You are doing a clinical rotation in a family practice setting. You have been assigned to follow Ms. K through her visit to the primary care provider. As you complete your interview with Ms. K, she asks whether you can answer some questions.

1. She says, “I have a lot of stuffiness with my nose. I’m not sure whether I want to take anything for it because my friend told me that she started to take a medication that was a decongestant spray, and now she can’t stop taking it. Do you know anything about this?” What information does this patient need to make an informed decision? What teaching will you provide? How will you evaluate whether the teaching was effective?
2. She then asks, “Can anything be done to prevent dependency on a decongestant spray?” What teaching will you provide for this patient? How will you evaluate whether the teaching was effective?