NUR 600 Clinical Pharmacology | 70 Questions & Answers with
Rationales | Verified | Latest Update - St. Thomas University | 2026
Chapter #1 Issues for the Practitioner in Drug Therapy
1) Nurse practitioner prescriptive authority is regulated by:
1. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing
2. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
3. The State Board of Nursing for each state
4. The State Board of Pharmacy
2) The benefits to the patient of having an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) prescriber include:
1. Nurses know more about Pharmacology than other prescribers because they take it
both in their basic nursing program and their APRN program.
2. Nurses care for the patient from a holistic approach and include the patient in
decision-making regarding their care.
3. APRNs are less likely to prescribe narcotics and other controlled substances.
4. APRNs are able to prescribe independently in all states, whereas a physician's
assistant needs to have a physician supervising their practice.
3) Clinical judgment in prescribing includes:
1. Factoring in the cost to the patient of the medication prescribed
2. Always prescribing the newest medication available for the disease process
3. Handing out drug samples to poor patients
4. Prescribing all generic medications to cut costs
4) Criteria for choosing an effective drug for a disorder include:
1. Asking the patient what drug they think would work best for them
2. Consulting nationally recognized guidelines for disease management
3. Prescribing medications that are available as samples before writing a prescription
4. Following U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration guidelines for prescribing
5) Nurse practitioner practice may thrive under healthcare reform because of:
1. The demonstrated ability of nurse practitioners to control costs and improve patient
outcomes
2. The fact that nurse practitioners will be able to practice independently
3. The fact that nurse practitioners will have full reimbursement under healthcare reform
4. The ability to shift accountability for Medicaid to the state-level
6) An NP would prescribe the liquid form of ibuprofen for a 6-year-old child because:
1. Drugs given in liquid form are less irritating to the stomach.
2. A 6-year-old child may have problems swallowing a pill.
3. Liquid forms of medication eliminate the concern for the first-pass effect.
4. Liquid ibuprofen does not have to be dosed as often as the tablet form
7) In deciding which of multiple drugs used to use to treat a condition, the NP chooses a Drug because it:
1. Has serious side effects, and it is not being used for a life-threatening condition
2. Will be taken twice daily and will be taken at home
3. Is expensive but covered by health insurance
4. None of these are important in choosing a drug
, 8) A client asks the NP about the differences in drug effects between men and women. What is known about
the differences between the pharmacokinetics of men and women?
1. Body temperature varies between men and women.
2. Muscle mass is greater in women.
3. The percentage of fat differs between genders.
4. Proven subjective factors exist between the genders
9) The first step in the prescribing process, according to the World Health Organization, is:
1. Choosing the treatment
2. Educating the patient about the medication
3. Diagnosing the patient's problem
4. Starting the treatment
10) Treatment goals in prescribing should:
1. Always be curative
2. Be patient-centered
3. Be convenient for the provider
4. Focus on the cost of therapy
11) The therapeutic goals when prescribing include(s):
1. Curative
2. Palliative
3. Preventive
4. All of the above
12) When determining drug treatment, the NP prescriber should:
1. Always use evidence-based guidelines
2. Individualize the drug choice for the specific patient
3. Rely on his or her experience when prescribing for complex patients
4. Use the newest drug on the market for the condition being treated
13) Patient education regarding prescribed medication includes:
1. Instructions written at the high school reading level
2. Discussion of expected adverse drug reactions
3. How to store leftover medication such as antibiotics
4. Verbal instructions always in English
14) Passive monitoring of drug effectiveness includes:
1. Therapeutic drug levels
2. Adding or subtracting medications from the treatment regimen
3. Ongoing provider visits
4. Instructing the patient to report if the drug is not effective
15) Pharmacokinetic factors that affect prescribing include:
1. Therapeutic index
2. Minimum effective concentration
3. Bioavailability
4. Ease of titration
Rationales | Verified | Latest Update - St. Thomas University | 2026
Chapter #1 Issues for the Practitioner in Drug Therapy
1) Nurse practitioner prescriptive authority is regulated by:
1. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing
2. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
3. The State Board of Nursing for each state
4. The State Board of Pharmacy
2) The benefits to the patient of having an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) prescriber include:
1. Nurses know more about Pharmacology than other prescribers because they take it
both in their basic nursing program and their APRN program.
2. Nurses care for the patient from a holistic approach and include the patient in
decision-making regarding their care.
3. APRNs are less likely to prescribe narcotics and other controlled substances.
4. APRNs are able to prescribe independently in all states, whereas a physician's
assistant needs to have a physician supervising their practice.
3) Clinical judgment in prescribing includes:
1. Factoring in the cost to the patient of the medication prescribed
2. Always prescribing the newest medication available for the disease process
3. Handing out drug samples to poor patients
4. Prescribing all generic medications to cut costs
4) Criteria for choosing an effective drug for a disorder include:
1. Asking the patient what drug they think would work best for them
2. Consulting nationally recognized guidelines for disease management
3. Prescribing medications that are available as samples before writing a prescription
4. Following U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration guidelines for prescribing
5) Nurse practitioner practice may thrive under healthcare reform because of:
1. The demonstrated ability of nurse practitioners to control costs and improve patient
outcomes
2. The fact that nurse practitioners will be able to practice independently
3. The fact that nurse practitioners will have full reimbursement under healthcare reform
4. The ability to shift accountability for Medicaid to the state-level
6) An NP would prescribe the liquid form of ibuprofen for a 6-year-old child because:
1. Drugs given in liquid form are less irritating to the stomach.
2. A 6-year-old child may have problems swallowing a pill.
3. Liquid forms of medication eliminate the concern for the first-pass effect.
4. Liquid ibuprofen does not have to be dosed as often as the tablet form
7) In deciding which of multiple drugs used to use to treat a condition, the NP chooses a Drug because it:
1. Has serious side effects, and it is not being used for a life-threatening condition
2. Will be taken twice daily and will be taken at home
3. Is expensive but covered by health insurance
4. None of these are important in choosing a drug
, 8) A client asks the NP about the differences in drug effects between men and women. What is known about
the differences between the pharmacokinetics of men and women?
1. Body temperature varies between men and women.
2. Muscle mass is greater in women.
3. The percentage of fat differs between genders.
4. Proven subjective factors exist between the genders
9) The first step in the prescribing process, according to the World Health Organization, is:
1. Choosing the treatment
2. Educating the patient about the medication
3. Diagnosing the patient's problem
4. Starting the treatment
10) Treatment goals in prescribing should:
1. Always be curative
2. Be patient-centered
3. Be convenient for the provider
4. Focus on the cost of therapy
11) The therapeutic goals when prescribing include(s):
1. Curative
2. Palliative
3. Preventive
4. All of the above
12) When determining drug treatment, the NP prescriber should:
1. Always use evidence-based guidelines
2. Individualize the drug choice for the specific patient
3. Rely on his or her experience when prescribing for complex patients
4. Use the newest drug on the market for the condition being treated
13) Patient education regarding prescribed medication includes:
1. Instructions written at the high school reading level
2. Discussion of expected adverse drug reactions
3. How to store leftover medication such as antibiotics
4. Verbal instructions always in English
14) Passive monitoring of drug effectiveness includes:
1. Therapeutic drug levels
2. Adding or subtracting medications from the treatment regimen
3. Ongoing provider visits
4. Instructing the patient to report if the drug is not effective
15) Pharmacokinetic factors that affect prescribing include:
1. Therapeutic index
2. Minimum effective concentration
3. Bioavailability
4. Ease of titration
