| Course | HS140 Pharmacology |
|---|---|
| Unit | Unit 10 |
| Paper type | Medication case analysis |
| Length | About 860 words, 6 pages double-spaced |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Purdue University Global |
| Program | BS in Health Science |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for HS140 Unit 10
A Gout Flare, an Urgent Care Visit and a Medication List That Now Collides: A Unit 10 Medication Case Analysis
[Student Name]
Purdue University Global
HS140: Pharmacology
Unit 10 Medication Case Analysis
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
The patient and his medicines are composite; the guidelines, studies and textbook cited are real, and no doses are recommended.
The Patient
The patient is a composite man of 74 whose heart pumps weakly, whose heart rhythm is irregular and whose kidneys work at reduced capacity. Three days ago he developed a painful, swollen big toe and went to urgent care, where gout was diagnosed. He was prescribed naproxen, an anti-inflammatory drug, and a short course of prednisone, a steroid. He also bought a turmeric supplement after reading that it helps joint pain. At a follow-up visit with his primary care clinic, a medical assistant reconciles his list.
The Reconciled List
From his cardiologist and primary care clinician: apixaban, an anticoagulant to prevent stroke from atrial fibrillation; metoprolol succinate, a beta blocker; sacubitril-valsartan, used in heart failure; spironolactone, which blocks aldosterone; furosemide, a loop diuretic; and empagliflozin, an SGLT2 inhibitor used in heart failure and kidney disease.
New from urgent care: naproxen and prednisone.
Self-selected: turmeric capsules and an over-the-counter acetaminophen product.
Reconciliation means building one accurate list of everything the patient takes, prescription and nonprescription, and comparing it across settings, which is how the conflicts below came to light (Lilley et al., 2023).
Collision 1: Naproxen and Apixaban
Anti-inflammatory drugs such as naproxen interfere with platelet function and can irritate the stomach lining. Combined with an anticoagulant, they raise the risk of bleeding, especially stomach bleeding in older adults. The 2023 Beers Criteria advise avoiding this combination in older adults unless alternatives are not possible (American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria Update Expert Panel, 2023). Concern for the prescriber: bleeding risk with naproxen and apixaban together.
Collision 2: Naproxen and Heart Failure
Anti-inflammatory drugs cause the kidneys to retain salt and water and can blunt the effect of diuretics. In heart failure, this can bring on fluid buildup and a worsening episode. Heart failure guidelines recommend avoiding these drugs in patients with heart failure (Heidenreich et al., 2022). Concern for the prescriber: risk of fluid retention and worsening heart failure.
Collision 3: Naproxen, the Kidney and Potassium
He takes three drugs that act on the kidney and on potassium: sacubitril-valsartan, spironolactone and a diuretic. Adding an anti-inflammatory drug reduces blood flow to the kidney, and the combination can lead to sudden kidney injury and high potassium, particularly with existing kidney disease. Concern for the prescriber: kidney function and potassium should be checked if the combination continues.
The urgent care prescription was reasonable for gout in isolation; the risk appeared only when it met a list the urgent care clinician could not see.
Collision 4: Prednisone and Heart Failure
Steroids also cause salt and water retention and can raise blood sugar. A short course carries less risk than long-term use, but in heart failure even a few days can matter. Concern for the prescriber: watch weight and swelling during the course.
Collision 5: Turmeric and Apixaban
Turmeric supplements may have mild effects on platelets and have been reported to interact with anticoagulants. The evidence is limited, but it adds to the bleeding concern. Concern for the prescriber: the supplement should be included in the bleeding risk discussion.
What Is Not a Concern
Acetaminophen, at the labeled amounts, does not add to bleeding or kidney risk in the same way, and the reconciliation notes it as the pain reliever commonly preferred in older adults with these conditions, subject to the prescriber's view.
How the Concerns Would Be Communicated
The medical assistant would flag the list for the clinician before the visit, noting the five concerns in plain terms. The clinician, not the assistant, decides whether to stop naproxen, choose another gout treatment, order blood tests or adjust other medicines. The patient would be told that the clinician will review his new medicines and would be asked to bring all bottles, including supplements, to future visits.
Why Each Collision Matters More in This Patient
Each concern above would be smaller in a younger person with healthy kidneys and no heart disease. Age slows the clearance of many drugs and makes stomach bleeding more likely. Reduced kidney function means less room for a further drop in blood flow to the kidney. Heart failure means the margin between a stable fluid balance and a hospital admission is narrow. And because he already takes an anticoagulant, any added bleeding risk starts from a higher baseline. The same urgent care prescription that is routine for many gout patients is therefore much riskier for him, which is why the reconciliation focuses on his conditions and not only on the drug pairs.
Lessons
Three lessons stand out. First, an urgent care visit is a common point where interactions enter, because the treating clinician may not have the full list. Second, over-the-counter products and supplements belong on every reconciled list. Third, in older adults with heart failure and kidney disease, the most common pain and inflammation drugs carry risks that are easy to miss.
References
American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria Update Expert Panel. (2023). American Geriatrics Society 2023 updated AGS Beers Criteria for potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 71(7), 2052-2081. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.18372
Heidenreich, P. A., Bozkurt, B., Aguilar, D., Allen, L. A., Byun, J. J., Colvin, M. M., Deswal, A., Drazner, M. H., Dunlay, S. M., Evers, L. R., Fang, J. C., Fedson, S. E., Fonarow, G. C., Hayek, S. S., Hernandez, A. F., Khazanie, P., Kittleson, M. M., Lee, C. S., Link, M. S., ... Yancy, C. W. (2022). 2022 AHA/ACC/HFSA guideline for the management of heart failure: A report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Circulation, 145(18), e895-e1032. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001063
Lilley, L. L., Collins, S. R., & Snyder, J. S. (2023). Pharmacology and the nursing process (10th ed.). Elsevier.
The Purdue Global HS140 Unit 10 instructions
The final unit typically asks students to analyze a medication list for a patient with several conditions, reconciling the list, identifying interactions or inappropriate medicines and explaining each concern. Several pages are usual, and instructors expect a full reconciled list that captures nonprescription products and supplements, explanations of each concern by mechanism and patient factors, and recommendations framed as concerns for the prescriber rather than changes. Citing tools such as the Beers Criteria and relevant guidelines is often required. Explaining how the concerns would be communicated, and by whom, shows understanding of roles. A short lessons section helps connect the case to practice. A list of who prescribed each drug, and where, often helps explain how the conflicts arose.
How this HS140 Unit 10 example is built
The case describes the patient, the gout flare and the urgent care prescriptions, then gives the reconciled list from cardiology, primary care, urgent care and self-selected products. Five collisions are explained one by one, each ending with a concern for the prescriber; the highlighted sentence frames the problem as a handoff. A section notes acetaminophen as the commonly preferred option. Another explains how the medical assistant would flag the list and what the clinician decides. A section shows why age, kidney function, heart failure and anticoagulation magnify each risk, and three lessons close the analysis. Every concern is written as a sentence the medical assistant could pass to the clinician unchanged.
Reading the HS140 Unit 10 grading rubric
Medication case analyses are generally graded on completeness of reconciliation, accuracy of the concerns identified, depth of explanation, use of authoritative sources and respect for scope. Accuracy and depth often carry the most weight; graders want concerns explained by mechanism and patient factors, not just named. Completeness rewards including supplements and nonprescription products. Sources such as the Beers Criteria and disease guidelines earn credit when applied to the specific drugs. Respecting scope means framing concerns for the prescriber. A clear plan for communication and lessons for practice can raise the grade. Accurate citations complete the score. Instructors may check that every product on the reconciled list was considered, not only the new prescriptions.
Common HS140 Unit 10 mistakes, and how to avoid them
The most frequent weakness is an analysis that lists interaction-checker alerts without explaining why they matter for this patient. Another is missing supplements or over-the-counter products because they were not on the prescription list. Some students recommend stopping or changing drugs directly, which oversteps the allied health role. Others ignore patient factors, such as kidney function, that make an interaction more serious. Leaving out how the concerns will be communicated weakens the practical value. If your case describes a different patient or list, send the medications and conditions, and an analysis can be drafted that reconciles the list and explains each concern. Overlooking the turmeric or a similar supplement is one of the most common gaps in these cases.
Get an HS140 Unit 10 example written to your instructions
Copy in the Unit 10 case exactly as your instructor posted it, medication list included, with the prompt and rubric. Back inside 24-48h comes a custom medication case analysis, reconciled and organized by problem for a composite patient, with concerns framed for the prescriber. Your first case analysis is free. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.
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HS140 Unit 10 questions, answered
How many interactions should the analysis cover?
Enough to show the important ones, typically two to four explained well rather than every flag a checker produces. Prioritize by potential harm: combinations affecting kidney function, bleeding or breathing come before minor ones. Mention lesser interactions briefly if space allows. The rubric in most sections rewards depth on the significant risks over breadth across trivial ones.
What is medication reconciliation?
It is the process of building one accurate list of everything a patient takes, prescriptions, over-the-counter products, supplements and herbal remedies, and comparing it against what the records say. Discrepancies, omissions and duplications are identified and resolved. In a case analysis it comes first, because interactions cannot be assessed on an incomplete list, and it often reveals the key problem.
Can I recommend stopping a medication?
Frame it as a concern for the prescriber rather than a recommendation to stop. You might note that a combination raises kidney risk and that the prescriber may wish to review whether the anti-inflammatory is needed. That wording shows the analysis while respecting scope. Most allied health rubrics reward identifying and explaining the problem, not deciding the change.
Where can I find a free HS140 Unit 10 sample paper?
The complete Unit 10 medication case analysis is on this page, reconciling a heart failure patient's list after an urgent care gout visit.
Why is naproxen risky for this patient?
It raises bleeding risk with his anticoagulant, causes fluid retention in heart failure and can injure kidneys already strained by his other heart and kidney drugs.