NURS 3100 Exam 1 Practice

A client who is terminally ill reports hearing about a drug that is in preclinical investigation. The client asks the nurse if the drug will be available to the public soon. What is the correct response from the nurse?

1. The average length of preclinical investigation is 18 months.

2. When the drug reaches the clinical investigation stage, it is usually released within 2 years.

3. After preclinical investigation, the drug has one more step before it is released to the public.

4. The drug will not be available until after postmarketing surveillance.

The correct answer is: The average length of preclinical investigation is 18 months.

Preclinical investigation is the first step in the drug development process and typically takes 18 months. Clinical investigation is the next step and can take 2-10 years before the drug is released to the public. Option B is incorrect because it states that the drug is typically released within 2 years, which is not necessarily true. Option C is incorrect because it implies that there is only one more step after preclinical investigation before the drug is released, when there are actually several more steps. Option D is incorrect because postmarketing surveillance occurs after the drug has already been released to the public, not before.