NR 565 ADVANCED PHARMACOLOGY
FUNDAMENTALS EXAMINATION TEST 2026
PHARMACOKINETICS AND
PHARMACODYNAMICS REVISION NOTES
◉ Causes of decreased enteral absorption
Answer: Bariatric surgery (decreased surface area)
Vigorous activity (blood shunted away from GI tract)
Age (decreased motility)
◉ Parenteral medications
Answer: No 1st pass effect; 100% available as they enter the
bloodstream
◉ Topical medication administration sites
Answer: Skin, eyes, ears, nose, rectum, vagina
◉ Purpose of topical medication application
Answer: Intended for action at the site of application
◉ Transdermal medications: intention
,Answer: Internal effect
◉ Transdermal medications: absorption
Answer: Carried through skin to bloodstream; no 1st pass effect
◉ Transdermal medications: sites
Answer: Rotate sites to prevent irritation
Trunk or upper extremities with good circulation
Avoid scar tissue due to decreased absorption
◉ Inhaled medications
Answer: Intented for lungs and/or other areas of the body
◉ Distribution: transport
Answer: Most rapid in areas with high blood flow (major organs)
Slower to fat, skin, and muscles (increased by physical activity)
◉ Distribution: elimination
Answer: Occurs primarily in the liver and kidneys
Watch for renal/liver toxicity
◉ Distribution: decreased albumin
, Answer: Can increase risk of toxicity in burns, starvation, negative
nitrogen balance
◉ Metabolism
Answer: When a substance is irreversibly transformed into
metabolites
◉ Excretion
Answer: Elimination of a substance from the body
◉ Agonist
Answer: A drug that binds to and activates a receptor
◉ Agonist: full
Answer: High efficacy, full response
◉ Agonist: partial
Answer: Lower efficacy, sub-maximal activation when occupying all
receptors
◉ Agonist: inverse
Answer: Produces opposite effect yet binds to the same receptors as
agonist
FUNDAMENTALS EXAMINATION TEST 2026
PHARMACOKINETICS AND
PHARMACODYNAMICS REVISION NOTES
◉ Causes of decreased enteral absorption
Answer: Bariatric surgery (decreased surface area)
Vigorous activity (blood shunted away from GI tract)
Age (decreased motility)
◉ Parenteral medications
Answer: No 1st pass effect; 100% available as they enter the
bloodstream
◉ Topical medication administration sites
Answer: Skin, eyes, ears, nose, rectum, vagina
◉ Purpose of topical medication application
Answer: Intended for action at the site of application
◉ Transdermal medications: intention
,Answer: Internal effect
◉ Transdermal medications: absorption
Answer: Carried through skin to bloodstream; no 1st pass effect
◉ Transdermal medications: sites
Answer: Rotate sites to prevent irritation
Trunk or upper extremities with good circulation
Avoid scar tissue due to decreased absorption
◉ Inhaled medications
Answer: Intented for lungs and/or other areas of the body
◉ Distribution: transport
Answer: Most rapid in areas with high blood flow (major organs)
Slower to fat, skin, and muscles (increased by physical activity)
◉ Distribution: elimination
Answer: Occurs primarily in the liver and kidneys
Watch for renal/liver toxicity
◉ Distribution: decreased albumin
, Answer: Can increase risk of toxicity in burns, starvation, negative
nitrogen balance
◉ Metabolism
Answer: When a substance is irreversibly transformed into
metabolites
◉ Excretion
Answer: Elimination of a substance from the body
◉ Agonist
Answer: A drug that binds to and activates a receptor
◉ Agonist: full
Answer: High efficacy, full response
◉ Agonist: partial
Answer: Lower efficacy, sub-maximal activation when occupying all
receptors
◉ Agonist: inverse
Answer: Produces opposite effect yet binds to the same receptors as
agonist
