Final answer:
A pharmacy technician finds that the pharmacy is currently out of metoprolol succinate and wants to change it to metoprolol tartrate. The pharmacist tells him that he cannot do this because they have different release characteristics; one is extended-release and the other is immediate-release (option a).
Step-by-step explanation:
A pharmacy technician finds that the pharmacy is currently out of metoprolol succinate and wants to change it to metoprolol tartrate. The pharmacist tells him that he cannot do this because the release characteristics of these drugs differ. Metoprolol succinate is an extended-release formulation, meaning it gradually releases the medication into the bloodstream over time.
On the other hand, metoprolol tartrate is an immediate-release formulation that releases the medication more quickly. Due to these differences in how the medications are released and absorbed by the body, they cannot be used interchangeably without affecting the medication's effectiveness and potentially the patient's health.
Hence, the answer is option a.