CNUR 202 PHARMACOLOGY REVIEW | COMPLETE NURSING MEDICATION STUDY GUIDE,
DRUG CLASSES, PRACTICE QUESTIONS & EXAM PREP 2026/2027
What is Pharmacokinetics? - correct answer ✔✔What the body does to the drug.
What are the 4 phases of pharmacokinetics? - correct answer ✔✔absorption, distribution,
metabolism, excretion
What is pharmaceutics? - correct answer ✔✔Dosage form design and it's dissolution after
administration
What is pharmacodynamics? - correct answer ✔✔What the drug does to the body - drug
receptor relationships
What is the fastest absorbed dosage form? - correct answer ✔✔Liquids
What is the slowest absorbed dosage form? - correct answer ✔✔Enteric coated tablets
Which drugs cannot be crushed? - correct answer ✔✔Extended-release and enteric-coated
tablets
What is bioavailability? - correct answer ✔✔the extent of absorption
Describe the first-pass effect - correct answer ✔✔Enteral meds are metabolized by the liver
before distribution in the bloodstream thereby reducing the drugs bioavailability to <100%
Why do some enteric-coated and fat-soluble meds need to be taken on an empty stomach? -
correct answer ✔✔Large quantities of food can increase stomach acidity thereby dissolving the
tablets
,What are some conditions that cause decreased absorption of enteral meds? - correct answer
✔✔short bowel syndrome, sepsis & exercise (decreased blood flow to GI)
What can INCREASE absorption of SubQ, ID, and IM meds? - correct answer ✔✔heat and
massage
What can DECREASE absorption of SubQ, ID, and IM meds? - correct answer ✔✔cold,
hypotension, decreased peripheral blood flow
What are transdermal medications? - correct answer ✔✔adhesive drug patches
What routes are considered topical meds? - correct answer ✔✔topical, transdermal, inhalation
What are "free" drugs? - correct answer ✔✔Those that are unbound from blood proteins and
thereby pharmacologically active
What is the most common blood protein? - correct answer ✔✔albumin
What are "bound" drugs? - correct answer ✔✔Those that are bound to blood proteins and
thereby pharmacologically inactive
Why can conditions that cause decreased albumin levels (burns, malnourishment) be
dangerous? - correct answer ✔✔Low levels of albumin will cause increased amounts of "free"
drugs thereby increasing the risk of toxicity
Discribe drug-drug interactions physiologically? - correct answer ✔✔Competition between two
drugs for albumin binding sites which results in an increase or decrease of either drugs effects
, How are lipid-soluble drugs metabolized? - correct answer ✔✔microsomal (P450) enzymes
How are water soluble drugs metabolized? - correct answer ✔✔hydrolysis
Describe enterohepatic recirculation and it's effect on excretion - correct answer ✔✔The drug is
recirculated from the bile back into the liver which increases excretion time
How many half lives does it take for a drug to be considered effectively eliminated (97%)? -
correct answer ✔✔5
What percentage of drug has been removed at peak drug concentration? - correct answer
✔✔0%
Describe the "steady state" of drug concentration - correct answer ✔✔A plateau where the
amount of drug eliminated equals the amount of drug absorbed resulting in maximum
therapeutic benefit
Describe the onset of a med - correct answer ✔✔time to elicit a therapeutic response
Describe the peak of a med - correct answer ✔✔time to reach maximal therapeutic response
Describe the duration of action of a med - correct answer ✔✔The length of time of minimum
effective drug concentration
Describe the therapeutic range/index of a med - correct answer ✔✔The range in between the
minimum effective drug concentration and toxic concentration
Why do meds with low therapeutic indexes need to be highly monitored? - correct answer
✔✔Higher risk of toxicity (ex. gentamyocin, warfarin)
DRUG CLASSES, PRACTICE QUESTIONS & EXAM PREP 2026/2027
What is Pharmacokinetics? - correct answer ✔✔What the body does to the drug.
What are the 4 phases of pharmacokinetics? - correct answer ✔✔absorption, distribution,
metabolism, excretion
What is pharmaceutics? - correct answer ✔✔Dosage form design and it's dissolution after
administration
What is pharmacodynamics? - correct answer ✔✔What the drug does to the body - drug
receptor relationships
What is the fastest absorbed dosage form? - correct answer ✔✔Liquids
What is the slowest absorbed dosage form? - correct answer ✔✔Enteric coated tablets
Which drugs cannot be crushed? - correct answer ✔✔Extended-release and enteric-coated
tablets
What is bioavailability? - correct answer ✔✔the extent of absorption
Describe the first-pass effect - correct answer ✔✔Enteral meds are metabolized by the liver
before distribution in the bloodstream thereby reducing the drugs bioavailability to <100%
Why do some enteric-coated and fat-soluble meds need to be taken on an empty stomach? -
correct answer ✔✔Large quantities of food can increase stomach acidity thereby dissolving the
tablets
,What are some conditions that cause decreased absorption of enteral meds? - correct answer
✔✔short bowel syndrome, sepsis & exercise (decreased blood flow to GI)
What can INCREASE absorption of SubQ, ID, and IM meds? - correct answer ✔✔heat and
massage
What can DECREASE absorption of SubQ, ID, and IM meds? - correct answer ✔✔cold,
hypotension, decreased peripheral blood flow
What are transdermal medications? - correct answer ✔✔adhesive drug patches
What routes are considered topical meds? - correct answer ✔✔topical, transdermal, inhalation
What are "free" drugs? - correct answer ✔✔Those that are unbound from blood proteins and
thereby pharmacologically active
What is the most common blood protein? - correct answer ✔✔albumin
What are "bound" drugs? - correct answer ✔✔Those that are bound to blood proteins and
thereby pharmacologically inactive
Why can conditions that cause decreased albumin levels (burns, malnourishment) be
dangerous? - correct answer ✔✔Low levels of albumin will cause increased amounts of "free"
drugs thereby increasing the risk of toxicity
Discribe drug-drug interactions physiologically? - correct answer ✔✔Competition between two
drugs for albumin binding sites which results in an increase or decrease of either drugs effects
, How are lipid-soluble drugs metabolized? - correct answer ✔✔microsomal (P450) enzymes
How are water soluble drugs metabolized? - correct answer ✔✔hydrolysis
Describe enterohepatic recirculation and it's effect on excretion - correct answer ✔✔The drug is
recirculated from the bile back into the liver which increases excretion time
How many half lives does it take for a drug to be considered effectively eliminated (97%)? -
correct answer ✔✔5
What percentage of drug has been removed at peak drug concentration? - correct answer
✔✔0%
Describe the "steady state" of drug concentration - correct answer ✔✔A plateau where the
amount of drug eliminated equals the amount of drug absorbed resulting in maximum
therapeutic benefit
Describe the onset of a med - correct answer ✔✔time to elicit a therapeutic response
Describe the peak of a med - correct answer ✔✔time to reach maximal therapeutic response
Describe the duration of action of a med - correct answer ✔✔The length of time of minimum
effective drug concentration
Describe the therapeutic range/index of a med - correct answer ✔✔The range in between the
minimum effective drug concentration and toxic concentration
Why do meds with low therapeutic indexes need to be highly monitored? - correct answer
✔✔Higher risk of toxicity (ex. gentamyocin, warfarin)
