Which type of nursing diagnoses can be identified in pharmacotherapy assessment?

• A. Wellness, risk, and actual problem.
• B. Only wellness.
• C. Only risk.
• D. Only actual problem.

Answer: (A)

In pharmacotherapy assessment, you look for three kinds of nursing diagnoses: actual problems, risks, and wellness needs. An actual problem reflects an existing issue related to medication, such as ineffective therapeutic regimen management or an adverse drug reaction that the patient is currently experiencing. A risk diagnosis captures potential problems that could develop because of the medications or the therapy plan, like risk for injury from dizziness after taking a new antihypertensive or risk for nonadherence due to a complex dosing schedule. A wellness diagnosis, or readiness for enhanced therapeutic regimen management, reflects the patient’s desire and ability to improve how they manage their medications, spaces where education or support could boost outcomes.

Pharmacotherapy assessment inherently covers what the patient is currently experiencing, what could go wrong, and where education or support could enhance care, so all three types can be identified.