A nurse is working with a patient who has been taking medication for anxiety for several weeks and now reports that the medication doesn't seem to work anymore. The patient has stopped taking the medication, as it doesn't work. Which finding should the nurse suspect?

A. The patient takes 4 medications each day.
Taking multiple medications is common in geriatric patients and does not warrant immediate priority action unless there is evidence of polypharmacy or interactions.

B. The patient states that the medications are delivered by the local pharmacy.
This is a routine aspect of medication management and does not present an immediate concern.

C. The patient is able to describe each medication and why it is being taken.
This indicates that the patient is knowledgeable about their medications, which is positive and does not require immediate action.

D. The patient skips a dose of certain medications sometimes. Skipping doses can lead to subtherapeutic levels of medication, potentially worsening the patient's condition or leading to medication errors. This requires immediate attention to ensure proper adherence to the medication regimen.

A. Replacement: Hypothyroidism is typically treated with hormone replacement therapy, such as levothyroxine, to compensate for the deficient thyroid hormone.

B. Curative: There is no cure for hypothyroidism, so curative therapy is not applicable. Treatment focuses on managing symptoms through hormone replacement.

C. Prophylactic: Prophylactic medications are used to prevent disease or conditions. This is not applicable to the treatment of hypothyroidism.

D. Palliative: Palliative care focuses on relieving symptoms in serious illness without curing the disease. However, hypothyroidism is managed with replacement therapy, not palliative care.