Practical Session: Optimal use of Drug therapy- Devices- Storage
Practical Session Competency: PH 5.2 Communicate with the patient regarding optimal use
of Drug therapy, Devices & Storage
Date of the Practical: Batch A (26/07/2024) and Batch B (24/07/2024)
Teaching Learning Method: Small Group Learning & Role play
Learning objective:
Drug Therapy
5.2.1 Communicate about the effects of the prescribed drug with regards to the following:
i. Why the drug is needed
ii. Which symptoms will disappear, and which will not?
iii. When the effect is expected to start
iv. What will happen if the drug is taken incorrectly or not at all
5.2.2 Communicate about the adverse effects of the prescribed drug with regards to the
following:
i. Which side effects may occur?
ii. How to recognize them
iii. How long they will continue
iv. How serious they are
v. What action to take
5.2.3 Communicate about the instructions of drug use as following:
i. How the drug should be taken
ii. When it should be taken
iii. How long the treatment should continue
iv. How the drug should be stored
v. What to do with left-over drugs
5.2.4 Communicate about the warnings of the prescribed drug with regards to the following:
i. When the drug should not be taken
ii. What is the maximum dose?
iii. Why the full treatment course should be taken?
5.2.5 Communicate about the future consultations with regards to the following:
i. When to come back (or not)
ii. In what circumstances to come earlier
iii. What information the doctor will need at the next appointment
5.2.6 Conclude the consultation by asking the following questions:
i. Ask the patient whether everything is understood
ii. Ask the patient to repeat the most important information
Devices
5.2.7 The student should be able to communicate to patients on
i. Step wise points or instructions on use of device
ii. Communicate list of do’s and don’ts on the device
iii. Demonstrate the proper use of device and ask the patient to show the same.
iv. Methods on handling, cleaning and storage of device
v. Dangers of use of device on other persons, without the prescription of doctor
vi. Importance of keeping the device away from reach of the children
vii. Contact number of manufacturers to be communicated on trouble shooting
Storage of Medicines
5.2.8 The student should be able to communicate to patients on
i. Ideal storage condition of a pharmaceutical product as per product label
ii. Ideal storage condition of a pharmaceutical product as per product label
iii. Effect of storage condition on potency and efficacy of the drug
iv. ill effects of improper storage condition on human consumption
v. Factors to be taken in to consideration for drug storage like sanitation, temperature,
light, moisture, ventilation and segregation.
vi. Importance of storage of medicines away from reach of the children
vii. Disposal of expired drugs
Exercises to be written in the Practical Record:
In the Record write down case on which your group discussed and participated in role play/
Case discussion and write the reflection on what you learnt
Group 1 & 9:
A 20 year old lady Ms. Kala, experiences seizures characterized by sudden loss of
consciousness and then rigidity of the body for a few minutes. This is followed by jerking of the
body musculature that lasts for 3 – 5 minutes followed by a state of flaccidity. Immediately after
the seizure, she recovers consciousness but remains in a confused state
1. What would the therapeutic strategy be for this patient
2. Explain about the medication which is prescribed for the patient
3. What precautions he has to take to avoid further episodes and how he has to be
prepared for such future episodes
4. What storage instructions will you give to the patient
Group 2 & 10:
Prescribe for a 12 year old girl Miss. Rani with h/o dyspnea and wheeze for atleast 2 times
during the night in a month. On examination her PEF was > 80 %. She was diagnosed to have
mild persistent asthma.
1. What drug therapy you institute for this patient
2. How will you explain about the benefits and adverse effects of the Medication
3. Explain to the patient about different routes of drug therapy for her condition
4. Explain to the patient on how to use the device for management of Asthma
Group 3 & 11:
Thirty years old female patient presented with the complaints of easy fatigability, and tiredness.
Examination revealed pallor and a hemoglobin of 7 g%. Peripheral smear shows microcytic
hypochromic anemia. Prescribe suitable drug(s) for this patient..
1. What would you give this patient first
2. Explain to the patient about the necessity of emergency treatment.
3. What medications will you give when discharge the patient
4. Explain their benefits and adverse effects to the patient
5. What storage instructions will you give to the patient
Group 4 & 12:
46 yr old Gandhi, a type I diabetic needs to be given human insulin injection daily.
1. Explain to patient about the Insulin therapy for diabetes mellitus
2. Explain about probable benefits and adverse effects of Insulin therapy and how to be
prepared for adverse effects
3. Explain to patient about side effects of Insulin injections and prepare the patient for
Insulin injections
4. Explain to patient on how to take insulin injections
Group 5 & 13:
27 yr old Srinivasan admitted as a case of right inguinal hernia is posted for surgery. The
sensitivity testing of lignocaine is to be done before doing the surgery
1. What would you tell the patient about sensitivity testing
2. How would you explain about the probable adverse effects and make the patient accept
the uneventful effects
3. Explain to the patient about the complete procedure
4. How would you prepare the patient for spinal anaesthesia
Group 6 & 14:
A 62-year-old man complaining of upper abdominal pain is found by endoscopy to have a
gastric ulcer.
1. Would you carry out any other tests on this patient?
2. What treatment would you give to heal the ulcer?
3. Which drugs are contraindicated in patients with peptic ulcer disease? How would you
tell him to avoid such drugs
4. What storage instructions will you give to the patient
Group 7 & 15:
A 60-year-old man is brought to A&E with central crushing chest pain. He has been in pain for
several hours and it was not relieved by nitroglycerin. The man was feeling nauseous and was
very anxious. His blood pressure was 140/75. An ECG revealed ST segment elevation,
pathological Q waves and inversion of the T wave in leads II, III and aVF. A diagnosis of acute
inferior myocardial infarction (MI) was made.
1. What drugs should be administered immediately to this patient? How would you convince
him for therapy
2. What contraindications should you consider?
3. What drugs would you prescribe for this patient to take long-term when he returns home?
4. What storage instructions will you give to the patient
Group 8 & 16:
A routine blood pressure measurement revealed that the patient, a 50–year–old man, had a
blood pressure of 180/110. Several repeated visits confirmed these pressures. No cause was
found for the hypertension although the patient smoked 20 cigarettes a day and was slightly
obese.
1. What therapeutic approach will you use now?
2. At this time, the patient felt perfectly well and asked why he should be worried about his
blood pressure & therapy. What will you tell him?
3. What lifestyle measures will you advise him?
4. What antihypertensive drug might you consider for initial therapy?
5. After 3 months his blood pressure is still not controlled. What factors might be
contributing to this failure of treatment and what should you do next?
