comprehensive test bank for Focus on Nursing
Pharmacology (9th Edition) by Rebecca Tucker. It
includes structured practice questions designed to
support nursing students in pharmacology
education and exam preparation
SECTION I: INTRODUCTION TO NURSING PHARMACOLOGY
Chapter 1: Introduction to Drugs
1. A nurse is administering a medication to a patient to diagnose a disease. Which
branch of pharmacology best describes this action?
A) Pharmacoeconomics
B) Pharmacotherapeutics
C) Pharmacodynamics
D) Pharmacokinetics
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Pharmacotherapeutics (also called clinical pharmacology) deals
with the uses of drugs to treat, prevent, and diagnose disease.
Pharmacoeconomics involves the costs of drug therapy. Pharmacodynamics
involves how a drug affects the body. Pharmacokinetics involves how the body
acts on the drug.
2. A nurse is caring for a patient receiving a Schedule II controlled substance.
Which statement about this classification is accurate?
A) It has no accepted medical use
B) It has a high abuse potential and severe dependence liability
C) It has low abuse potential and limited dependence liability
D) It is available over the counter
Correct Answer: B
, Rationale: Schedule II drugs have a high abuse potential and severe
physical and psychological dependence liability. Schedule I drugs have no
accepted medical use. Schedule IV drugs have low abuse potential and limited
dependence liability.
3. During which phase of drug evaluation studies would a nurse monitor patients
closely for adverse effects in a large clinical population?
A) Preclinical trials
B) Phase I studies
C) Phase II studies
D) Phase III studies
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Phase III studies involve the use of a drug in a vast clinical
population where patients are monitored closely for adverse effects. Preclinical
trials involve animal testing. Phase I studies involve healthy human volunteers.
Phase II studies involve patients who have the disease the drug is intended to
treat.
4. A nurse is explaining generic drug substitution to a patient. Which concept
should the nurse include?
A) Bioavailability
B) Critical concentration
C) Distribution
D) Half-life
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Bioavailability is the portion of a dose that reaches systemic
circulation and is available to act on body cells. Binders in generic drugs may differ
from brand name drugs, potentially affecting bioavailability and eliminating
substitution. Critical concentration, distribution, and half-life are not affected by
generic substitution.
,5. A nurse is reviewing the pregnancy categories for a newly approved
medication. Which category indicates that studies in pregnant women have not
shown a risk to the fetus?
A) Category A
B) Category B
C) Category C
D) Category D
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Pregnancy Category A indicates that adequate studies in
pregnant women have not demonstrated a risk to the fetus in the first trimester.
Category B shows no risk in animal studies but no adequate human studies.
Category C shows risk in animal studies. Category D shows positive evidence of
human fetal risk.
6. (SATA) A nurse is reviewing the stages of new drug development. Which of the
following are responsibilities of the nurse during Phase III drug evaluation
studies? (Select all that apply.)
A) Monitoring patients for adverse effects
B) Collecting and analyzing data to share with the FDA
C) Prescribing the investigational drug
D) Ensuring informed consent is obtained
E) Administering the investigational drug
Correct Answers: A, B, D, E
Rationale: During Phase III studies, nurses may monitor and observe
patients closely for adverse effects, help collect and analyze information to share
with the FDA, ensure informed consent is obtained, and administer the
investigational drug. Nurses do not prescribe medications.
Chapter 2: Drugs and the Body
7. A nurse is calculating the half-life of a medication. The drug has a half-life of 4
hours. If the patient takes a 100 mg dose, how much drug remains after 12 hours?
, A) 50 mg
B) 25 mg
C) 12.5 mg
D) 6.25 mg
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: After one half-life (4 hours), 50 mg remains. After two half-lives
(8 hours), 25 mg remains. After three half-lives (12 hours), 12.5 mg remains.
8. Which phase of pharmacokinetics involves the movement of a drug to body
tissues?
A) Absorption
B) Distribution
C) Metabolism
D) Excretion
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Distribution is the phase of pharmacokinetics that involves the
movement of a drug to body tissues. Absorption is the movement of a drug from
the site of administration into the bloodstream. Metabolism is the breakdown of
the drug. Excretion is the removal of the drug from the body.
9. A nurse is administering a drug that undergoes extensive first-pass metabolism.
Which route of administration would bypass this 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 systemic circulation under the tongue,
Pharmacology (9th Edition) by Rebecca Tucker. It
includes structured practice questions designed to
support nursing students in pharmacology
education and exam preparation
SECTION I: INTRODUCTION TO NURSING PHARMACOLOGY
Chapter 1: Introduction to Drugs
1. A nurse is administering a medication to a patient to diagnose a disease. Which
branch of pharmacology best describes this action?
A) Pharmacoeconomics
B) Pharmacotherapeutics
C) Pharmacodynamics
D) Pharmacokinetics
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Pharmacotherapeutics (also called clinical pharmacology) deals
with the uses of drugs to treat, prevent, and diagnose disease.
Pharmacoeconomics involves the costs of drug therapy. Pharmacodynamics
involves how a drug affects the body. Pharmacokinetics involves how the body
acts on the drug.
2. A nurse is caring for a patient receiving a Schedule II controlled substance.
Which statement about this classification is accurate?
A) It has no accepted medical use
B) It has a high abuse potential and severe dependence liability
C) It has low abuse potential and limited dependence liability
D) It is available over the counter
Correct Answer: B
, Rationale: Schedule II drugs have a high abuse potential and severe
physical and psychological dependence liability. Schedule I drugs have no
accepted medical use. Schedule IV drugs have low abuse potential and limited
dependence liability.
3. During which phase of drug evaluation studies would a nurse monitor patients
closely for adverse effects in a large clinical population?
A) Preclinical trials
B) Phase I studies
C) Phase II studies
D) Phase III studies
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Phase III studies involve the use of a drug in a vast clinical
population where patients are monitored closely for adverse effects. Preclinical
trials involve animal testing. Phase I studies involve healthy human volunteers.
Phase II studies involve patients who have the disease the drug is intended to
treat.
4. A nurse is explaining generic drug substitution to a patient. Which concept
should the nurse include?
A) Bioavailability
B) Critical concentration
C) Distribution
D) Half-life
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Bioavailability is the portion of a dose that reaches systemic
circulation and is available to act on body cells. Binders in generic drugs may differ
from brand name drugs, potentially affecting bioavailability and eliminating
substitution. Critical concentration, distribution, and half-life are not affected by
generic substitution.
,5. A nurse is reviewing the pregnancy categories for a newly approved
medication. Which category indicates that studies in pregnant women have not
shown a risk to the fetus?
A) Category A
B) Category B
C) Category C
D) Category D
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Pregnancy Category A indicates that adequate studies in
pregnant women have not demonstrated a risk to the fetus in the first trimester.
Category B shows no risk in animal studies but no adequate human studies.
Category C shows risk in animal studies. Category D shows positive evidence of
human fetal risk.
6. (SATA) A nurse is reviewing the stages of new drug development. Which of the
following are responsibilities of the nurse during Phase III drug evaluation
studies? (Select all that apply.)
A) Monitoring patients for adverse effects
B) Collecting and analyzing data to share with the FDA
C) Prescribing the investigational drug
D) Ensuring informed consent is obtained
E) Administering the investigational drug
Correct Answers: A, B, D, E
Rationale: During Phase III studies, nurses may monitor and observe
patients closely for adverse effects, help collect and analyze information to share
with the FDA, ensure informed consent is obtained, and administer the
investigational drug. Nurses do not prescribe medications.
Chapter 2: Drugs and the Body
7. A nurse is calculating the half-life of a medication. The drug has a half-life of 4
hours. If the patient takes a 100 mg dose, how much drug remains after 12 hours?
, A) 50 mg
B) 25 mg
C) 12.5 mg
D) 6.25 mg
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: After one half-life (4 hours), 50 mg remains. After two half-lives
(8 hours), 25 mg remains. After three half-lives (12 hours), 12.5 mg remains.
8. Which phase of pharmacokinetics involves the movement of a drug to body
tissues?
A) Absorption
B) Distribution
C) Metabolism
D) Excretion
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Distribution is the phase of pharmacokinetics that involves the
movement of a drug to body tissues. Absorption is the movement of a drug from
the site of administration into the bloodstream. Metabolism is the breakdown of
the drug. Excretion is the removal of the drug from the body.
9. A nurse is administering a drug that undergoes extensive first-pass metabolism.
Which route of administration would bypass this 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 systemic circulation under the tongue,
