Real Exam 1 NURS 180 Pharmacology Prep Test Bank
Latest 2026-2027 with a Review of 300 questions and
Correct Answers/ NURS 180 Exam 1 Practice Test Bank
WCU (Correctly Answered Practice Questions)
Which primary organ involves the biotransformation of the medication?
A) Liver
B) Kidney
C) Lung
D) Skin -ANSWER- A) Liver
The movement of a drug from the site of administration to various tissues of the
body is what kind of pharmacokinetic action?
A) Absorption
B) Distribution
C) Metabolism
D) Excretion -ANSWER- A) Absorption
What is the term for the unintended effects of a drug that commonly occur when a
therapeutic dose of the drug is given?
A) Adverse Effects
B) Side Effects
C) Toxic Effects
D) Allergic Reactions -ANSWER- B) Side Effects
What is the term for the unintended effects of a drug that occur when the
therapeutic dose of the drug causes severe or life-threatening effects?
A) Side Effects
B) Adverse Effects
C) Mild Reactions
D) Expected Outcomes -ANSWER- B) Adverse Effects
What is the name of the exaggerated response by the body's immune system to a
drug that precipitates a massive release of histamine and other chemical mediators?
A) Anaphylactic shock
B) Allergic dermatitis
1
,C) Serum sickness
D) Delayed hypersensitivity -ANSWER- A) Anaphylactic shock
What are some of the symptoms of anaphylactic shock?
A) Swelling of the eyes, face, mouth, and throat; Difficulty breathing and
wheezing; Rapid heart rate; Extremely low blood pressure; Cardiac arrest
B) Mild rash and itching only
C) Nausea and headache
D) Fever and joint pain -ANSWER- A) Swelling of the eyes, face, mouth, and
throat; Difficulty breathing and wheezing; Rapid heart rate; Extremely low blood
pressure; Cardiac arrest
The change or biotransformation that occurs in a drug into a more or less potent,
soluble, or inactive form is what kind of a pharmacokinetic action?
A) Absorption
B) Distribution
C) Metabolism
D) Excretion -ANSWER- C) Metabolism
The elimination of a drug or its metabolites from the body to the external
environment through the kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, skin, or lungs is what kind
of pharmacokinetic action?
A) Absorption
B) Distribution
C) Metabolism
D) Excretion -ANSWER- D) Excretion
What term describes a drug that has been identified by the federal government as
being potentially harmful if its administration is not supervised by a licensed health
provider such as a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician's assistant?
A) Prescription drug
B) Over-the-counter drug
C) Controlled substance
D) Scheduled drug -ANSWER- A) Prescription drug
Where will ER and/or EC medications end up when you crush it? Effective or not?
A) In stomach, will become effective
B) In stomach, will not become effective
C) In intestines, will become effective
2
,D) In bloodstream, will become effective -ANSWER- B) In stomach, will not
become effective
What is the name of the process that addresses how various drug forms affect the
dissolution, absorption rate, and onset of action of a drug?
A) Pharmacodynamics
B) Pharmacokinetics
C) Pharmaceutics
D) Pharmacotherapeutics -ANSWER- C) Pharmaceutics
What is the term for a medication applied directly to the skin?
A) Parenteral
B) Enteral
C) Topical and transdermal
D) Inhalation -ANSWER- C) Topical and transdermal
A nurse reviewing a client's medical record notes a new prescription for verifying
the trough level of the client's medication. Which of the following actions should
the nurse take?
A) Obtain a blood specimen immediately prior to administering the next dose of
medication
B) Verify that the client has been taking the medication for 24 hr before obtaining
a blood specimen
C) Ask the client to provide a urine specimen after the next dose of medication
D) Administer the medication, and obtain a blood specimen 30 minutes later -
ANSWER- A) Obtain a blood specimen immediately prior to administering the
next dose of medication
Name the drug schedule: Heroin, LSD, Marijuana, Ecstasy
A) Schedule 1
B) Schedule 2
C) Schedule 4
D) Schedule 5 -ANSWER- A) Schedule 1
Name the drug schedule: Dilaudid, methadone, meperidine, oxycodone, fentanyl,
cocaine, Ritalin
A) Schedule 1
B) Schedule 2
C) Schedule 4
D) Schedule 5 -ANSWER- B) Schedule 2
3
, Name the drug schedule: Xanax, Soma, Darvon, Darvocet, Valium, Ativan,
Talwin, Ambien, Tramadol
A) Schedule 1
B) Schedule 2
C) Schedule 4
D) Schedule 5 -ANSWER- C) Schedule 4
Name the drug schedule: Lomotil, Lyrica, Parapectolin
A) Schedule 1
B) Schedule 2
C) Schedule 4
D) Schedule 5 -ANSWER- D) Schedule 5
What form of oral drug is expected to have the longest absorption rate?
A) Liquid suspensions
B) Capsules
C) Tablets with enteric coating
D) Sublingual tablets -ANSWER- C) Tablets with enteric coating
What are the terms used to describe oral medications that come in forms that delay
release of the medication?
A) Enteric coated and extended release
B) Immediate release and fast acting
C) Sublingual and buccal
D) Effervescent and soluble -ANSWER- A) Enteric coated and extended release
What is the term for a medication that is injected into a vein, subcutaneous tissue,
or muscle tissue?
A) Enteral
B) Parenteral
C) Topical
D) Transdermal -ANSWER- B) Parenteral
What is the term for the time it takes a medication in the body to decrease in
amount by half?
A) Onset of action
B) Peak effect
C) Half-life
D) Duration -ANSWER- C) Half-life
4
Latest 2026-2027 with a Review of 300 questions and
Correct Answers/ NURS 180 Exam 1 Practice Test Bank
WCU (Correctly Answered Practice Questions)
Which primary organ involves the biotransformation of the medication?
A) Liver
B) Kidney
C) Lung
D) Skin -ANSWER- A) Liver
The movement of a drug from the site of administration to various tissues of the
body is what kind of pharmacokinetic action?
A) Absorption
B) Distribution
C) Metabolism
D) Excretion -ANSWER- A) Absorption
What is the term for the unintended effects of a drug that commonly occur when a
therapeutic dose of the drug is given?
A) Adverse Effects
B) Side Effects
C) Toxic Effects
D) Allergic Reactions -ANSWER- B) Side Effects
What is the term for the unintended effects of a drug that occur when the
therapeutic dose of the drug causes severe or life-threatening effects?
A) Side Effects
B) Adverse Effects
C) Mild Reactions
D) Expected Outcomes -ANSWER- B) Adverse Effects
What is the name of the exaggerated response by the body's immune system to a
drug that precipitates a massive release of histamine and other chemical mediators?
A) Anaphylactic shock
B) Allergic dermatitis
1
,C) Serum sickness
D) Delayed hypersensitivity -ANSWER- A) Anaphylactic shock
What are some of the symptoms of anaphylactic shock?
A) Swelling of the eyes, face, mouth, and throat; Difficulty breathing and
wheezing; Rapid heart rate; Extremely low blood pressure; Cardiac arrest
B) Mild rash and itching only
C) Nausea and headache
D) Fever and joint pain -ANSWER- A) Swelling of the eyes, face, mouth, and
throat; Difficulty breathing and wheezing; Rapid heart rate; Extremely low blood
pressure; Cardiac arrest
The change or biotransformation that occurs in a drug into a more or less potent,
soluble, or inactive form is what kind of a pharmacokinetic action?
A) Absorption
B) Distribution
C) Metabolism
D) Excretion -ANSWER- C) Metabolism
The elimination of a drug or its metabolites from the body to the external
environment through the kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, skin, or lungs is what kind
of pharmacokinetic action?
A) Absorption
B) Distribution
C) Metabolism
D) Excretion -ANSWER- D) Excretion
What term describes a drug that has been identified by the federal government as
being potentially harmful if its administration is not supervised by a licensed health
provider such as a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician's assistant?
A) Prescription drug
B) Over-the-counter drug
C) Controlled substance
D) Scheduled drug -ANSWER- A) Prescription drug
Where will ER and/or EC medications end up when you crush it? Effective or not?
A) In stomach, will become effective
B) In stomach, will not become effective
C) In intestines, will become effective
2
,D) In bloodstream, will become effective -ANSWER- B) In stomach, will not
become effective
What is the name of the process that addresses how various drug forms affect the
dissolution, absorption rate, and onset of action of a drug?
A) Pharmacodynamics
B) Pharmacokinetics
C) Pharmaceutics
D) Pharmacotherapeutics -ANSWER- C) Pharmaceutics
What is the term for a medication applied directly to the skin?
A) Parenteral
B) Enteral
C) Topical and transdermal
D) Inhalation -ANSWER- C) Topical and transdermal
A nurse reviewing a client's medical record notes a new prescription for verifying
the trough level of the client's medication. Which of the following actions should
the nurse take?
A) Obtain a blood specimen immediately prior to administering the next dose of
medication
B) Verify that the client has been taking the medication for 24 hr before obtaining
a blood specimen
C) Ask the client to provide a urine specimen after the next dose of medication
D) Administer the medication, and obtain a blood specimen 30 minutes later -
ANSWER- A) Obtain a blood specimen immediately prior to administering the
next dose of medication
Name the drug schedule: Heroin, LSD, Marijuana, Ecstasy
A) Schedule 1
B) Schedule 2
C) Schedule 4
D) Schedule 5 -ANSWER- A) Schedule 1
Name the drug schedule: Dilaudid, methadone, meperidine, oxycodone, fentanyl,
cocaine, Ritalin
A) Schedule 1
B) Schedule 2
C) Schedule 4
D) Schedule 5 -ANSWER- B) Schedule 2
3
, Name the drug schedule: Xanax, Soma, Darvon, Darvocet, Valium, Ativan,
Talwin, Ambien, Tramadol
A) Schedule 1
B) Schedule 2
C) Schedule 4
D) Schedule 5 -ANSWER- C) Schedule 4
Name the drug schedule: Lomotil, Lyrica, Parapectolin
A) Schedule 1
B) Schedule 2
C) Schedule 4
D) Schedule 5 -ANSWER- D) Schedule 5
What form of oral drug is expected to have the longest absorption rate?
A) Liquid suspensions
B) Capsules
C) Tablets with enteric coating
D) Sublingual tablets -ANSWER- C) Tablets with enteric coating
What are the terms used to describe oral medications that come in forms that delay
release of the medication?
A) Enteric coated and extended release
B) Immediate release and fast acting
C) Sublingual and buccal
D) Effervescent and soluble -ANSWER- A) Enteric coated and extended release
What is the term for a medication that is injected into a vein, subcutaneous tissue,
or muscle tissue?
A) Enteral
B) Parenteral
C) Topical
D) Transdermal -ANSWER- B) Parenteral
What is the term for the time it takes a medication in the body to decrease in
amount by half?
A) Onset of action
B) Peak effect
C) Half-life
D) Duration -ANSWER- C) Half-life
4
