A 69-Year-Old Who Has Been Taking Alprazolam (Xanax) Calls the Clinic

question 10

Multiple Choice

A 69-year-old who has been taking alprazolam (Xanax) calls the clinic asking for a refill of the prescription 1 month before the Xanax should need to be refilled. The best response by the nurse to the patient is

• A) "The prescription cannot be refilled for another month. What happened to all of your pills?"
• B) "Do you have any muscle cramps and tremors if you don't take the medication frequently?"
• C) "I will ask the doctor to prescribe a few more pills, but you will not be able to get any more for another month."
• D) "I am concerned that you may be overusing the Xanax. Let's make an appointment for you to see the doctor today."

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Definitions:

Expectancy Theory

A motivational theory suggesting that individuals are motivated to act in certain ways based on their expectations of outcomes and the attractiveness of those outcomes.

Interval Schedules

Are partial reinforcement schedules in which behavior is reinforced as a function of the passage of time—for example, rewarding someone every 10 minutes as long as they were exhibiting desired behavior.

Ratio Schedules

In the context of behavioral psychology, it's a reinforcement strategy where a response is reinforced after a specific number of responses.

Reinforcement Theory

A behavioral theory which posits that behavior can be shaped or modified through rewards or punishments, encouraging or discouraging certain actions.