NURS 180 Pharmacology Week 2 Quiz: Fundamentals 2026- WCU
1. What term describes the study of what the body does to the drug, including
absorption and excretion?
A. Pharmacodynamics
B. Pharmacokinetics
C. Pharmacotherapeutics
D. Pharmacogenomics
Answer: B
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics refers to the movement of drugs through the body,
specifically absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME).
2. Which process is primarily responsible for the ‘first-pass effect’ in oral
medications?
A. Renal filtration
B. Hepatic metabolism
C. Gastric acid degradation
D. Intestinal absorption
Answer: B
Rationale: The first-pass effect occurs when a drug is metabolized by the liver after being
absorbed from the GI tract but before reaching systemic circulation.
,3. A drug has a half-life of 4 hours. If a dose of 400 mg is given, how much drug
remains in the body after 12 hours?
A. 100 mg
B. 200 mg
C. 50 mg
D. 25 mg
Answer: C
Rationale: After 4 hours (1 half-life): 200mg; after 8 hours (2 half-lives): 100mg; after 12
hours (3 half-lives): 50mg.
4. What does the term ‘bioavailability’ refer to?
A. The fraction of an administered drug that reaches the systemic circulation
B. The speed at which a drug is excreted
C. The total amount of drug administered
D. The strength of the bond between a drug and its receptor
Answer: A
Rationale: Bioavailability is the portion of the dose that reaches the systemic circulation in
an unchanged form.
5. Which route of administration provides 100% bioavailability?
A. Oral
B. Transdermal
C. Subcutaneous
D. Intravenous
Answer: D
Rationale: Intravenous (IV) administration bypasses absorption barriers and the first-pass
effect, providing immediate 100% bioavailability.
, 6. A drug that binds to a receptor and produces a maximal biological response is
called a(n):
A. Agonist
B. Partial Agonist
C. Antagonist
D. Inverse Agonist
Answer: A
Rationale: An agonist mimics the action of endogenous substances by binding to and
activating receptors.
7. What is the primary site of drug excretion in the human body?
A. Liver
B. Kidneys
C. Lungs
D. Skin
Answer: B
Rationale: While metabolism happens in the liver, the kidneys are the primary organs
responsible for excreting drugs and their metabolites.
8. Which of the following describes a drug’s ‘therapeutic index’?
A. The affinity of a drug for its protein carrier
B. The time it takes for a drug to reach its peak concentration
C. The duration of the drug’s action in the body
D. The ratio between the toxic dose and the effective dose
Answer: D
Rationale: The therapeutic index (TI) measures drug safety; a narrow TI means the
difference between a therapeutic and toxic dose is small.
1. What term describes the study of what the body does to the drug, including
absorption and excretion?
A. Pharmacodynamics
B. Pharmacokinetics
C. Pharmacotherapeutics
D. Pharmacogenomics
Answer: B
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics refers to the movement of drugs through the body,
specifically absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME).
2. Which process is primarily responsible for the ‘first-pass effect’ in oral
medications?
A. Renal filtration
B. Hepatic metabolism
C. Gastric acid degradation
D. Intestinal absorption
Answer: B
Rationale: The first-pass effect occurs when a drug is metabolized by the liver after being
absorbed from the GI tract but before reaching systemic circulation.
,3. A drug has a half-life of 4 hours. If a dose of 400 mg is given, how much drug
remains in the body after 12 hours?
A. 100 mg
B. 200 mg
C. 50 mg
D. 25 mg
Answer: C
Rationale: After 4 hours (1 half-life): 200mg; after 8 hours (2 half-lives): 100mg; after 12
hours (3 half-lives): 50mg.
4. What does the term ‘bioavailability’ refer to?
A. The fraction of an administered drug that reaches the systemic circulation
B. The speed at which a drug is excreted
C. The total amount of drug administered
D. The strength of the bond between a drug and its receptor
Answer: A
Rationale: Bioavailability is the portion of the dose that reaches the systemic circulation in
an unchanged form.
5. Which route of administration provides 100% bioavailability?
A. Oral
B. Transdermal
C. Subcutaneous
D. Intravenous
Answer: D
Rationale: Intravenous (IV) administration bypasses absorption barriers and the first-pass
effect, providing immediate 100% bioavailability.
, 6. A drug that binds to a receptor and produces a maximal biological response is
called a(n):
A. Agonist
B. Partial Agonist
C. Antagonist
D. Inverse Agonist
Answer: A
Rationale: An agonist mimics the action of endogenous substances by binding to and
activating receptors.
7. What is the primary site of drug excretion in the human body?
A. Liver
B. Kidneys
C. Lungs
D. Skin
Answer: B
Rationale: While metabolism happens in the liver, the kidneys are the primary organs
responsible for excreting drugs and their metabolites.
8. Which of the following describes a drug’s ‘therapeutic index’?
A. The affinity of a drug for its protein carrier
B. The time it takes for a drug to reach its peak concentration
C. The duration of the drug’s action in the body
D. The ratio between the toxic dose and the effective dose
Answer: D
Rationale: The therapeutic index (TI) measures drug safety; a narrow TI means the
difference between a therapeutic and toxic dose is small.
