,Test Bank for Edmunds' Pharmacology for the Primary Care Provider, 5th Edition | Constance G.
Visovsky, Cheryl H. Zambroski & Rebecca M. Lutz
Chapter 1: Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics
Multiple-Choice Questions (45 Questions)
1. What is the primary focus of pharmacokinetics?
A) The study of how drugs affect the body
B) The study of how the body processes drugs
C) The study of drug manufacturing
D) The study of drug costs
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics is the study of the action of drugs in the body and may be thought of as
what the body does to the drug, encompassing absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion .
2. Which of the following describes pharmacodynamics?
A) The study of how the body absorbs drugs
B) The study of how drugs are distributed in the body
C) The study of the effects of drugs on the body
D) The study of how drugs are eliminated
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Pharmacodynamics is the study of the effects of drugs on the body, including drug-receptor
interactions and the mechanisms of drug action .
3. A primary care NP prescribes a drug to an 80-year-old African-American woman. The NP should
understand that knowledge of how age, race, and gender may affect drug excretion is based on an
understanding of: A) Bioavailability
B) Pharmacokinetics
C) Pharmacodynamics
D) Anatomy and physiology
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics encompasses factors such as age, race, and gender that may change the
way the body metabolizes and excretes a drug .
4. What is bioavailability?
A) The amount of drug available at the site of action
B) The rate of drug excretion
C) The time to peak drug concentration
D) The volume of distribution
,Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Bioavailability refers to the amount of drug available at the site of action after administration
.
5. A primary care NP wishes to order a drug that will be effective immediately after administration.
Which route should the NP choose?
A) Rectal
B) Topical
C) Sublingual
D) Intramuscular
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The sublingual route is preferred for quick action because the drug is directly absorbed into
the bloodstream and avoids the first-pass effect through the liver .
6. A patient asks the primary care NP which medication to use for mild to moderate pain. The NP should
recommend: A) APAP
B) Tylenol
C) Acetaminophen
D) Any over-the-counter pain product
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Providers should use generic drug names when prescribing or recommending drugs to
patients, unless a particular brand is essential, to avoid confusion and potential overdosing .
7. A patient wants to know why a cheaper version of a drug cannot be used when the NP writes
"Dispense as Written." The NP should explain that a different brand of this drug:
A) May cause different adverse effects
B) Does not necessarily have the same therapeutic effect
C) Is likely to be less safe than the brand specified
D) May vary in the amount of drug that reaches the site of action
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Different formulations of the same drug may have varying degrees of bioavailability, and it
may be important to stick to a particular brand for drugs with narrow therapeutic ranges .
8. What does the term "first-pass effect" refer to?
A) The initial metabolism of a drug in the liver before it reaches systemic circulation B)
The first dose of a medication
C) The rate of drug absorption in the stomach
D) The initial distribution of a drug to tissues
, Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The first-pass effect refers to the metabolism of a drug in the liver before it reaches systemic
circulation, reducing the amount of active drug available .
9. Which route of administration bypasses the first-pass effect?
A) Oral
B) Rectal
C) Sublingual
D) Enteral
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Sublingual administration bypasses the first-pass effect because the drug is absorbed directly
into the bloodstream .
10. A patient will begin taking two drugs that are both protein-bound. The primary care NP should:
A) Prescribe increased doses of both drugs
B) Monitor drug levels, actions, and side effects
C) Teach the patient to increase intake of protein
D) Stagger the doses of drugs to be given 1 hour apart
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Protein-bound drugs bind to albumin, and serum albumin levels may affect how drugs are
distributed. The provider should monitor drug levels, actions, and side effects and change dosing
accordingly .
11. What is the volume of distribution (Vd)?
A) The volume of blood in the body
B) The theoretical volume in which a drug disperses to produce observed plasma concentrations
C) The volume of drug administered
D) The volume of urine produced
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Volume of distribution is the theoretical volume in which a drug would have to disperse to
achieve observed plasma concentrations .
12. Which of the following drugs has a high volume of distribution?
A) Warfarin
B) Fentanyl
C) Aspirin
D) Penicillin
Visovsky, Cheryl H. Zambroski & Rebecca M. Lutz
Chapter 1: Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics
Multiple-Choice Questions (45 Questions)
1. What is the primary focus of pharmacokinetics?
A) The study of how drugs affect the body
B) The study of how the body processes drugs
C) The study of drug manufacturing
D) The study of drug costs
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics is the study of the action of drugs in the body and may be thought of as
what the body does to the drug, encompassing absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion .
2. Which of the following describes pharmacodynamics?
A) The study of how the body absorbs drugs
B) The study of how drugs are distributed in the body
C) The study of the effects of drugs on the body
D) The study of how drugs are eliminated
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Pharmacodynamics is the study of the effects of drugs on the body, including drug-receptor
interactions and the mechanisms of drug action .
3. A primary care NP prescribes a drug to an 80-year-old African-American woman. The NP should
understand that knowledge of how age, race, and gender may affect drug excretion is based on an
understanding of: A) Bioavailability
B) Pharmacokinetics
C) Pharmacodynamics
D) Anatomy and physiology
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics encompasses factors such as age, race, and gender that may change the
way the body metabolizes and excretes a drug .
4. What is bioavailability?
A) The amount of drug available at the site of action
B) The rate of drug excretion
C) The time to peak drug concentration
D) The volume of distribution
,Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Bioavailability refers to the amount of drug available at the site of action after administration
.
5. A primary care NP wishes to order a drug that will be effective immediately after administration.
Which route should the NP choose?
A) Rectal
B) Topical
C) Sublingual
D) Intramuscular
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The sublingual route is preferred for quick action because the drug is directly absorbed into
the bloodstream and avoids the first-pass effect through the liver .
6. A patient asks the primary care NP which medication to use for mild to moderate pain. The NP should
recommend: A) APAP
B) Tylenol
C) Acetaminophen
D) Any over-the-counter pain product
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Providers should use generic drug names when prescribing or recommending drugs to
patients, unless a particular brand is essential, to avoid confusion and potential overdosing .
7. A patient wants to know why a cheaper version of a drug cannot be used when the NP writes
"Dispense as Written." The NP should explain that a different brand of this drug:
A) May cause different adverse effects
B) Does not necessarily have the same therapeutic effect
C) Is likely to be less safe than the brand specified
D) May vary in the amount of drug that reaches the site of action
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Different formulations of the same drug may have varying degrees of bioavailability, and it
may be important to stick to a particular brand for drugs with narrow therapeutic ranges .
8. What does the term "first-pass effect" refer to?
A) The initial metabolism of a drug in the liver before it reaches systemic circulation B)
The first dose of a medication
C) The rate of drug absorption in the stomach
D) The initial distribution of a drug to tissues
, Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The first-pass effect refers to the metabolism of a drug in the liver before it reaches systemic
circulation, reducing the amount of active drug available .
9. Which route of administration bypasses the first-pass effect?
A) Oral
B) Rectal
C) Sublingual
D) Enteral
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Sublingual administration bypasses the first-pass effect because the drug is absorbed directly
into the bloodstream .
10. A patient will begin taking two drugs that are both protein-bound. The primary care NP should:
A) Prescribe increased doses of both drugs
B) Monitor drug levels, actions, and side effects
C) Teach the patient to increase intake of protein
D) Stagger the doses of drugs to be given 1 hour apart
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Protein-bound drugs bind to albumin, and serum albumin levels may affect how drugs are
distributed. The provider should monitor drug levels, actions, and side effects and change dosing
accordingly .
11. What is the volume of distribution (Vd)?
A) The volume of blood in the body
B) The theoretical volume in which a drug disperses to produce observed plasma concentrations
C) The volume of drug administered
D) The volume of urine produced
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Volume of distribution is the theoretical volume in which a drug would have to disperse to
achieve observed plasma concentrations .
12. Which of the following drugs has a high volume of distribution?
A) Warfarin
B) Fentanyl
C) Aspirin
D) Penicillin
