Chapter 02: Pharmacological Principles

Question 1

A patient is receiving two different drugs, which, at their current dose forms and dosages, are
both absorbed into the circulation in identical amounts. Which term best denotes that the
drugs have the same absorption rates?
a. Equivalent
b. Synergistic
c. Compatible
d. Bioequivalent

Answer 1

d. Bioequivalent

Question 2

A patient is receiving medication via intravenous injection. Which information should the
nurse provide for patient education?
a. The medication will cause fewer adverse effects when given intravenously.
b. The medication will be absorbed slowly into the tissues over time.
c. The medication’s action will begin faster when given intravenously.
d. Most of the drug is inactivated by the liver before it reaches the target area.

Answer 2

c. The medication’s action will begin faster when given intravenously.

Question 3

Which is true regarding parenteral drugs?

a. They bypass the first-pass effect.
b. They decrease blood flow to the stomach.
c. They are altered by the presence of food in the stomach.
d. They exert their effects while circulating in the bloodstream.

Answer 3

a. They bypass the first-pass effect.

Question 4

A drug’s half-life is best defined as
a. The time it takes for the drug to elicit half its therapeutic response.
b. The time it takes one-half of the original amount of a drug to reach the target cells.
c. The time it takes one-half of the original amount of a drug to be removed from the
body.
d. The time it takes one-half of the original amount of a drug to be absorbed into the
circulation.

Answer 4

c. The time it takes one-half of the original amount of a drug to be removed from the
body.

Question 5

The term “duration of action” is best defined as
a. The time it takes for the drug to elicit a therapeutic response.
b. The time it takes a drug to reach its maximum therapeutic response.
c. The length of time it takes to remove a drug from circulation.
d. The time during which drug concentration is sufficient to elicit a therapeutic
response.

Answer 5

d. The time during which drug concentration is sufficient to elicit a therapeutic
response.

Question 6

A drug interacts with enzymes by

a. altering cell membrane permeability.
b. “fooling” a receptor on the cell wall.
c. enhancing the drug’s effectiveness within the cells.
d. “fooling” the enzyme into binding with it instead of its normal target cell.

Answer 6

d. “fooling” the enzyme into binding with it instead of its normal target cell.

Question 7

When administering a new medication to a patient, the nurse reads that it is highly protein

bound. Which consequence will result from this protein binding?
a. Renal excretion will take longer.
b. The drug will be metabolized quickly.
c. The duration of action of the medication will be longer.
d. The duration of action of the medication will be shorter.

Answer 7

c. The duration of action of the medication will be longer.

Question 8

When monitoring a patient on an insulin drip to reduce blood glucose levels, the nurse notes
that the patient’s glucose level is extremely low, and the patient is lethargic and difficult to
awaken. Which adverse drug reaction is the nurse observing?
a. An adverse effect
b. An allergic reaction
c. An idiosyncratic reaction
d. A pharmacological reaction

Answer 8

d. A pharmacological reaction

Question 9

A patient is experiencing chest pain and needs to take a sublingual form of nitroglycerin.
Where should the nurse tell the patient to place the tablet?
a. Under the tongue
b. In the space between the cheek and gum
c. At the back of the throat, for easy swallowing
d. On a non-hairy area on the chest

Answer 9

a. Under the tongue

Question 10

The nurse is administering medications to a patient who is in liver failure due to end-stage
cirrhosis. The nurse is aware that patients with liver failure are most likely to have problems
with which pharmacokinetic phase?
a. Absorption
b. Distribution
c. Metabolism
d. Excretion

Answer 10

c. Metabolism