NR 293 EXAM 1 | COMPREHENSIVE PHARMACOLOGY STUDY GUIDE,
PRACTICE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS 2026/2027
Drug - ANS ✔✔Any chemical that affects the physiologic processes of a living organism
Pharmacology - ANS ✔✔The study or science of drugs
Chemical Name - ANS ✔✔Describes the drug's chemical composition and molecular structure (not
usually used in nursing)
Generic Name - ANS ✔✔Name given by the United States Adopted Names council. The universal name,
like ibuprofen or acetaminophen
Trade Name - ANS ✔✔AKA proprietary name. The drug has a registered trademark, use of the name is
restricted by the drug's patent owner. Ex is Motrin and Advil, they are both ibuprofen
Pharmaceutics - ANS ✔✔The study of how various drug forms influence the way in which the drug
affects the body.
Oral, rectal, transdermal, etc.
Pharmacodynamics - ANS ✔✔The study of what the drug does to the body. The mechanism of drug
actions in living tissues and drug-receptor relationships
Pharmacotherapeutics - ANS ✔✔The clinical use of drugs to prevent and treat disease. Defines principles
of drug actions- the cellular processes that change in response to the presence of drug molecules. Drugs
are organized into pharmacologic classes, like antihypertensives.
Ex: elderly taking baby aspirin to prevent strokes
Pharmacognosy - ANS ✔✔The study of natural drug sources, like plants, animals and minerals.
Pharmaceutic Properties - ANS ✔✔Different drug dosage forms have different properties. Dosage form
determines the rate of drug dissolution. Enteric-coated tablets protect patients from stomach irritation.
Fastest Route of Oral Drug Absorption - ANS ✔✔1. Oral disintegration, buccal tabs, and oral soluble
wafers
2. Liquids, elixirs, and syrups
3. Suspension solutions
4. Powders
5. Capsules
6. Tablets
7. Coated tablets
8. Enteric-coated tabletes
Pharmacokinetics - ANS ✔✔The study of what the body does to the drug. A drug's time to onset of
action, time to peak effect, and duration of action.
, -Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion
Pharmacokinetics: Absorption - ANS ✔✔Movement of a drug from its site of administration into the
bloodstream for distribution to the tissues.
Bioavailability - ANS ✔✔A measure of the extent of drug absorption for a given drug and route. Giving a
med through the IV, you will have 100% of the med in the bloodstream, none is lost.
First-Pass Effect - ANS ✔✔The initial metabolism in the liver of a drug absorbed from the GI tract before
the drug reaches systemic circulation. If you give a PO med, the GI system digests, liver transforms, and
then it reaches the bloodstream. Not 100% of the med reaches the bloodstream, you lose some as it
travels.
Enteral Route of Drug Administration - ANS ✔✔The drug is absorbed into the systemic circulation
through the oral or gastric mucosa or the small intestine. Types of enteral are oral, sublingual, buccal,
and rectal.
Parenteral Route of Drug Administration - ANS ✔✔Though an IV, IM, subcutaneous, intradermal,
intraarterial, intrathecal, and intraarticular
Topical Route of Drug Administration - ANS ✔✔Skin, eyes, ears, nose, lungs, rectum, vagina
Pharmacokinetics: Distribution - ANS ✔✔The transport of a drug by the bloodstream to its site of action.
Protein-binding, water-soluble vs fat-soluble, blood-brain barrier.
Protein-Binding Drugs - ANS ✔✔After you take the medication, it is in the blood attached to protein,
mainly albumin. When the drug binds to albumin, it works as a slow release, only the free unbound drug
is therapeutic. The bound drug is essentially inactive. Type of drugs that are protein-binding are blood
thinners. If a patient is deficient in albumin, there is a problem of too much free-drug.
Pharmacokinetics: Metabolism/Biotransformation - ANS ✔✔The biochemical alteration of a drug into an
inactive metabolite, a more soluble compound, a more potent active metabolite, or a less active
metabolite. Transformed mainly in the liver, but also skeletal muscle, kidneys, lungs, plasma, intestinal
mucosa.
Factors the Decrease Metabolism - ANS ✔✔Cardiovascular dysfunction, renal insufficiency, starvation,
obstructive jaundice, slow acetylator, and ketoconazole therapy
Factors the Increase Metabolism - ANS ✔✔Fast acetylator, barbiturate therapy, rifampin therapy, and
phenytoin therapy
Pharmacokinetics: Excretion - ANS ✔✔The elimination of drugs from the body by the kidneys (main
organ), liver, bowel
Drug Half-Life - ANS ✔✔The time it takes for one half of the original amount of a drug to be removed
from the body. A measure of the rate at which a drug is removed from the body. Most drugs are
considered to be effectively removed after about 5 half-lives.
PRACTICE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS 2026/2027
Drug - ANS ✔✔Any chemical that affects the physiologic processes of a living organism
Pharmacology - ANS ✔✔The study or science of drugs
Chemical Name - ANS ✔✔Describes the drug's chemical composition and molecular structure (not
usually used in nursing)
Generic Name - ANS ✔✔Name given by the United States Adopted Names council. The universal name,
like ibuprofen or acetaminophen
Trade Name - ANS ✔✔AKA proprietary name. The drug has a registered trademark, use of the name is
restricted by the drug's patent owner. Ex is Motrin and Advil, they are both ibuprofen
Pharmaceutics - ANS ✔✔The study of how various drug forms influence the way in which the drug
affects the body.
Oral, rectal, transdermal, etc.
Pharmacodynamics - ANS ✔✔The study of what the drug does to the body. The mechanism of drug
actions in living tissues and drug-receptor relationships
Pharmacotherapeutics - ANS ✔✔The clinical use of drugs to prevent and treat disease. Defines principles
of drug actions- the cellular processes that change in response to the presence of drug molecules. Drugs
are organized into pharmacologic classes, like antihypertensives.
Ex: elderly taking baby aspirin to prevent strokes
Pharmacognosy - ANS ✔✔The study of natural drug sources, like plants, animals and minerals.
Pharmaceutic Properties - ANS ✔✔Different drug dosage forms have different properties. Dosage form
determines the rate of drug dissolution. Enteric-coated tablets protect patients from stomach irritation.
Fastest Route of Oral Drug Absorption - ANS ✔✔1. Oral disintegration, buccal tabs, and oral soluble
wafers
2. Liquids, elixirs, and syrups
3. Suspension solutions
4. Powders
5. Capsules
6. Tablets
7. Coated tablets
8. Enteric-coated tabletes
Pharmacokinetics - ANS ✔✔The study of what the body does to the drug. A drug's time to onset of
action, time to peak effect, and duration of action.
, -Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion
Pharmacokinetics: Absorption - ANS ✔✔Movement of a drug from its site of administration into the
bloodstream for distribution to the tissues.
Bioavailability - ANS ✔✔A measure of the extent of drug absorption for a given drug and route. Giving a
med through the IV, you will have 100% of the med in the bloodstream, none is lost.
First-Pass Effect - ANS ✔✔The initial metabolism in the liver of a drug absorbed from the GI tract before
the drug reaches systemic circulation. If you give a PO med, the GI system digests, liver transforms, and
then it reaches the bloodstream. Not 100% of the med reaches the bloodstream, you lose some as it
travels.
Enteral Route of Drug Administration - ANS ✔✔The drug is absorbed into the systemic circulation
through the oral or gastric mucosa or the small intestine. Types of enteral are oral, sublingual, buccal,
and rectal.
Parenteral Route of Drug Administration - ANS ✔✔Though an IV, IM, subcutaneous, intradermal,
intraarterial, intrathecal, and intraarticular
Topical Route of Drug Administration - ANS ✔✔Skin, eyes, ears, nose, lungs, rectum, vagina
Pharmacokinetics: Distribution - ANS ✔✔The transport of a drug by the bloodstream to its site of action.
Protein-binding, water-soluble vs fat-soluble, blood-brain barrier.
Protein-Binding Drugs - ANS ✔✔After you take the medication, it is in the blood attached to protein,
mainly albumin. When the drug binds to albumin, it works as a slow release, only the free unbound drug
is therapeutic. The bound drug is essentially inactive. Type of drugs that are protein-binding are blood
thinners. If a patient is deficient in albumin, there is a problem of too much free-drug.
Pharmacokinetics: Metabolism/Biotransformation - ANS ✔✔The biochemical alteration of a drug into an
inactive metabolite, a more soluble compound, a more potent active metabolite, or a less active
metabolite. Transformed mainly in the liver, but also skeletal muscle, kidneys, lungs, plasma, intestinal
mucosa.
Factors the Decrease Metabolism - ANS ✔✔Cardiovascular dysfunction, renal insufficiency, starvation,
obstructive jaundice, slow acetylator, and ketoconazole therapy
Factors the Increase Metabolism - ANS ✔✔Fast acetylator, barbiturate therapy, rifampin therapy, and
phenytoin therapy
Pharmacokinetics: Excretion - ANS ✔✔The elimination of drugs from the body by the kidneys (main
organ), liver, bowel
Drug Half-Life - ANS ✔✔The time it takes for one half of the original amount of a drug to be removed
from the body. A measure of the rate at which a drug is removed from the body. Most drugs are
considered to be effectively removed after about 5 half-lives.
