CNUR 202 PHARMACOLOGY REVIEW | COMPLETE NURSING PHARMACOLOGY STUDY GUIDE,
MEDICATIONS, DRUG CLASSES & EXAM PREP 2026/2027
What are the steps of the nursing process? - correct answer ✔✔assessment, nursing diagnosis,
planning, implementation, evaluation
Time-critical Scheduled Medications - correct answer ✔✔administer at exact time when
necessary (e.g. rapid-acting insulin)
Non-Time Critical Scheduled Medications - correct answer ✔✔administer withing 1 hour before
or after scheduled time
Chemical Name - correct answer ✔✔describes the drug's chemical composition and molecular
structure
Generic Name - correct answer ✔✔name given to a drug approved be Health Canada
Trade Name - correct answer ✔✔the drug has a registered trademark' use of the name is
restricted by the drug's patent owner
Adverse Effect - correct answer ✔✔more extreme then side effects- life threatening
Pharmacokinetics - correct answer ✔✔the study of what the body does to the drug molecules
Pharmacodynamics - correct answer ✔✔the study of what the drug does to the body
Pharmacotherapeutics - correct answer ✔✔the study of the therapeutic uses and effects of
drugs
,First Pass Metabolism - correct answer ✔✔-drug metabolism occuring before the drug enters
the systemic circulation
-results is decreased bioavailablity
-decreased therapeutic response
How to bypass First Pass Metabolism - correct answer ✔✔IV or sublingual routes
Enteral Route - correct answer ✔✔the drug is absorbed into the systemic circulation through
the mucosa of the stomach, small intestine, or large intestine
Parental Route - correct answer ✔✔-intravenous
-intramuscular
-subcutaneous
-intradermal
-intrathecal
Tropical Route - correct answer ✔✔-skin
-eyes
-ears
-nose
-lungs
-rectum
-vagina
Distribution - correct answer ✔✔refers to the transport of a drug in the body by the
bloodstream to its site of action
, it can be general or selective
Which cell membranes can not all drugs pass through - correct answer ✔✔blood-brain barrior
(the CNS) and the placental barrior
Metabolism - correct answer ✔✔the process where the body processes drugs - liver enzymes
are primary sites for absorption of drugs
Excretion - correct answer ✔✔the process through which drugs are eliminated
Half-life - correct answer ✔✔time required for half (50%) of a given drug to be removed from
the body
3 different drug actions - correct answer ✔✔agonist, antagonist, partial agonists
Agonist - correct answer ✔✔drugs that bind to receptors and stimulate a response
Antagonists - correct answer ✔✔a drug that blocks or stops a response
Partial Agonists - correct answer ✔✔drugs with partial selective responses
Tolerance - correct answer ✔✔decreasing response to repeated drug doses
Dependence - correct answer ✔✔physiological or psycological need for a drug
Physical Dependence - correct answer ✔✔physiological need for a drug to avoid physical
withdrawal symptoms
MEDICATIONS, DRUG CLASSES & EXAM PREP 2026/2027
What are the steps of the nursing process? - correct answer ✔✔assessment, nursing diagnosis,
planning, implementation, evaluation
Time-critical Scheduled Medications - correct answer ✔✔administer at exact time when
necessary (e.g. rapid-acting insulin)
Non-Time Critical Scheduled Medications - correct answer ✔✔administer withing 1 hour before
or after scheduled time
Chemical Name - correct answer ✔✔describes the drug's chemical composition and molecular
structure
Generic Name - correct answer ✔✔name given to a drug approved be Health Canada
Trade Name - correct answer ✔✔the drug has a registered trademark' use of the name is
restricted by the drug's patent owner
Adverse Effect - correct answer ✔✔more extreme then side effects- life threatening
Pharmacokinetics - correct answer ✔✔the study of what the body does to the drug molecules
Pharmacodynamics - correct answer ✔✔the study of what the drug does to the body
Pharmacotherapeutics - correct answer ✔✔the study of the therapeutic uses and effects of
drugs
,First Pass Metabolism - correct answer ✔✔-drug metabolism occuring before the drug enters
the systemic circulation
-results is decreased bioavailablity
-decreased therapeutic response
How to bypass First Pass Metabolism - correct answer ✔✔IV or sublingual routes
Enteral Route - correct answer ✔✔the drug is absorbed into the systemic circulation through
the mucosa of the stomach, small intestine, or large intestine
Parental Route - correct answer ✔✔-intravenous
-intramuscular
-subcutaneous
-intradermal
-intrathecal
Tropical Route - correct answer ✔✔-skin
-eyes
-ears
-nose
-lungs
-rectum
-vagina
Distribution - correct answer ✔✔refers to the transport of a drug in the body by the
bloodstream to its site of action
, it can be general or selective
Which cell membranes can not all drugs pass through - correct answer ✔✔blood-brain barrior
(the CNS) and the placental barrior
Metabolism - correct answer ✔✔the process where the body processes drugs - liver enzymes
are primary sites for absorption of drugs
Excretion - correct answer ✔✔the process through which drugs are eliminated
Half-life - correct answer ✔✔time required for half (50%) of a given drug to be removed from
the body
3 different drug actions - correct answer ✔✔agonist, antagonist, partial agonists
Agonist - correct answer ✔✔drugs that bind to receptors and stimulate a response
Antagonists - correct answer ✔✔a drug that blocks or stops a response
Partial Agonists - correct answer ✔✔drugs with partial selective responses
Tolerance - correct answer ✔✔decreasing response to repeated drug doses
Dependence - correct answer ✔✔physiological or psycological need for a drug
Physical Dependence - correct answer ✔✔physiological need for a drug to avoid physical
withdrawal symptoms
