of five
Drug Information resources. For this reason, there are limited instructions for answering each
question aside from the general reference to use; however, should you need additional direction
(or to make sure you are on the right track), chat rooms corresponding to each resource are set
up through the “Chat” tab of Blackboard.

For additional practice, create and research similar exercises. The Drug Information exam will
present the same types of scenarios but without specific instruction as to what resource to
chose. The more practice you have with these resources, the better you will be able to identify
and utilize their functions.

Help me help you…help me (OPTIONAL)

To encourage you to create and research similar exercises, a class Practice Exercises Google
Document (GoogleDoc*) has been created; please consider contributing one Drug Information
scenario by clicking this link and following the examples provided. In turn, I will create multiple
choice questions based on your entries to be used for the Drug Information exam. Also, if you
chose to contribute, 5 points will be added to your Drug Information exam score.

Your scenario may utilize any conventional feature of any of the nine resources covered thus
far. Contributions may be added up until 11:30 am tomorrow, at which point the link will become
inactive and the document will be made available as a study guide in the “Drug Information”
folder accessible through the Blackboard home page.

*If you have never used GoogleDocs before, just click the Document link, add your entry, and don’t worry about saving- it is done
automatically. If you have trouble, direct your browser to: http://docs.google.com/support.

PHA 474 Drug Information Assignment #2 Page 1 2/17/11

DynaMed
DynaMed is a clinical reference created primarily for use at the 'point-of-care' with literature
summaries for more than 3,200 topics. A specific strength is the breadth of diseases/conditions
covered and depth of information offered for each. DynaMed is updated daily and monitors the
content of over 500 medical journals to offer hyperlinks of supporting references and key
reviews, including guidelines.

• To login, direct your browser to: http://swilley.mercer.edu .

• Click on “Pharmacy” “DynaMed”.
• You may be asked to input your MUID before you are directed to the DynaMed login page.
• Click on “Login to DynaMed” (Login for Institutions) “Login to DynaMed””DynaMed”.

1. Your friend was found to have an e. coli infection and is being treated with Zyvox®. He read
a report on the internet about an association between Zyvox® and death and calls
assuming you will know about it. Considering e. coli is gram negative, is there any reason
for concern?
Yes
No

2. Your friend then tells you he is also taking Paxil® for chronic headaches and wants to know
the potential of a drug interaction. Is there any reason for concern?
Yes
No

3. You become curious and decide to look into whether Paxil® is really used for chronic
headaches. Is he telling the truth?
Yes
No

4. You have a motivated patient that wants to stop smoking. By referring to a Decision Tree,
the first step should be to assess/ record patient's smoking status by determining if
a. The Pt. want to stop smoking.

PHA 474 Drug Information Assignment #2 Page 2 2/17/11

MicroMedex
MicroMedex offers drug, disease, toxicology, laboratory test, acute care, and patient education
information through a variety of compendia that can be searched simultaneously. The Main
Keyword Search page expands to show the databases available for inclusion/ exclusion
(“Select Databases”). Direct your cursor over the ‘i’ information icon to reveal a definition.

• To login, direct your browser to: http://swilley.mercer.edu .

• Click on “Pharmacy” “MicroMedex”.
• You may be asked to input your MUID before you are directed to the MicroMedex homepage.

1. A patient presents with constricted, pinpoint pupils after taking codeine. True or false?
Pinpoint pupils/ miosis is an acute toxic effect of codeine.
True
False

2. A physician calls your pharmacy to identify a foreign drug. What is the active ingredient in
Abatem? Acetominopen

3. A nurse practitioner calls your pharmacy requesting information on all agents in the
‘smoking cessation’ therapeutic class. How many options are listed in MicroMedex?
7
5
3
1

4. On your clinical rotation, you are asked if actinomycin-D and ciprofloxacin compatible at the
Y-site. Which of the following is the most appropriate response?
Compatible
Caution: Variable
Incompatible
Uncertain
Not tested

5. A mother calls your pharmacy for help identifying a hexagonal, bright yellow tablet with
imprint code of MSD 942. What is the name of the medication? Clinoril

6. After receiving laboratory test results, a family member contacts you with concern about his
fibrinogen levels. What is the normal range for adults? Adults: 150-400 mg/dL (1.5-4 g/L)

7. On your clinical rotation, you are asked to recommend a protocol for alprazolam
withdrawal. According to DrugDex Consults, tapering benzodiazepine dosage is
recommended with long-term use greater than greater than 4 weeks of daily use

PHA 474 Drug Information Assignment #2 Page 3 2/17/11

Facts and Comparisons (EFacts)
Facts and Comparisons (EFacts) first appeared as loose-leaf comparative tables of like drug
products in 1947. Now online, particularly beneficial features include simple or advanced
searches across publications and drug news, updated daily.

• To login, direct your browser to: http://swilley.mercer.edu .

• Click on “Pharmacy” “Facts and Comparisons”.
• You may be asked to input your MUID before you are directed to the EFacts homepage.

1. A warfarin-naïve patient was started on therapy with 5 mg tablets. The next day (Day 2),
the patient’s INR is 1.7. What is the recommended dose of warfarin to be administered on
Day 2?
0 mg (hold warfarin dose)
2.5 mg
5 mg
7.5 mg

2. Upon being questioned about the normal range for serum magnesium, you find a reference
value of  1.3 – 2.2 meq/L.

3. During a visit with his endocrinologist, Mr. Green states that his blood sugar is better
controlled when he takes ½ of his glipizide tablet instead of a whole tablet. The physician
consults pharmacy and wants to know if this is OK. What is the most appropriate
response?
Yes, this is OK.
No- glipizide is a slow release tablet.

4. A physician is discharging a patient on gabapentin and wants to know what doses are
available. Which of the following is not a commercially available strength?
100 mg
200 mg
300 mg
400 mg

5. Mr. Smith was just diagnosed with a UTI and has been prescribed levofloxacin. However,
after review of his profile you believe there may be an interaction with one of Mr. Smith’s
current medications—though you need to be sure before calling the physician. Which of
the following has been shown to interact with levofloxacin?
Tramodol
Amiodarone
Zolpidem
None of the above

PHA 474 Drug Information Assignment #2 Page 4 2/17/11

LexiComp
LexiComp offers drug monographs for prescription and OTC drugs, including toxicology
information, brand names, and medication safety issues. Similar to MicroMedex, Lexicomp
utilizes a variety of compendia that can be searched simultaneously.

• To login, direct your browser to: http://swilley.mercer.edu .

• Click on “Pharmacy” “LexiComp”.
• You may be asked to input your MUID before you are directed to the LexiComp homepage.

1. A patient who recently began treatment with bupropion would like to know any clinical pearls
you may be able to pass along related to its effects on her mental health. Considering her
previous treatment failure was due to sexual dysfunction, what is an appropriate pearl to
communicate? This medication lowers the seizure threshold.

2. You receive a Drug Information request regarding the comparative effectiveness of

metformin monotherapy versus sulfonylureas for management of type 2 diabetes mellitus.
You conduct a literature search using PubMed but feel unsure that you have found all the
available literature. According to Lexi-Comp AHFS DI, how many published studies are
referenced comparing metofrmin and glipizide?
2
4
6
8

3. You are asked to recommend an empiric dose (you don’t know which type of bacteria is
causing the infection) of gentamicin, an aminoglycoside, in the following patient:
Age: 40
Sex: Male
Weight: 200 pounds
Height: 5’ 10”
SCr: 1.2 mg/dL
Vd: 0.5 L/kg

Using the Calculations function, what dosage regimen would you suggest? (Desired peak/
trough values are left to your discretion.) Loading Dose: 150 & Maintenance dose: 152

4. True or false? Gatifloxacin and iron have not been shown to interact.
True
False

5. A customer comes to your pharmacy requesting treatment and preventative methods for her
baby’s diaper rash. Is there a patient handout you can access? If so, how many languages
is this available in? Yes; available in 2 languages (English and Spanish).

PHA 474 Drug Information Assignment #2 Page 5 2/17/11

Access Pharmacy
Access Pharmacy is designed for pharmacy students towards pharmacy education, allowing
students to select a core curriculum topic, browse by organ system, review textbooks, or search
across a variety of references.

From the homepage, consider creating a personal profile through the “My Access Pharmacy”
tab. Then, click the “Q&A” tab to explore available practice assessments, amongst several
features personalized through the profile.

• To login, direct your browser to: http://swilley.mercer.edu .

• Click on “Pharmacy” “Access Pharmacy”.
• You may be asked to input your MUID before you are directed to the Access Pharmacy
homepage.

1. If the language in your Pharmacotherapy textbook (Dipiro et al) is too confusing, how many
other textbooks are available as options to learn about status epilepticus?
1
3
5
7

2. To assess renal function, when would Serum Cr be considered more a reliable indicator
over 24-hour creatinine clearance?
a. The problems of obtaining a complete 24-hour urine collection from
a patient, the time necessary for urine collection, and the analysis
time preclude a direct estimation of creatinine clearance. Serum
creatinine concentration,C Cr, is related to creatinine clearance and
is measured routinely in the clinical laboratory. Therefore,
creatinine clearance, Cl Cr, is most often estimated from the
patient's C Cr.

3. A patient calls wanting to know if she can grind her Boniva® tablet and mix it with her
morning oatmeal. What is the most appropriate response?
Yes, this is OK.
No- the tablet is to be swallowed whole.

4. A physician wants to convert a patient from 40 mg prednisone (oral) to the equivalent

hydrocortisone dose. What dose of hydrocortisone should you recommend? 1600mg with a
relative potency of 1.

PHA 474 Drug Information Assignment #2 Page 6 2/17/11