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RELIAS RN
PHARMACOLOGY A EXAM
2026/2027 EDITION
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
200 Practice Q&A with Detailed Rationales | Graded A+
· · · · · · ·
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆
safe administration • clinical judgment • medication safety • patient education
Relias RN Pharmacology A Exam | 1
,Relias RN Pharmacology A Exam | 2
,Section 1: Brief Introduction
This 200-question RN pharmacology exam-prep guide reviews pharmacokinetics,
pharmacodynamics, medication administration, high-alert safety, cardiovascular, respiratory,
gastrointestinal, endocrine, neurologic, psychiatric, antimicrobial, pain, oncology, pediatric,
and geriatric pharmacology. Each item presents a clinical scenario followed by the correct
answer and detailed rationale.
Section 2: The Complete Exam
1. A drug is absorbed through the intestinal wall.
A. relate absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, receptors, half-life, and therapeutic
range to the patient’s response
B. assume all oral drugs act immediately
C. ignore liver or kidney function
D. treat half-life as the same as duration of action
Answer: A. relate absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, receptors, half-life, and
therapeutic range to the patient’s response Rationale: Pharmacokinetics describes what the body
does to a drug: absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. Pharmacodynamics describes
receptor and physiologic effects; organ function, protein binding, interactions, and half-life influence
safety and response.
2. A nurse prepares a medication.
A. override a barcode mismatch
B. verify the order, patient, medication, dose, route, time, indication, allergies, assessment,
response, and documentation before administration
C. administer an unlabeled syringe
D. document a refused drug as given
Answer: B. verify the order, patient, medication, dose, route, time, indication, allergies,
assessment, response, and documentation before administration Rationale: Medication safety
requires order verification, patient identification, allergy and assessment checks, the medication rights,
barcode or second-check verification when required, patient education, response monitoring, and
accurate documentation.
3. A patient receives an IV medication.
A. change route for convenience
B. crush every extended-release tablet
C. use the prescribed route and verify compatibility, absorption, onset, site, technique, and
monitoring requirements
D. assume all routes are interchangeable
Answer: C. use the prescribed route and verify compatibility, absorption, onset, site, technique,
and monitoring requirements Rationale: Route affects absorption, onset, bioavailability, tissue
Relias RN Pharmacology A Exam | 3
, injury, and duration. Nurses verify whether a formulation can be crushed or administered through a
tube and clarify unsafe or changed routes.
4. A patient takes multiple prescriptions.
A. assume natural products are risk-free
B. ignore duplicate therapy
C. wait for an adverse event before reviewing interactions
D. reconcile all prescribed, over-the-counter, and herbal products and assess pharmacokinetic,
pharmacodynamic, and additive adverse effects
Answer: D. reconcile all prescribed, over-the-counter, and herbal products and assess
pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and additive adverse effects Rationale: Medication
reconciliation identifies omissions, duplications, interactions, contraindications, and adherence issues.
Additive sedation, bleeding, QT prolongation, enzyme effects, alcohol, and organ impairment can create
serious harm.
5. A patient has hypertension.
A. monitor blood pressure, pulse, renal function, potassium, orthostasis, and drug-specific
adverse effects while reinforcing adherence
B. stop every drug after one low reading
C. ignore pulse before a beta blocker
D. assume cough is unrelated to an ACE inhibitor
Answer: A. monitor blood pressure, pulse, renal function, potassium, orthostasis, and drug-
specific adverse effects while reinforcing adherence Rationale: Antihypertensives reduce vascular
resistance, heart rate, contractility, or volume through different mechanisms. Monitoring includes blood
pressure, pulse, renal function, potassium, orthostasis, and characteristic effects such as ACE-inhibitor
cough.
6. A patient has heart failure and edema.
A. give extra diuretic without assessment
B. assess fluid status, electrolytes, renal function, weight, blood pressure, and drug-specific
toxicity or potassium effects
C. ignore potassium with digoxin
D. use daily weight only when symptoms occur
Answer: B. assess fluid status, electrolytes, renal function, weight, blood pressure, and drug-
specific toxicity or potassium effects Rationale: Heart-failure medications affect preload, afterload,
contractility, and neurohormonal signaling. Diuretics require fluid, weight, renal, and electrolyte
monitoring; digoxin toxicity risk rises with renal impairment and hypokalemia.
7. A patient has atrial fibrillation.
A. treat every rhythm with the same drug
B. ignore QT or electrolyte abnormalities
C. monitor rhythm, ECG, blood pressure, electrolytes, organ-specific toxicity, and the
indication for the antiarrhythmic
D. assume palpitations prove treatment failure
Relias RN Pharmacology A Exam | 4
▲ ╱╲ ╱╲ ╱╲
· · · · · · ·
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
RELIAS RN
PHARMACOLOGY A EXAM
2026/2027 EDITION
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
200 Practice Q&A with Detailed Rationales | Graded A+
· · · · · · ·
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆
safe administration • clinical judgment • medication safety • patient education
Relias RN Pharmacology A Exam | 1
,Relias RN Pharmacology A Exam | 2
,Section 1: Brief Introduction
This 200-question RN pharmacology exam-prep guide reviews pharmacokinetics,
pharmacodynamics, medication administration, high-alert safety, cardiovascular, respiratory,
gastrointestinal, endocrine, neurologic, psychiatric, antimicrobial, pain, oncology, pediatric,
and geriatric pharmacology. Each item presents a clinical scenario followed by the correct
answer and detailed rationale.
Section 2: The Complete Exam
1. A drug is absorbed through the intestinal wall.
A. relate absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, receptors, half-life, and therapeutic
range to the patient’s response
B. assume all oral drugs act immediately
C. ignore liver or kidney function
D. treat half-life as the same as duration of action
Answer: A. relate absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, receptors, half-life, and
therapeutic range to the patient’s response Rationale: Pharmacokinetics describes what the body
does to a drug: absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. Pharmacodynamics describes
receptor and physiologic effects; organ function, protein binding, interactions, and half-life influence
safety and response.
2. A nurse prepares a medication.
A. override a barcode mismatch
B. verify the order, patient, medication, dose, route, time, indication, allergies, assessment,
response, and documentation before administration
C. administer an unlabeled syringe
D. document a refused drug as given
Answer: B. verify the order, patient, medication, dose, route, time, indication, allergies,
assessment, response, and documentation before administration Rationale: Medication safety
requires order verification, patient identification, allergy and assessment checks, the medication rights,
barcode or second-check verification when required, patient education, response monitoring, and
accurate documentation.
3. A patient receives an IV medication.
A. change route for convenience
B. crush every extended-release tablet
C. use the prescribed route and verify compatibility, absorption, onset, site, technique, and
monitoring requirements
D. assume all routes are interchangeable
Answer: C. use the prescribed route and verify compatibility, absorption, onset, site, technique,
and monitoring requirements Rationale: Route affects absorption, onset, bioavailability, tissue
Relias RN Pharmacology A Exam | 3
, injury, and duration. Nurses verify whether a formulation can be crushed or administered through a
tube and clarify unsafe or changed routes.
4. A patient takes multiple prescriptions.
A. assume natural products are risk-free
B. ignore duplicate therapy
C. wait for an adverse event before reviewing interactions
D. reconcile all prescribed, over-the-counter, and herbal products and assess pharmacokinetic,
pharmacodynamic, and additive adverse effects
Answer: D. reconcile all prescribed, over-the-counter, and herbal products and assess
pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and additive adverse effects Rationale: Medication
reconciliation identifies omissions, duplications, interactions, contraindications, and adherence issues.
Additive sedation, bleeding, QT prolongation, enzyme effects, alcohol, and organ impairment can create
serious harm.
5. A patient has hypertension.
A. monitor blood pressure, pulse, renal function, potassium, orthostasis, and drug-specific
adverse effects while reinforcing adherence
B. stop every drug after one low reading
C. ignore pulse before a beta blocker
D. assume cough is unrelated to an ACE inhibitor
Answer: A. monitor blood pressure, pulse, renal function, potassium, orthostasis, and drug-
specific adverse effects while reinforcing adherence Rationale: Antihypertensives reduce vascular
resistance, heart rate, contractility, or volume through different mechanisms. Monitoring includes blood
pressure, pulse, renal function, potassium, orthostasis, and characteristic effects such as ACE-inhibitor
cough.
6. A patient has heart failure and edema.
A. give extra diuretic without assessment
B. assess fluid status, electrolytes, renal function, weight, blood pressure, and drug-specific
toxicity or potassium effects
C. ignore potassium with digoxin
D. use daily weight only when symptoms occur
Answer: B. assess fluid status, electrolytes, renal function, weight, blood pressure, and drug-
specific toxicity or potassium effects Rationale: Heart-failure medications affect preload, afterload,
contractility, and neurohormonal signaling. Diuretics require fluid, weight, renal, and electrolyte
monitoring; digoxin toxicity risk rises with renal impairment and hypokalemia.
7. A patient has atrial fibrillation.
A. treat every rhythm with the same drug
B. ignore QT or electrolyte abnormalities
C. monitor rhythm, ECG, blood pressure, electrolytes, organ-specific toxicity, and the
indication for the antiarrhythmic
D. assume palpitations prove treatment failure
Relias RN Pharmacology A Exam | 4
