How to read a medication label quiz for nursing students!
It is very important a nurse knows how to read a medication label. Many times the drug label details the brand and generic name, dosage strength, volume amount, expiration date, route of administration, and contains important medication instructions.
One of the reasons a nurse needs to know how to read a medication label is to ensure the medication is being administered properly. This quiz will test your knowledge on this information and will require you to solve some dosage calculation problems while referring to the medication label.
How to Read a Medication Label Nursing Quiz

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How to Read a Medication Label Nursing Quiz
1. What is the generic name of this medication?
A. Fakelixir
B. mixturezole difakate
The answer is B.
2. True or False: There is only one generic name for a medication but it could have multiple brand/trade names.
The answer is TRUE. There is only ONE generic name for a medication. However, a medication could have multiple brand/trade names (especially if different companies manufacture the medication once the patent expires).
3. What is the trade name of this medication?
A. Fakelixir
B. mixturezole difakate
The answer is A.
4. According to the medication label, what is the dosage strength of this medication?
A. 7 g
B. 100 mL
C. 80 mL
D. 350 mg/5 mL
The answer is D. Dosage strength is the amount of drug that is in the specific dosage form supplied.
5. How is this medication supplied according to the medication label?
A. Capsule
B. Injection Solution
C. Oral Solution
D. Tablet
The answer is C: Oral Solution
6. True or False: This medication should be discarded 7 days from preparation.
The answer is FALSE: This medication should be discarded 14 days from preparation.
7. BEFORE reconstitution of this medication, what would the total volume amount be?
A. 100 mL
B. 80 mL
C. 5 mL
D. 20 mL
The answer is D. On the label it specifies that AFTER reconstitution the total volume is 100 mL. The reconstitution instructions say to add 80 mL of water to the bottle and shake thoroughly. Therefore, BEFORE reconstituting (hence adding the specified amount of water) the total volume would be 20 mL.
8. The nurse pours 10 mL of Fakelixir (mixturezole difakate) into a medication cup. How much Fakelixir (mixturezole difakate) did the nurse pour into the medication cup?
A. 700 mg
B. 350 mg
C. 7 g
D. 1,050 mg
The answer is A. According to the medication label, 5 mL of Fakelixir (mixturezole difakate) equals 350 mg. Therefore, if the nurse poured 10 mL in a medication cup, it would equal out to be 700 mg of Fakelixir (mixturezole difakate).
9. How should the patient take this medication?
A. Topically
B. Sublingual
C. Intravenous
D. Orally
The answer is D. This is an oral solution that is swallowed.
10. How should the nurse store this medication?
A. At room temperature in the patient’s medication compartment
B. In a medication warmer
C. On ice
D. In a medication refrigerator
The answer is D. The medication label says to keep the medication refrigerated at 35-46′ F.
11. The doctor orders a patient to take Fakelixir (mixturezole difakate) 350 mg PO BID. Based on the total volume amount (AFTER reconstitution), how many doses will this bottle of Fakelixir (mixturezole difakate) provide to the patient?
A. 7 doses
B. 5 doses
C. 20 doses
D. 12 doses
The answer is C (20 doses). The total volume amount after reconstitution (meaning once the nurse has mixed the medication) is 100 mL. The label tells us that in 5 mL of this medication there are 350 mg. The patient needs to take 350 mg twice a day. For each dose the patient will take 5 mL. The bottle only has 100 mL in it. Therefore, when you divide 100 by 5 you get 20. The patient can expect to get 20 doses out of this bottle of medication. OR look at it this way: The bottle says there are 7 grams of this medication in the bottle and each dose is 350 mg. When you convert 7 grams to mg, you get 7,000 mg. Divide 7,000 by 350 mg and this give you 20 doses.
12. On the medication label, USP can be found after the medication name. What does this stand for?
A. Universal Standards of Pharmacy
B. United States Pharmaceuticals
C. Units of Standard Pharmacy
D. United States Pharmacopeia
The answer is D. It stands for United States Pharmacopeia. This means the medication has passed specific quality standards and has a seal of approval on it. It does not represent a certain measurement or release of the medication.
13. The doctor orders a patient to take Fakelixir (mixturezole difakate) 700 mg PO daily. How many mL will the nurse administer per dose?
A. 10 mL
B. 15 mL
C. 5 mL
D. 7.5 mL
The answer is A.
14. The nurse is preparing to administer the medication above to a patient. The date is February 2, 2080. How should the nurse proceed?
A. Administer the medication
B. Discard the medication
C. Administer the medication and notify pharmacy
D. Assess the medication for any foreign particles or foul odor; if none are present administer the medication
The answer is B. Based on the administration date and the expiration date of this medication; it is expired and should be discarded per facility’s protocol.
15. Before usage of this medication, reconstitution is required. How much water will the nurse add to the bottle of the medication?
A. 20 mL
B. 100 mL
C. 80 mL
D. None
The answer is C: 80 mL
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