,NURS 180 Pharmacology Exam Prep —
Comprehensive Review + Practice MCQs — West
Coast University 2025/2026
1. Which term describes the study of what a drug does to the body?
A. Pharmacokinetics
B. Pharmacodynamics
C. Pharmaceutics
D. Pharmacognosy
Correct Answer: B. Pharmacodynamics
Rationale: Pharmacodynamics focuses on the physiological and biochemical effects of drugs on the body and
the mechanisms by which those effects occur. Pharmacokinetics, in contrast, describes what the body does to
the drug .
2. Which term describes what the body does to a drug?
A. Pharmacodynamics
B. Pharmacokinetics
C. Pharmacotherapeutics
D. Pharmacogenomics
Correct Answer: B. Pharmacokinetics
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics describes the movement of a drug through the body, encompassing four key
processes: absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. It determines how quickly a drug reaches its
target site, how long it remains active, and how it is eliminated .
,3. Which four processes make up pharmacokinetics?
A. Absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion
B. Administration, binding, activation, and elimination
C. Potency, efficacy, tolerance, and toxicity
D. Digestion, filtration, secretion, and storage
Correct Answer: A. Absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics is classically defined by the acronym ADME, representing absorption (movement
into the bloodstream), distribution (movement to tissues), metabolism (chemical alteration, primarily in the
liver), and excretion (elimination, primarily by the kidneys) .
4. Which organ is the major site of drug metabolism?
A. Kidneys
B. Liver
C. Lungs
D. Pancreas
Correct Answer: B. Liver
Rationale: The liver is the primary site of drug metabolism through enzymatic biotransformation. It converts
drugs into metabolites that can be more readily eliminated .
5. Which organ is primarily responsible for excreting many drugs and their metabolites?
, A. Liver
B. Heart
C. Kidneys
D. Spleen
Correct Answer: C. Kidneys
Rationale: The kidneys are the primary organs responsible for eliminating many drugs and metabolites from
the body through urine .
6. A medication is administered orally and absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. Which pharmacokinetic
process is being described?
A. Distribution
B. Metabolism
C. Absorption
D. Excretion
Correct Answer: C. Absorption
Rationale: Absorption is the movement of a drug from its site of administration into the systemic circulation.
Oral medications are absorbed from the GI tract .
7. A drug is carried by the bloodstream to tissues throughout the body. Which pharmacokinetic process is this?
A. Absorption
B. Distribution
Comprehensive Review + Practice MCQs — West
Coast University 2025/2026
1. Which term describes the study of what a drug does to the body?
A. Pharmacokinetics
B. Pharmacodynamics
C. Pharmaceutics
D. Pharmacognosy
Correct Answer: B. Pharmacodynamics
Rationale: Pharmacodynamics focuses on the physiological and biochemical effects of drugs on the body and
the mechanisms by which those effects occur. Pharmacokinetics, in contrast, describes what the body does to
the drug .
2. Which term describes what the body does to a drug?
A. Pharmacodynamics
B. Pharmacokinetics
C. Pharmacotherapeutics
D. Pharmacogenomics
Correct Answer: B. Pharmacokinetics
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics describes the movement of a drug through the body, encompassing four key
processes: absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. It determines how quickly a drug reaches its
target site, how long it remains active, and how it is eliminated .
,3. Which four processes make up pharmacokinetics?
A. Absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion
B. Administration, binding, activation, and elimination
C. Potency, efficacy, tolerance, and toxicity
D. Digestion, filtration, secretion, and storage
Correct Answer: A. Absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics is classically defined by the acronym ADME, representing absorption (movement
into the bloodstream), distribution (movement to tissues), metabolism (chemical alteration, primarily in the
liver), and excretion (elimination, primarily by the kidneys) .
4. Which organ is the major site of drug metabolism?
A. Kidneys
B. Liver
C. Lungs
D. Pancreas
Correct Answer: B. Liver
Rationale: The liver is the primary site of drug metabolism through enzymatic biotransformation. It converts
drugs into metabolites that can be more readily eliminated .
5. Which organ is primarily responsible for excreting many drugs and their metabolites?
, A. Liver
B. Heart
C. Kidneys
D. Spleen
Correct Answer: C. Kidneys
Rationale: The kidneys are the primary organs responsible for eliminating many drugs and metabolites from
the body through urine .
6. A medication is administered orally and absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. Which pharmacokinetic
process is being described?
A. Distribution
B. Metabolism
C. Absorption
D. Excretion
Correct Answer: C. Absorption
Rationale: Absorption is the movement of a drug from its site of administration into the systemic circulation.
Oral medications are absorbed from the GI tract .
7. A drug is carried by the bloodstream to tissues throughout the body. Which pharmacokinetic process is this?
A. Absorption
B. Distribution
