A nurse is caring for a client who has difficulty swallowing medications and is prescribed enteric-coated aspirin PO once daily. The client asks if the medication can be crushed to make it easier to swallow. Which of the following responses should the nurse provide?

A. "Crushing is unsafe, as it destroys the ingredients in the medication." – Crushing does not necessarily destroy the active ingredient, but it can alter how and where the drug is absorbed. B. "Crushing the medication might cause you to have a stomachache or indigestion." – Enteric-coated aspirin is designed to bypass the stomach and dissolve in the intestines to prevent gastric irritation. Crushing it removes this protective coating, which can lead to GI upset or damage. C. "Crushing the medication is a good idea, and I can mix it in some ice cream for you." – This disregards the purpose of the enteric coating and puts the client at risk for adverse effects. D. "Crushing the medication would release all the medication at once, rather than over time." – This explanation applies to extended-release or sustained-release medications, not enteric-coated tablets. The concern here is gastric irritation, not altered timing of release.