71. A hospital pharmacy attempts to stock only one drug from each class whenever possible. If the pharmacy stocks lansoprazole, which of the following drugs is most likely also stocked?
Answer: B
The pharmacy is most likely to stock Rabeprazole along with Lansoprazole.
Lansoprazole and Rabeprazole are both proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) used to treat similar conditions related to excess stomach acid. Since the pharmacy aims to stock one drug from each class, it would be logical to stock another PPI alongside Lansoprazole.
A) Omeprazole
Omeprazole is another proton pump inhibitor, similar to Lansoprazole. If the pharmacy is already stocking Lansoprazole, it would not stock Omeprazole as it would be redundant to have two PPIs from the same class.
B) Fluconazole
Fluconazole is an antifungal medication, which belongs to a different class than Lansoprazole. Therefore, it does not serve as a suitable alternative or complement to Lansoprazole, making it an unlikely choice for stocking alongside it.
C) Rabeprazole
Rabeprazole is also a proton pump inhibitor and is a suitable candidate to be stocked alongside Lansoprazole. Since the question implies that the pharmacy stocks only one drug per class, it would make sense for them to consider Rabeprazole in addition to Lansoprazole.
D) Pantoprazole
Pantoprazole, like Lansoprazole, is another proton pump inhibitor. If Lansoprazole is already stocked, Pantoprazole would not be chosen because it would create redundancy in the PPI class, violating the pharmacy's stocking policy.
Conclusion
The correct choice is Rabeprazole, as it is from the same class of medications as Lansoprazole, making it a suitable stock item for a pharmacy focusing on one drug from each class. All other options either belong to the same class as Lansoprazole or do not fit the criteria of stocking a complementary drug, which is why they are not selected.