D116 WGU ADVANCED
PHARMACOLOGY EXAM WITH
ACTUAL CORRECT QUESTIONS AND
VERIFIED DETAILED
ANSWERS|FREQUENTLY TESTED
QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS|NEWEST|GUARANTEED
PASS 2026/2027
BAD TRIP
Mnemonic for serotonin syndrome: Benzos, Agitation, Diaphoresis, Tachycardia, Reflexes ↑,
Incoordination, Pyrexia
Direct Muscarinic Agonists
Drugs that bind directly to muscarinic receptors and activate them.
Pilocarpine
Used for glaucoma and xerostomia (dry mouth).
Bethanechol
Used for urinary retention and postoperative ileus.
Carbachol
Used for glaucoma (rarely used).
Methacholine
Used as a diagnostic test for bronchial hyperreactivity.
Cevimeline
Used for xerostomia in Sjögren's syndrome.
Muscarine
Found in some poisonous mushrooms (not used clinically).
Indirect Muscarinic Agonists
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,Cholinesterase Inhibitors that inhibit acetylcholinesterase, increasing endogenous acetylcholine levels.
Neostigmine
Used for myasthenia gravis and postoperative ileus.
Physostigmine
Used for anticholinergic toxicity (e.g., atropine overdose).
Donepezil
Used for Alzheimer's disease.
Rivastigmine
Used for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's dementia.
Pyridostigmine
Used for myasthenia gravis.
Edrophonium
Historically used in diagnosis of myasthenia gravis.
Key Muscarinic Effects
SLUDGE-M: Salivation, Lacrimation, Urination, Diarrhea, Gastrointestinal motility, Emesis, Miosis (pupil
constriction), bradycardia, bronchoconstriction.
Anticholinergic Drugs
Medications that block the action of acetylcholine (ACh) at muscarinic receptors.
Mechanism of Action of Anticholinergics
Most are muscarinic antagonists that competitively inhibit ACh at muscarinic receptors (M1-M5).
Benztropine
Used for Parkinson's disease and drug-induced EPS.
Trihexyphenidyl
Used for Parkinson's disease.
Scopolamine
Used for motion sickness (transdermal patch).
Ipratropium
Used for COPD and asthma (short-acting).
Tiotropium
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, Used for COPD (long-acting).
Aclidinium
Used for COPD.
Umeclidinium
Used for COPD.
Oxybutynin
Used for overactive bladder and urinary incontinence.
Tolterodine
Used for overactive bladder.
Solifenacin
Used for overactive bladder.
Dicyclomine
Used for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Hyoscyamine
Used for GI spasms.
Atropine
Used for bradycardia, organophosphate poisoning, and pre-op secretion reduction.
Anticholinergic Syndrome
High doses or overdose can cause toxicity: 'Dry as a bone', 'Blind as a bat', 'Hot as a hare', 'Red as a
beet', 'Mad as a hatter', 'Full as a flask'.
Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists
Drugs that bind directly to and activate cholinergic receptors.
Bethanechol (Direct)
Muscarinic receptor type, used for urinary retention and neurogenic bladder.
Pilocarpine (Direct)
Muscarinic receptor type, used for glaucoma and xerostomia.
Cevimeline (Direct)
Muscarinic (M3) receptor type, used for xerostomia in Sjögren's syndrome.
Carbachol (Direct)
3|Page
PHARMACOLOGY EXAM WITH
ACTUAL CORRECT QUESTIONS AND
VERIFIED DETAILED
ANSWERS|FREQUENTLY TESTED
QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS|NEWEST|GUARANTEED
PASS 2026/2027
BAD TRIP
Mnemonic for serotonin syndrome: Benzos, Agitation, Diaphoresis, Tachycardia, Reflexes ↑,
Incoordination, Pyrexia
Direct Muscarinic Agonists
Drugs that bind directly to muscarinic receptors and activate them.
Pilocarpine
Used for glaucoma and xerostomia (dry mouth).
Bethanechol
Used for urinary retention and postoperative ileus.
Carbachol
Used for glaucoma (rarely used).
Methacholine
Used as a diagnostic test for bronchial hyperreactivity.
Cevimeline
Used for xerostomia in Sjögren's syndrome.
Muscarine
Found in some poisonous mushrooms (not used clinically).
Indirect Muscarinic Agonists
1|Page
,Cholinesterase Inhibitors that inhibit acetylcholinesterase, increasing endogenous acetylcholine levels.
Neostigmine
Used for myasthenia gravis and postoperative ileus.
Physostigmine
Used for anticholinergic toxicity (e.g., atropine overdose).
Donepezil
Used for Alzheimer's disease.
Rivastigmine
Used for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's dementia.
Pyridostigmine
Used for myasthenia gravis.
Edrophonium
Historically used in diagnosis of myasthenia gravis.
Key Muscarinic Effects
SLUDGE-M: Salivation, Lacrimation, Urination, Diarrhea, Gastrointestinal motility, Emesis, Miosis (pupil
constriction), bradycardia, bronchoconstriction.
Anticholinergic Drugs
Medications that block the action of acetylcholine (ACh) at muscarinic receptors.
Mechanism of Action of Anticholinergics
Most are muscarinic antagonists that competitively inhibit ACh at muscarinic receptors (M1-M5).
Benztropine
Used for Parkinson's disease and drug-induced EPS.
Trihexyphenidyl
Used for Parkinson's disease.
Scopolamine
Used for motion sickness (transdermal patch).
Ipratropium
Used for COPD and asthma (short-acting).
Tiotropium
2|Page
, Used for COPD (long-acting).
Aclidinium
Used for COPD.
Umeclidinium
Used for COPD.
Oxybutynin
Used for overactive bladder and urinary incontinence.
Tolterodine
Used for overactive bladder.
Solifenacin
Used for overactive bladder.
Dicyclomine
Used for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Hyoscyamine
Used for GI spasms.
Atropine
Used for bradycardia, organophosphate poisoning, and pre-op secretion reduction.
Anticholinergic Syndrome
High doses or overdose can cause toxicity: 'Dry as a bone', 'Blind as a bat', 'Hot as a hare', 'Red as a
beet', 'Mad as a hatter', 'Full as a flask'.
Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists
Drugs that bind directly to and activate cholinergic receptors.
Bethanechol (Direct)
Muscarinic receptor type, used for urinary retention and neurogenic bladder.
Pilocarpine (Direct)
Muscarinic receptor type, used for glaucoma and xerostomia.
Cevimeline (Direct)
Muscarinic (M3) receptor type, used for xerostomia in Sjögren's syndrome.
Carbachol (Direct)
3|Page
