PNM 300 Final Exam Review
CORRECT ANSWERS 2027|
2026 WITH VERRIFIED
ANSWERS
Institution: Seneca College
Course: PNM 300 - Pharmacology for the Practical Nurse
Update: 2026
Total Questions: 100+
Instructions: Choose the best answer for each question. The correct answer is
highlighted in bold with a rationale following.
Section 1: Foundational Concepts (Pharmacokinetics & Pharmacodynamics)
1. A nurse is teaching a patient about a new medication. The patient asks,
"What happens to the drug from the time I take it until it leaves my body?" The
nurse's response will be based on knowledge of which of the following?
a) Pharmacotherapeutics
b) Pharmacodynamics
,c) Pharmacokinetics
d) Pharmacognosy
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics is the study of drug movement throughout the body,
including absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME).
Pharmacodynamics is what the drug does to the body.
2. A patient is given an oral medication that is rapidly metabolized by the liver
before reaching systemic circulation. This phenomenon is known as:
a) Protein-binding effect
b) First-pass effect
c) Therapeutic index
d) Enterohepatic recirculation
Rationale: The first-pass effect (or presystemic metabolism) is the metabolism of
a drug in the liver after oral absorption, which reduces the bioavailability of the
drug before it reaches systemic circulation.
3. Which of the following routes of administration completely avoids the first-
pass effect?
a) Oral
b) Rectal
c) Intravenous (IV)
d) Enteral
Rationale: The IV route places the drug directly into the bloodstream, bypassing
the gastrointestinal tract and liver completely. Other routes that avoid first-pass
include sublingual, buccal, transdermal, and inhalation.
, 4. A nurse is calculating the bioavailability of a drug. This measurement refers
to:
a) The degree of protein binding
b) The rate and extent to which a drug reaches systemic circulation
c) The time required for half the drug to be eliminated
d) The minimum concentration of drug in the plasma
Rationale: Bioavailability is the fraction of an administered dose that reaches the
systemic circulation in an unchanged form. An IV dose has 100% bioavailability.
5. A patient asks why their medication needs to be taken every 8 hours. The
nurse's response is based on an understanding of the drug's:
a) Onset of action
b) Peak level
c) Half-life
d) Trough level
Rationale: A drug's half-life (the time it takes for 50% of the drug to be removed)
determines the frequency of dosing. Most drugs are effectively eliminated after
about five half-lives.
6. Which physiological change associated with aging has the most significant
impact on drug excretion?
a) Increased gastric pH
b) Decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR)
c) Increased percentage of body fat
d) Decreased production of microsomal enzymes
Rationale: Excretion, primarily via the kidneys, is diminished in older adults due to
CORRECT ANSWERS 2027|
2026 WITH VERRIFIED
ANSWERS
Institution: Seneca College
Course: PNM 300 - Pharmacology for the Practical Nurse
Update: 2026
Total Questions: 100+
Instructions: Choose the best answer for each question. The correct answer is
highlighted in bold with a rationale following.
Section 1: Foundational Concepts (Pharmacokinetics & Pharmacodynamics)
1. A nurse is teaching a patient about a new medication. The patient asks,
"What happens to the drug from the time I take it until it leaves my body?" The
nurse's response will be based on knowledge of which of the following?
a) Pharmacotherapeutics
b) Pharmacodynamics
,c) Pharmacokinetics
d) Pharmacognosy
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics is the study of drug movement throughout the body,
including absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME).
Pharmacodynamics is what the drug does to the body.
2. A patient is given an oral medication that is rapidly metabolized by the liver
before reaching systemic circulation. This phenomenon is known as:
a) Protein-binding effect
b) First-pass effect
c) Therapeutic index
d) Enterohepatic recirculation
Rationale: The first-pass effect (or presystemic metabolism) is the metabolism of
a drug in the liver after oral absorption, which reduces the bioavailability of the
drug before it reaches systemic circulation.
3. Which of the following routes of administration completely avoids the first-
pass effect?
a) Oral
b) Rectal
c) Intravenous (IV)
d) Enteral
Rationale: The IV route places the drug directly into the bloodstream, bypassing
the gastrointestinal tract and liver completely. Other routes that avoid first-pass
include sublingual, buccal, transdermal, and inhalation.
, 4. A nurse is calculating the bioavailability of a drug. This measurement refers
to:
a) The degree of protein binding
b) The rate and extent to which a drug reaches systemic circulation
c) The time required for half the drug to be eliminated
d) The minimum concentration of drug in the plasma
Rationale: Bioavailability is the fraction of an administered dose that reaches the
systemic circulation in an unchanged form. An IV dose has 100% bioavailability.
5. A patient asks why their medication needs to be taken every 8 hours. The
nurse's response is based on an understanding of the drug's:
a) Onset of action
b) Peak level
c) Half-life
d) Trough level
Rationale: A drug's half-life (the time it takes for 50% of the drug to be removed)
determines the frequency of dosing. Most drugs are effectively eliminated after
about five half-lives.
6. Which physiological change associated with aging has the most significant
impact on drug excretion?
a) Increased gastric pH
b) Decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR)
c) Increased percentage of body fat
d) Decreased production of microsomal enzymes
Rationale: Excretion, primarily via the kidneys, is diminished in older adults due to
