Question 76

The patient was incorrectly taking 10 mg by mouth twice a day.

The patient was prescribed Amlodipine 10 mg tablets to take one-half tablet by mouth twice a day, which amounts to 5 mg taken twice daily. However, the patient is already out of medication after 16 days, indicating that they were likely taking the full 10 mg by mouth twice a day instead.

A) 5 mg by mouth once daily.

This option suggests that the patient was taking 5 mg just once a day. However, this does not align with the information provided, as the prescription clearly indicates two doses per day. Therefore, this option is incorrect.

B) 5 mg by mouth twice a day.

While this option reflects the correct dosage of Amlodipine based on the prescribed instructions, it does not explain why the patient ran out of medication after only 16 days. This indicates that the patient was taking more than the prescribed amount, making this option incorrect.

C) 10 mg by mouth once daily.

This option implies that the patient was taking a single daily dose of 10 mg. However, the prescription specifies taking half of the 10 mg tablet twice daily, which would not result in the patient running out of medication in 16 days. Thus, this option is incorrect.

D) 10 mg by mouth twice a day.

This is the correct answer, as it indicates that the patient was likely taking the entire 10 mg tablet twice daily instead of the intended half tablet. Given that the prescription provided a 30-day supply, taking 10 mg twice a day would lead to running out of medication in just 15 days.

Conclusion

The patient’s incorrect intake of 10 mg by mouth twice a day explains why they ran out of their prescription so quickly. All other options either misinterpret the prescribed dosage or fail to account for the rapid depletion of the medication supply, confirming that option D is the only accurate explanation.