BSN Pharmacology Introduction & Safety Principles WEEK 2 Quiz
2026|Galen College
1. Which branch of pharmacology is concerned with the movement of drugs
through the body, including absorption, distribution, metabolism, and
excretion?
A. Pharmacokinetics
B. Pharmacodynamics
C. Pharmacotherapeutics
D. Pharmacogenomics
Answer: A
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics describes the ‘journey’ of the drug through the body,
specifically absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME).
2. When a drug is administered orally and is extensively metabolized by the liver
before reaching systemic circulation, this is known as:
A. Bioavailability
B. Therapeutic index
C. The first-pass effect
D. Drug protein binding
Answer: C
Rationale: The first-pass effect occurs when a drug’s concentration is greatly reduced by
the liver before it enters the systemic circulation.
,3. Which of the following describes a drug that binds to a receptor and triggers a
biological response identical to the natural ligand?
A. Antagonist
B. Partial antagonist
C. Agonist
D. Inhibitor
Answer: C
Rationale: An agonist is a molecule that binds to a receptor and activates it to produce a
biological response.
4. A nurse is administering a medication with a narrow therapeutic index. What
is the nurse’s priority action?
A. Increase the dose to ensure efficacy
B. Monitor blood levels closely for toxicity
C. Administer the drug only as a PRN dose
D. Switch the drug to a generic brand
Answer: B
Rationale: A narrow therapeutic index means there is a small margin between a
therapeutic dose and a toxic dose, requiring close serum level monitoring.
5. What is the primary site of drug excretion in the human body?
A. Lungs
B. Liver
C. Kidneys
D. Large Intestine
Answer: C
Rationale: While some excretion occurs via other routes, the kidneys are the primary
organs responsible for drug elimination.
, 6. If a drug has a half-life of 4 hours, what percentage of the drug will remain in
the body after 8 hours?
A. 50%
B. 75%
C. 25%
D. 12.5%
Answer: C
Rationale: After 4 hours (one half-life), 50% remains. After another 4 hours (two half-
lives), half of that 50% remains, which is 25%.
7. Which schedule of controlled substances includes drugs with a high potential
for abuse but have currently accepted medical uses, such as morphine?
A. Schedule II
B. Schedule I
C. Schedule III
D. Schedule IV
Answer: A
Rationale: Schedule II drugs have a high potential for abuse and lead to severe
psychological or physical dependence, but they have accepted medical uses.
8. A patient has low serum albumin levels. How does this affect the distribution
of a highly protein-bound drug?
A. There will be less free drug available
B. The drug will not be absorbed in the GI tract
C. The drug will be excreted faster by the kidneys
D. There will be more free drug available, increasing risk of toxicity
Answer: D
Rationale: Fewer albumin binding sites mean more drug remains ‘free’ or active in the
bloodstream, which increases the pharmacological effect and risk of toxicity.
2026|Galen College
1. Which branch of pharmacology is concerned with the movement of drugs
through the body, including absorption, distribution, metabolism, and
excretion?
A. Pharmacokinetics
B. Pharmacodynamics
C. Pharmacotherapeutics
D. Pharmacogenomics
Answer: A
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics describes the ‘journey’ of the drug through the body,
specifically absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME).
2. When a drug is administered orally and is extensively metabolized by the liver
before reaching systemic circulation, this is known as:
A. Bioavailability
B. Therapeutic index
C. The first-pass effect
D. Drug protein binding
Answer: C
Rationale: The first-pass effect occurs when a drug’s concentration is greatly reduced by
the liver before it enters the systemic circulation.
,3. Which of the following describes a drug that binds to a receptor and triggers a
biological response identical to the natural ligand?
A. Antagonist
B. Partial antagonist
C. Agonist
D. Inhibitor
Answer: C
Rationale: An agonist is a molecule that binds to a receptor and activates it to produce a
biological response.
4. A nurse is administering a medication with a narrow therapeutic index. What
is the nurse’s priority action?
A. Increase the dose to ensure efficacy
B. Monitor blood levels closely for toxicity
C. Administer the drug only as a PRN dose
D. Switch the drug to a generic brand
Answer: B
Rationale: A narrow therapeutic index means there is a small margin between a
therapeutic dose and a toxic dose, requiring close serum level monitoring.
5. What is the primary site of drug excretion in the human body?
A. Lungs
B. Liver
C. Kidneys
D. Large Intestine
Answer: C
Rationale: While some excretion occurs via other routes, the kidneys are the primary
organs responsible for drug elimination.
, 6. If a drug has a half-life of 4 hours, what percentage of the drug will remain in
the body after 8 hours?
A. 50%
B. 75%
C. 25%
D. 12.5%
Answer: C
Rationale: After 4 hours (one half-life), 50% remains. After another 4 hours (two half-
lives), half of that 50% remains, which is 25%.
7. Which schedule of controlled substances includes drugs with a high potential
for abuse but have currently accepted medical uses, such as morphine?
A. Schedule II
B. Schedule I
C. Schedule III
D. Schedule IV
Answer: A
Rationale: Schedule II drugs have a high potential for abuse and lead to severe
psychological or physical dependence, but they have accepted medical uses.
8. A patient has low serum albumin levels. How does this affect the distribution
of a highly protein-bound drug?
A. There will be less free drug available
B. The drug will not be absorbed in the GI tract
C. The drug will be excreted faster by the kidneys
D. There will be more free drug available, increasing risk of toxicity
Answer: D
Rationale: Fewer albumin binding sites mean more drug remains ‘free’ or active in the
bloodstream, which increases the pharmacological effect and risk of toxicity.
