NURS 424 ADVANCED PHARM - EXAM 1
STUDY GUIDE: KEY CONCEPTS & REVIEW
NOTES | 2026 UPDATED | WITH
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS.
Section 1: Foundational Concepts & Terminology (Questions 1-15)
1. What is the definition of pharmacology?
Answer: The study of drugs and their interaction with living systems.
2. What is the difference between a drug's generic name and its trade
(brand) name?
Answer: The generic name is the non-proprietary name assigned by the
USAN (United States Adopted Names) Council. The trade name is the
proprietary name given by the manufacturer.
3. Define pharmacotherapeutics.
Answer: The use of drugs to prevent, treat, and diagnose disease.
, 4. What is the difference between a drug's potency and its efficacy?
Answer: Potency refers to the amount of drug needed to produce a given
effect (a more potent drug requires a lower dose). Efficacy refers to the
maximum therapeutic effect a drug can achieve.
5. Define a "partial agonist."
Answer: A drug that binds to a receptor and produces a submaximal
response, even at full receptor occupancy.
6. What is the difference between an agonist and an antagonist?
Answer: An agonist binds to a receptor and activates it, producing a
response. An antagonist binds to a receptor and blocks it, preventing a
response.
7. What is the therapeutic index (TI)?
Answer: The ratio of a drug's toxic dose (TD50) to its effective dose
(ED50). A high TI indicates a wide margin of safety; a low TI indicates a
narrow margin of safety.
8. Define the "blood-brain barrier" (BBB).
, Answer: A highly selective semipermeable border of endothelial cells that
prevents solutes in the circulating blood from crossing into the
extracellular fluid of the central nervous system.
9. What is the difference between a side effect and an adverse drug
reaction (ADR)?
Answer: A side effect is a predictable, often unavoidable, secondary
effect of a drug that may be harmless or even beneficial. An adverse drug
reaction is an unintended, harmful, and unwanted response to a drug at
normal doses.
10. What is a "black box warning"?
Answer: The strongest warning required by the FDA for prescription
drugs, indicating that the drug carries a significant risk of serious or life-
threatening adverse effects.
11. Define pharmacodynamics.
Answer: The study of what the drug does to the body, including the
mechanism of action and the relationship between drug concentration
and effect.
12. Define pharmacokinetics.
Answer: The study of what the body does to the drug, including
absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME).
STUDY GUIDE: KEY CONCEPTS & REVIEW
NOTES | 2026 UPDATED | WITH
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS.
Section 1: Foundational Concepts & Terminology (Questions 1-15)
1. What is the definition of pharmacology?
Answer: The study of drugs and their interaction with living systems.
2. What is the difference between a drug's generic name and its trade
(brand) name?
Answer: The generic name is the non-proprietary name assigned by the
USAN (United States Adopted Names) Council. The trade name is the
proprietary name given by the manufacturer.
3. Define pharmacotherapeutics.
Answer: The use of drugs to prevent, treat, and diagnose disease.
, 4. What is the difference between a drug's potency and its efficacy?
Answer: Potency refers to the amount of drug needed to produce a given
effect (a more potent drug requires a lower dose). Efficacy refers to the
maximum therapeutic effect a drug can achieve.
5. Define a "partial agonist."
Answer: A drug that binds to a receptor and produces a submaximal
response, even at full receptor occupancy.
6. What is the difference between an agonist and an antagonist?
Answer: An agonist binds to a receptor and activates it, producing a
response. An antagonist binds to a receptor and blocks it, preventing a
response.
7. What is the therapeutic index (TI)?
Answer: The ratio of a drug's toxic dose (TD50) to its effective dose
(ED50). A high TI indicates a wide margin of safety; a low TI indicates a
narrow margin of safety.
8. Define the "blood-brain barrier" (BBB).
, Answer: A highly selective semipermeable border of endothelial cells that
prevents solutes in the circulating blood from crossing into the
extracellular fluid of the central nervous system.
9. What is the difference between a side effect and an adverse drug
reaction (ADR)?
Answer: A side effect is a predictable, often unavoidable, secondary
effect of a drug that may be harmless or even beneficial. An adverse drug
reaction is an unintended, harmful, and unwanted response to a drug at
normal doses.
10. What is a "black box warning"?
Answer: The strongest warning required by the FDA for prescription
drugs, indicating that the drug carries a significant risk of serious or life-
threatening adverse effects.
11. Define pharmacodynamics.
Answer: The study of what the drug does to the body, including the
mechanism of action and the relationship between drug concentration
and effect.
12. Define pharmacokinetics.
Answer: The study of what the body does to the drug, including
absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME).
