The telephone triage nurse receives a call from a patient asking for a prescription for a narcotic to manage his surgical pain.
The nurse explains that narcotic prescriptions must be written and cannot be called in to the pharmacy.
The patient says, “Why are narcotics so difficult to get a prescription for?” What is the nurse’s best response?

Choice A rationale

Ineffective health maintenance is appropriate due to the patient's inability to provide names and purposes of medications, indicating insufficient knowledge of their regimen.

Choice B rationale

Noncompliance implies intentional refusal of medication, which is not evident here as the patient is unaware rather than refusing.

Choice C rationale

Acute confusion is not indicated as the patient appears oriented and not disoriented.

Choice D rationale

Risk-prone health behavior is not appropriate as it suggests engagement in harmful activities, which is not described.

Choice A rationale

Administering amoxicillin when a patient has a known allergy to penicillin can result in a serious allergic reaction. It is important to avoid using any beta-lactam antibiotic in patients with a history of penicillin allergy.

Choice B rationale

Contacting the provider to discuss using a different antibiotic is the safest course of action. The provider can prescribe an alternative antibiotic that does not belong to the beta-lactam class, reducing the risk of an allergic reaction.

Choice C rationale

Asking the provider to order an antihistamine does not address the underlying risk of administering a beta-lactam antibiotic to a patient with a penicillin allergy. Antihistamines are used to manage allergic reactions, not to prevent them.

Choice D rationale

Requesting an order for a beta-lactamase resistant drug does not eliminate the risk of an allergic reaction, as these drugs still belong to the beta-lactam class and can trigger the same allergic responses in sensitive individuals.