Question

A patient is prescribed ibuprofen 200 mg PO every 4 hours as needed for pain. The pharmacy sends up tablets, but the patient refuses the tablets, stating that she cannot swallow pills. What is the best first-step the nurse should take?

a) Crush the tablets and mix them with food
b) Call the pharmacy and ask for the liquid form of the medication
c) Explain other ways to help swallow pills
d) Ask the patient to try swallowing the tablets with water

Answer 1

The best first step is to call the pharmacy and ask for a liquid form of ibuprofen, ensuring the patient can take the medication comfortably.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a patient refuses to swallow ibuprofen tablets due to difficulty swallowing, the best first-step a nurse should take is to call the pharmacy and ask for the liquid form of the medication. This allows the medication to be administered in a form the patient can comfortably take, ensuring that they receive the pain relief needed. If a liquid form is not available, the nurse might consider alternative methods such as using a pill-swallowing cup or exploring if the medication can be safely crushed and mixed with food, but this should be cleared with the pharmacy or the prescribing doctor as not all tablets are safe to crush.