Patient/CaregiverOpioids-Safety Quiz
This brief quiz covers critical messages that are in the Opioids911-Safety Patient/Caregiver Education Program (Opioids911.org). Healthcare providers may choose to use this in several ways…
-as a pretest before any on-site patient/caregiver education to assess current understandings of vital information;
-as a posttest after on-site education to assess retention of key concepts;
-it also can be used on its own to serve as a discussion aid with patients/caregivers;
-during follow-up visits, the quiz can be used to assess patient/caregiver retention of information from home-study of the Opioids911.org website, allowing the healthcare provider to identify and correct misunderstandings or inappropriate practices by patients and their caregivers regarding opioid safety.
Some healthcare providers may want to have patients/caregivers sign the document and keep it as a part of the patient record. Finally, under a Creative Commons copyright license, this MS Word text document can be modified to accommodate particular clinical situations; however, the copyright notice must be retained.
Note: Other than having face validity to assess a general understanding of key points presented in the various questions, this quiz has not been otherwise field-tested to determine clinical validity or reliability in different populations of patients. No assurances can be made that a high performance on the quiz will result in desired behaviors regarding opioid safety.
How Much Do You Know About
Opioid Safety?
Mark the box x for what you believe is the correct answer to
each question below.
1. Which of the following are signs that a person may be overmedicated with opioid medicine?
o a) Itchy eyes and runny nose.
o b) Muscle or joint aches and pains.
o c) Confusion, slurred speech, acting mildly intoxicated.
2. What should be done if opioid overmedication is suspected?
o a) Take a nap to sleep off the effects.
o b) Call the opioid prescriber or National Poison Hotline (in the U.S.) for advice.
o c) Skip the next scheduled dose of opioid medicine.
o d) Drink a lot of fluids.
3. Which of the following are danger signs of opioid overdose?
o a) Trouble breathing or unable to wake up from sleep.
o b) Feeling nervous and depressed.
o c) An upset stomach and bad case of the hiccups.
4. If opioid overdose is suspected, what should be done?
o a) Put the person in a cold shower or bath.
o b) Make the person comfortable and let them sleep it off.
o c) Call emergency services immediately.
o d) Get the person up and walking around.
5. Where is the best place to store your opioid medicines?
o a) In the bathroom where they will be handy.
o b) In a locked container, cabinet, or drawer.
o c) On a kitchen counter or in a kitchen cabinet.
o d) Anywhere that is out of sight.
6. When you are finished taking an opioid prescription, what should you do at home
with any leftover medicine?
o a) Save it in case you ever need the medicine again.
o b) Throw it in the trash.
o c) Flush it down the toilet.
7. If a child or pet swallows any of your opioid medicine, what should you do?
o a) Call your healthcare provider and ask for advice.
o b) Try to make them gag and throw up the medicine.
o c) Keep them calm and see if they get sick.
o d) Call emergency medical services right away.
8. What should you do if a friend or relative asks you to share your opioid medicine
with them?
o a) Tell them you cannot share because it could do them harm and it also is
against the law to share.
o b) Share with them only if they are truly in pain and desperately need relief.
o c) Give them just a small amount of your opioid medicine to tide them over.
o d) Share with them if they say they have a prescription for a similar opioid.
9. Which of the following is very important for safely taking opioid medicines?
o a) Never chew, cut, crush, or dissolve opioid tablets, or open opioid capsules, unless told to do so by the opioid prescriber.
o b) Never cut or fold opioid patches or put a heating pad over them.
o c) Always use an accurate measuring device when taking opioid liquids.
10. What should you do If you are not getting enough pain relief from your opioid
medicine?
o a) Call the healthcare provider who prescribed the opioid and ask what to do?
o b) Take an extra dose of opioid medicine and see if it helps.
o c) Try taking your usual dose of opioid medicine more times each day.
11. Which of the following is true about addiction to opioid medicine?
o a) Addiction is very common in persons taking opioids for pain relief.
o b) It is a form of tolerance, requiring greater amounts of opioid medicine for pain relief.
o c) It is more common in persons who have had trouble with substance abuse, including alcohol misuse, in the past.
o d) The person will have “flu like” symptoms if they stop taking opioids.
12. What are the 3 most common opioid side effects?
o a) Enlarged or dilated pupils in the eyes, runny nose, dry skin.
o b) Constipation, nausea, and sedation.
o c) Loss of appetite, stomach cramps, hot flashes.
13. Which of the following is true about opioid safety?
o a) Opioid pain relievers should be prescribed by only one healthcare provider.
o b) Opioid prescriptions should always be filled at the same pharmacy.
o c) You should read instructions that come with your opioid prescription even if you have had the same medicine before.
14. Can alcohol be used with opioids?
o a) Beer or wine are okay but not hard liquor.
o b) It can be dangerous to use any beer, wine, or hard liquor with opioids.
o c) Yes, but only if the alcohol is consumed between opioid doses.
15. Is it safe to drive a car when first using opioid medicines or after a dose increase?
o a) Not until opioid affects are known and the prescriber says it is okay.
o b) Yes, as long as the opioids are not used with alcohol.
o c) Driving during the day is okay but not at night.
o d) Yes, if you are only taking opioids once or twice a day.
ANSWER KEY ON BOTTOM.....
1c, 2b, 3a, 4c, 5b, 6c, 7d, 8a, 9d, 10a, 11c, 12b, 13a, 14b, 15a
