NUR 210 / NUR210 Principles of Pharmacology Exam 2
Practice Test Actual 2025/2026 with Detailed
Rationales | 100% Verified | Pass Guaranteed – A+
Graded
SECTION 1: PHARMACOKINETICS & PHARMACODYNAMICS (12
Questions)
Q1: A patient takes an oral medication. The process by which the drug moves from
the site of administration into the bloodstream is called:
A. Distribution
B. Metabolism
C. Absorption [CORRECT]
D. Elimination
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Correct because absorption is the pharmacokinetic process describing
the movement of a drug from its site of administration across biological membranes
into the systemic circulation.
Q2: A drug with high lipid solubility crosses the blood-brain barrier more readily than
a drug with low lipid solubility. This illustrates which principle of drug distribution?
A. Ion trapping
,B. Lipid solubility and membrane permeability [CORRECT]
C. First-pass effect
D. Protein binding
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Correct because the blood-brain barrier consists of tight junctions and
lipid membranes; highly lipophilic drugs passively diffuse across lipid bilayers more
readily than hydrophilic drugs, which require transport mechanisms.
Q3: The first-pass effect primarily occurs in which organ?
A. Kidney
B. Liver [CORRECT]
C. Lung
D. Spleen
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Correct because orally administered drugs are absorbed through the
gastrointestinal tract and transported via the hepatic portal vein to the liver, where a
significant fraction may be metabolised before reaching systemic circulation.
Q4: A drug has a half-life of 6 hours. Approximately how long will it take to reach
steady-state concentration with repeated dosing?
A. 6 hours
B. 12 hours
C. 30 hours [CORRECT]
, D. 60 hours
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Correct because steady-state concentration is typically reached after
approximately 4–5 half-lives; 5 × 6 hours = 30 hours, at which point drug elimination
balances drug administration.
Q5: The therapeutic index of a drug is calculated as:
A. ED₅₀ / LD₅₀
B. LD₅₀ / ED₅₀ [CORRECT]
C. ED₅₀ × LD₅₀
D. LD₅₀ − ED₅₀
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Correct because the therapeutic index (TI) is the ratio of the lethal dose
for 50% of the population (LD₅₀) to the effective dose for 50% of the population
(ED₅₀); a higher TI indicates a wider margin of safety.
Q6: A patient is taking warfarin and begins taking a drug that induces hepatic
cytochrome P450 enzymes. The nurse should anticipate:
A. Increased warfarin effect and risk of bleeding
B. Decreased warfarin effect and risk of thrombosis [CORRECT]
C. No change in warfarin levels
D. Increased warfarin half-life
Correct Answer: B
Practice Test Actual 2025/2026 with Detailed
Rationales | 100% Verified | Pass Guaranteed – A+
Graded
SECTION 1: PHARMACOKINETICS & PHARMACODYNAMICS (12
Questions)
Q1: A patient takes an oral medication. The process by which the drug moves from
the site of administration into the bloodstream is called:
A. Distribution
B. Metabolism
C. Absorption [CORRECT]
D. Elimination
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Correct because absorption is the pharmacokinetic process describing
the movement of a drug from its site of administration across biological membranes
into the systemic circulation.
Q2: A drug with high lipid solubility crosses the blood-brain barrier more readily than
a drug with low lipid solubility. This illustrates which principle of drug distribution?
A. Ion trapping
,B. Lipid solubility and membrane permeability [CORRECT]
C. First-pass effect
D. Protein binding
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Correct because the blood-brain barrier consists of tight junctions and
lipid membranes; highly lipophilic drugs passively diffuse across lipid bilayers more
readily than hydrophilic drugs, which require transport mechanisms.
Q3: The first-pass effect primarily occurs in which organ?
A. Kidney
B. Liver [CORRECT]
C. Lung
D. Spleen
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Correct because orally administered drugs are absorbed through the
gastrointestinal tract and transported via the hepatic portal vein to the liver, where a
significant fraction may be metabolised before reaching systemic circulation.
Q4: A drug has a half-life of 6 hours. Approximately how long will it take to reach
steady-state concentration with repeated dosing?
A. 6 hours
B. 12 hours
C. 30 hours [CORRECT]
, D. 60 hours
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Correct because steady-state concentration is typically reached after
approximately 4–5 half-lives; 5 × 6 hours = 30 hours, at which point drug elimination
balances drug administration.
Q5: The therapeutic index of a drug is calculated as:
A. ED₅₀ / LD₅₀
B. LD₅₀ / ED₅₀ [CORRECT]
C. ED₅₀ × LD₅₀
D. LD₅₀ − ED₅₀
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Correct because the therapeutic index (TI) is the ratio of the lethal dose
for 50% of the population (LD₅₀) to the effective dose for 50% of the population
(ED₅₀); a higher TI indicates a wider margin of safety.
Q6: A patient is taking warfarin and begins taking a drug that induces hepatic
cytochrome P450 enzymes. The nurse should anticipate:
A. Increased warfarin effect and risk of bleeding
B. Decreased warfarin effect and risk of thrombosis [CORRECT]
C. No change in warfarin levels
D. Increased warfarin half-life
Correct Answer: B
