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NUR 210 | PRINCIPLES OF PHARMACOLOGY QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS LATEST EDITION
NUR 210 | Principles of Pharmacology — 250-Question Exam with
Rationales
SECTION 1: PHARMACOKINETICS (25 Questions)
1. Which term best describes the study of what the body does to a drug, including
absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion?
A) Pharmacodynamics
B) Pharmacokinetics
C) Pharmacotherapeutics
D) Pharmacogenetics
Answer: B
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics (ADME) describes drug movement through the body,
including absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion, whereas
pharmacodynamics describes what the drug does to the body.
2. A patient asks the nurse what the term "first-pass effect" means. Which of the
following is the most accurate response?
A) The drug is absorbed faster when taken on an empty stomach
B) The drug is metabolized in the liver before reaching systemic circulation, reducing its
bioavailability
C) The drug is excreted unchanged by the kidneys
D) The drug binds to plasma proteins and becomes inactive
Answer: B
Rationale: The first-pass effect refers to the metabolism of an oral drug by the liver
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before it reaches systemic circulation, which reduces the amount of active drug available
to produce a therapeutic effect.
3. Which route of medication administration provides 100% bioavailability
because it bypasses absorption and first-pass metabolism?
A) Oral
B) Sublingual
C) Intravenous
D) Intramuscular
Answer: C
Rationale: Intravenous administration places the drug directly into the bloodstream,
bypassing absorption and first-pass metabolism, resulting in 100% bioavailability.
4. The nurse is preparing to administer a drug that has a narrow therapeutic index.
Which nursing action is most important?
A) Administer the drug with food
B) Monitor the patient's serum drug levels
C) Encourage the patient to drink plenty of fluids
D) Assess the patient's pain level
Answer: B
Rationale: Drugs with a narrow therapeutic index have a small margin between
therapeutic and toxic doses, so monitoring serum drug levels is essential to prevent
toxicity.
5. Which term refers to the percentage of an administered drug that reaches
systemic circulation unchanged?
A) Bioavailability
B) Half-life
C) Therapeutic index
D) Loading dose
Answer: A
Rationale: Bioavailability is the percentage of an administered drug that reaches
systemic circulation unchanged, and it is affected by absorption and first-pass
metabolism.
6. The primary site of drug absorption in the gastrointestinal tract is the:
A) Stomach
B) Small intestine
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C) Large intestine
D) Esophagus
Answer: B
Rationale: The small intestine is the primary site of drug absorption because of its large
surface area, extensive blood supply, and longer transit time compared to the stomach.
7. Which term describes the time required for the amount of drug in the body to
decrease by 50%?
A) Bioavailability
B) Half-life
C) Steady state
D) Therapeutic index
Answer: B
Rationale: Half-life is the time required for the amount of drug in the body to decrease
by 50%, and it determines the frequency of drug administration and the time to reach
steady state.
8. What is the term for when two drugs are administered in combination and the
response is increased beyond what either could produce alone?
A) Antagonism
B) Synergism
C) Potentiation
D) Additive effect
Answer: B
Rationale: Synergism occurs when two drugs are administered in combination and the
response is increased beyond what either could produce alone (drug + drug = 2).
9. A drug that binds to a receptor and produces a biological response is called a(n):
A) Antagonist
B) Agonist
C) Partial agonist
D) Competitive antagonist
Answer: B
Rationale: An agonist activates a receptor and produces a biological response, while an
antagonist blocks the receptor and produces no response.
10. Which factor does the loading dose depend on?
A) Clearance of the drug
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B) Volume of distribution
C) Bioavailability of the drug
D) All of the above
Answer: D
Rationale: Loading dose depends on drug concentration to be achieved, bioavailability
of the drug, and volume of distribution, but not clearance of the drug.
11. The therapeutic index of a drug is a measure of its:
A) Safety
B) Potency
C) Efficacy
D) Dose variability
Answer: A
Rationale: The therapeutic index is the ratio of LD50 to ED50 and is a measure of a
drug's safety, with a higher therapeutic index indicating a safer drug.
12. An "orphan drug" is best defined as:
A) A very cheap drug
B) A drug needed for treatment or prevention of a rare disease
C) A drug which has no therapeutic use
D) A drug which acts on orphan receptors
Answer: B
Rationale: An orphan drug is a drug needed for treatment or prevention of a rare
disease, and these drugs often receive special regulatory incentives for development.
13. What is polypharmacy, and which population is most at risk?
A) Use of multiple medications (more than 5), common in the geriatric population
B) Use of a single medication, common in pediatric patients
C) Use of over-the-counter drugs only, common in adolescents
D) Use of herbal supplements, common in athletes
Answer: A
Rationale: Polypharmacy refers to the use of multiple medications (more than 5) and is
common in the geriatric population, increasing the risk of drug interactions.
14. Knowledge of plasma half-life of drugs helps in all of the following EXCEPT:
A) Determining the frequency of drug administration
B) Determining the steady state concentration
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NUR 210 | PRINCIPLES OF PHARMACOLOGY QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS LATEST EDITION
NUR 210 | Principles of Pharmacology — 250-Question Exam with
Rationales
SECTION 1: PHARMACOKINETICS (25 Questions)
1. Which term best describes the study of what the body does to a drug, including
absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion?
A) Pharmacodynamics
B) Pharmacokinetics
C) Pharmacotherapeutics
D) Pharmacogenetics
Answer: B
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics (ADME) describes drug movement through the body,
including absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion, whereas
pharmacodynamics describes what the drug does to the body.
2. A patient asks the nurse what the term "first-pass effect" means. Which of the
following is the most accurate response?
A) The drug is absorbed faster when taken on an empty stomach
B) The drug is metabolized in the liver before reaching systemic circulation, reducing its
bioavailability
C) The drug is excreted unchanged by the kidneys
D) The drug binds to plasma proteins and becomes inactive
Answer: B
Rationale: The first-pass effect refers to the metabolism of an oral drug by the liver
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before it reaches systemic circulation, which reduces the amount of active drug available
to produce a therapeutic effect.
3. Which route of medication administration provides 100% bioavailability
because it bypasses absorption and first-pass metabolism?
A) Oral
B) Sublingual
C) Intravenous
D) Intramuscular
Answer: C
Rationale: Intravenous administration places the drug directly into the bloodstream,
bypassing absorption and first-pass metabolism, resulting in 100% bioavailability.
4. The nurse is preparing to administer a drug that has a narrow therapeutic index.
Which nursing action is most important?
A) Administer the drug with food
B) Monitor the patient's serum drug levels
C) Encourage the patient to drink plenty of fluids
D) Assess the patient's pain level
Answer: B
Rationale: Drugs with a narrow therapeutic index have a small margin between
therapeutic and toxic doses, so monitoring serum drug levels is essential to prevent
toxicity.
5. Which term refers to the percentage of an administered drug that reaches
systemic circulation unchanged?
A) Bioavailability
B) Half-life
C) Therapeutic index
D) Loading dose
Answer: A
Rationale: Bioavailability is the percentage of an administered drug that reaches
systemic circulation unchanged, and it is affected by absorption and first-pass
metabolism.
6. The primary site of drug absorption in the gastrointestinal tract is the:
A) Stomach
B) Small intestine
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C) Large intestine
D) Esophagus
Answer: B
Rationale: The small intestine is the primary site of drug absorption because of its large
surface area, extensive blood supply, and longer transit time compared to the stomach.
7. Which term describes the time required for the amount of drug in the body to
decrease by 50%?
A) Bioavailability
B) Half-life
C) Steady state
D) Therapeutic index
Answer: B
Rationale: Half-life is the time required for the amount of drug in the body to decrease
by 50%, and it determines the frequency of drug administration and the time to reach
steady state.
8. What is the term for when two drugs are administered in combination and the
response is increased beyond what either could produce alone?
A) Antagonism
B) Synergism
C) Potentiation
D) Additive effect
Answer: B
Rationale: Synergism occurs when two drugs are administered in combination and the
response is increased beyond what either could produce alone (drug + drug = 2).
9. A drug that binds to a receptor and produces a biological response is called a(n):
A) Antagonist
B) Agonist
C) Partial agonist
D) Competitive antagonist
Answer: B
Rationale: An agonist activates a receptor and produces a biological response, while an
antagonist blocks the receptor and produces no response.
10. Which factor does the loading dose depend on?
A) Clearance of the drug
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B) Volume of distribution
C) Bioavailability of the drug
D) All of the above
Answer: D
Rationale: Loading dose depends on drug concentration to be achieved, bioavailability
of the drug, and volume of distribution, but not clearance of the drug.
11. The therapeutic index of a drug is a measure of its:
A) Safety
B) Potency
C) Efficacy
D) Dose variability
Answer: A
Rationale: The therapeutic index is the ratio of LD50 to ED50 and is a measure of a
drug's safety, with a higher therapeutic index indicating a safer drug.
12. An "orphan drug" is best defined as:
A) A very cheap drug
B) A drug needed for treatment or prevention of a rare disease
C) A drug which has no therapeutic use
D) A drug which acts on orphan receptors
Answer: B
Rationale: An orphan drug is a drug needed for treatment or prevention of a rare
disease, and these drugs often receive special regulatory incentives for development.
13. What is polypharmacy, and which population is most at risk?
A) Use of multiple medications (more than 5), common in the geriatric population
B) Use of a single medication, common in pediatric patients
C) Use of over-the-counter drugs only, common in adolescents
D) Use of herbal supplements, common in athletes
Answer: A
Rationale: Polypharmacy refers to the use of multiple medications (more than 5) and is
common in the geriatric population, increasing the risk of drug interactions.
14. Knowledge of plasma half-life of drugs helps in all of the following EXCEPT:
A) Determining the frequency of drug administration
B) Determining the steady state concentration
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