Pharmacology Week 1 Quiz (NURS 180) 2026 – WCU
1. Which term refers to what the body does to the drug, including absorption,
distribution, metabolism, and excretion?
A. Pharmacodynamics
B. Pharmacokinetics
C. Pharmacotherapeutics
D. Pharmacogenomics
Answer: B
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics describes the movement of drugs through the body, while
pharmacodynamics describes what the drug does to the body.
2. A drug that binds to a receptor and produces a maximal biological response is
known as:
A. An antagonist
B. A partial agonist
C. An inverse agonist
D. An agonist
Answer: D
Rationale: Agonists are drugs that bind to receptors and mimic the effects of endogenous
regulatory molecules.
,3. The ‘first-pass effect’ primarily occurs after which route of administration?
A. Intravenous
B. Sublingual
C. Oral
D. Intramuscular
Answer: C
Rationale: Drugs taken orally are absorbed from the GI tract into the portal circulation and
pass through the liver before reaching systemic circulation.
4. Which of the following describes a drug’s ‘Generic Name’?
A. The name used for marketing and brand recognition
B. The official nonproprietary name assigned by the USAN Council
C. The complex chemical structure of the molecule
D. The name registered under a specific trademark
Answer: B
Rationale: The generic name is the official, non-proprietary name. There is only one
generic name for each drug.
5. If a drug has a half-life of 4 hours and a dose of 100mg is given, how much
drug remains in the body after 8 hours?
A. 25mg
B. 50mg
C. 12.5mg
D. 0mg
Answer: A
Rationale: After 4 hours (1 half-life), 50mg remains. After another 4 hours (2 half-lives
total), 25mg remains.
, 6. Which pregnancy category indicates that studies in animals or humans have
demonstrated fetal abnormalities and the risk outweighs any benefit?
A. Category A
B. Category X
C. Category C
D. Category B
Answer: B
Rationale: Category X drugs are contraindicated in women who are or may become
pregnant due to proven fetal risk.
7. The primary site for drug metabolism in the human body is the:
A. Kidneys
B. Lungs
C. Small Intestine
D. Liver
Answer: D
Rationale: While metabolism can occur elsewhere, the liver is the most important organ
for drug biotransformation.
8. Which organ is primarily responsible for the excretion of most drugs?
A. Liver
B. Skin
C. Kidneys
D. Lungs
Answer: C
Rationale: The kidneys are the primary organs for drug excretion, filtering metabolites out
of the blood into urine.
1. Which term refers to what the body does to the drug, including absorption,
distribution, metabolism, and excretion?
A. Pharmacodynamics
B. Pharmacokinetics
C. Pharmacotherapeutics
D. Pharmacogenomics
Answer: B
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics describes the movement of drugs through the body, while
pharmacodynamics describes what the drug does to the body.
2. A drug that binds to a receptor and produces a maximal biological response is
known as:
A. An antagonist
B. A partial agonist
C. An inverse agonist
D. An agonist
Answer: D
Rationale: Agonists are drugs that bind to receptors and mimic the effects of endogenous
regulatory molecules.
,3. The ‘first-pass effect’ primarily occurs after which route of administration?
A. Intravenous
B. Sublingual
C. Oral
D. Intramuscular
Answer: C
Rationale: Drugs taken orally are absorbed from the GI tract into the portal circulation and
pass through the liver before reaching systemic circulation.
4. Which of the following describes a drug’s ‘Generic Name’?
A. The name used for marketing and brand recognition
B. The official nonproprietary name assigned by the USAN Council
C. The complex chemical structure of the molecule
D. The name registered under a specific trademark
Answer: B
Rationale: The generic name is the official, non-proprietary name. There is only one
generic name for each drug.
5. If a drug has a half-life of 4 hours and a dose of 100mg is given, how much
drug remains in the body after 8 hours?
A. 25mg
B. 50mg
C. 12.5mg
D. 0mg
Answer: A
Rationale: After 4 hours (1 half-life), 50mg remains. After another 4 hours (2 half-lives
total), 25mg remains.
, 6. Which pregnancy category indicates that studies in animals or humans have
demonstrated fetal abnormalities and the risk outweighs any benefit?
A. Category A
B. Category X
C. Category C
D. Category B
Answer: B
Rationale: Category X drugs are contraindicated in women who are or may become
pregnant due to proven fetal risk.
7. The primary site for drug metabolism in the human body is the:
A. Kidneys
B. Lungs
C. Small Intestine
D. Liver
Answer: D
Rationale: While metabolism can occur elsewhere, the liver is the most important organ
for drug biotransformation.
8. Which organ is primarily responsible for the excretion of most drugs?
A. Liver
B. Skin
C. Kidneys
D. Lungs
Answer: C
Rationale: The kidneys are the primary organs for drug excretion, filtering metabolites out
of the blood into urine.
