MED AIDE STATE TEST
Actual Questions and Answers
Expert-Verified Explanation
This Exam contains:
❖ Guarantee passing score
❖ Questions and Answers
❖ format set of multiple-choice
❖ Expert-Verified Explanation
❖ Verified with trusted textbooks
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,1) Drug action is affected by many factors. All of the following affect drug action
EXCEPT:
A. The patient's intelligence
B. The size and age of the patient
C. Other drugs the resident is taking
D. Time and route of administration
Answer: A. The patient's intelligence
Expert-Verified Explanation:
• Drug action depends on numerous physiological and pharmacological
factors, such as age-related metabolism, concurrent medications, and the
timing or method (route) of administration.
• A patient’s intelligence level does not directly affect how a drug is absorbed,
distributed, metabolized, or excreted.
• In contrast, factors such as body size (weight, body mass), organ function,
and drug interactions have a profound impact on a medication’s effectiveness
and safety.
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2) Which abbreviations are most likely to be found on an order for eye
medication?
A. IM, IV, SQ
B. Stat, n.p.o., h.s.
C. bid, qid, tid, qod
D. OD, OU, OS, opth.
Answer: D. OD, OU, OS, opth.
Expert-Verified Explanation:
, • OD (oculus dexter) = right eye, OS (oculus sinister) = left eye, OU (oculus
uterque) = both eyes.
• “opth.” is shorthand for ophthalmic, pertaining to the eye.
• The other abbreviations (IM – intramuscular, IV – intravenous, etc.) are not
meant for eye-specific orders.
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─
3) The drug name owned by the manufacturer is called the:
A. Brand name
B. Product name
C. Trade name
D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above
Expert-Verified Explanation:
• “Brand name,” “trade name,” and “product name” are often used
interchangeably to describe the proprietary name a manufacturer gives to a
drug.
• This name is distinct from the generic or chemical name, which does not
belong exclusively to any one company.
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4) Pharmacokinetics is the study of:
A. The study of prescription drugs only
B. The signs and symptoms of disease
C. The absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of drugs
D. None of the above
, Answer: C. The absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of drugs
Expert-Verified Explanation:
• Pharmacokinetics (often remembered by the acronym ADME) focuses on how
the body handles a drug: how it is absorbed, how it travels (distributed), how it is
chemically altered (metabolized), and how it is eliminated (excreted).
• This is different from pharmacodynamics, which studies the drug’s effects on
the body.
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─
5) Examples of drugs made from animal sources are:
A. Insulin and heparin
B. Furosemide and castor oil
C. Magnesium hydrochloride and iodine
D. Iron and calcium
Answer: A. Insulin and heparin
Expert-Verified Explanation:
• Some medications are derived from animal substances: insulin (commonly
from pork or recombinant DNA sources) and heparin (traditionally sourced from
animal tissues).
• The other examples (like furosemide, iron supplements, or castor oil) come
from different sources (synthetic, mineral, or plant).
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6) A patient may take two drugs for hypertension because of their:
A. Antagonistic effect
B. Potentiation
, C. Synergistic effect
D. Idiosyncratic response
Answer: C. Synergistic effect
Expert-Verified Explanation:
• A synergistic effect occurs when two drugs taken together produce a
combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.
• In hypertension, combination therapy that has a synergistic effect may
improve blood pressure control.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
─
7) Pharmacodynamics is the study of:
A. Drug sources
B. The medical field
C. The diseases of the body
D. The interactions between drugs and the body
Answer: D. The interactions between drugs and the body
Expert-Verified Explanation:
• Pharmacodynamics examines how a drug exerts its effect on the body,
including the mechanism of action and the relationship between drug
concentration and effect.
• It differs from pharmacokinetics, which deals with how the body processes
the drug.
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─
8) The following abbreviations are correct EXCEPT:
, A. b.i.d. means 2 times daily
B. n.p.o. means nothing by mouth
C. stat means now
D. q.i.d. means every other day
Answer: D. q.i.d. means every other day
Expert-Verified Explanation:
• q.i.d. (quater in die) actually means “four times a day.”
• “Every other day” is typically written as “q.o.d.” or “qod” but is recommended
to be spelled out to avoid confusion.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
─
9) Rules that ensure uniform strength, quality, and purity of drugs are called:
A. Drug standards
B. Drug references
C. Drug laws
D. Drug specifications
Answer: A. Drug standards
Expert-Verified Explanation:
• Drug standards establish consistent benchmarks for medication strength,
purity, and quality.
• Pharmacopoeias (like the USP – United States Pharmacopeia) and other
regulatory standards help maintain uniform drug quality.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
─
10) Biotransformation is:
, A. A series of chemical reactions that occur naturally
B. The removal of waste products
C. The same as metabolism
D. Both A and C
Answer: D. Both A and C
Expert-Verified Explanation:
• Biotransformation, also called metabolism, is the body’s way of chemically
altering a drug to facilitate its excretion.
• This process typically occurs in the liver through various enzyme systems.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
─
11) Examples of drugs made from plant sources are:
A. Iron and salt
B. Heparin and insulin
C. Digitalis and opium
D. Sulfa drugs and hydroxyurea
Answer: C. Digitalis and opium
Expert-Verified Explanation:
• Digitalis derives from the foxglove plant and opium from the poppy plant.
• Heparin and insulin come from animal sources, whereas many sulfa drugs
and hydroxyurea are synthetic or semi-synthetic.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
─
12) The generic name is usually the same as the:
A. Brand name
, B. Chemical name
C. Official name
D. Trade name
Answer: C. Official name
Expert-Verified Explanation:
• A “generic name” often becomes the official name once recognized by official
compendiums.
• The brand (trade) name is distinct and owned by the manufacturer.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
─
13) The action of a drug is:
A. A desirable effect that occurs apart from the primary purpose of giving the
drug
B. The chemical effect on body cells
C. An unintentional effect of a drug
D. The study of the body's responses to a drug
Answer: B. The chemical effect on body cells
Expert-Verified Explanation:
• The action or mechanism of action is how the drug chemically or
physiologically affects cells or tissues.
• Side effects (desirable or undesirable) are separate from the primary
intended action.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
─
14) The route of administration in which absorption begins in the mouth is:
Actual Questions and Answers
Expert-Verified Explanation
This Exam contains:
❖ Guarantee passing score
❖ Questions and Answers
❖ format set of multiple-choice
❖ Expert-Verified Explanation
❖ Verified with trusted textbooks
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
─
,1) Drug action is affected by many factors. All of the following affect drug action
EXCEPT:
A. The patient's intelligence
B. The size and age of the patient
C. Other drugs the resident is taking
D. Time and route of administration
Answer: A. The patient's intelligence
Expert-Verified Explanation:
• Drug action depends on numerous physiological and pharmacological
factors, such as age-related metabolism, concurrent medications, and the
timing or method (route) of administration.
• A patient’s intelligence level does not directly affect how a drug is absorbed,
distributed, metabolized, or excreted.
• In contrast, factors such as body size (weight, body mass), organ function,
and drug interactions have a profound impact on a medication’s effectiveness
and safety.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
─
2) Which abbreviations are most likely to be found on an order for eye
medication?
A. IM, IV, SQ
B. Stat, n.p.o., h.s.
C. bid, qid, tid, qod
D. OD, OU, OS, opth.
Answer: D. OD, OU, OS, opth.
Expert-Verified Explanation:
, • OD (oculus dexter) = right eye, OS (oculus sinister) = left eye, OU (oculus
uterque) = both eyes.
• “opth.” is shorthand for ophthalmic, pertaining to the eye.
• The other abbreviations (IM – intramuscular, IV – intravenous, etc.) are not
meant for eye-specific orders.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
─
3) The drug name owned by the manufacturer is called the:
A. Brand name
B. Product name
C. Trade name
D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above
Expert-Verified Explanation:
• “Brand name,” “trade name,” and “product name” are often used
interchangeably to describe the proprietary name a manufacturer gives to a
drug.
• This name is distinct from the generic or chemical name, which does not
belong exclusively to any one company.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
─
4) Pharmacokinetics is the study of:
A. The study of prescription drugs only
B. The signs and symptoms of disease
C. The absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of drugs
D. None of the above
, Answer: C. The absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of drugs
Expert-Verified Explanation:
• Pharmacokinetics (often remembered by the acronym ADME) focuses on how
the body handles a drug: how it is absorbed, how it travels (distributed), how it is
chemically altered (metabolized), and how it is eliminated (excreted).
• This is different from pharmacodynamics, which studies the drug’s effects on
the body.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
─
5) Examples of drugs made from animal sources are:
A. Insulin and heparin
B. Furosemide and castor oil
C. Magnesium hydrochloride and iodine
D. Iron and calcium
Answer: A. Insulin and heparin
Expert-Verified Explanation:
• Some medications are derived from animal substances: insulin (commonly
from pork or recombinant DNA sources) and heparin (traditionally sourced from
animal tissues).
• The other examples (like furosemide, iron supplements, or castor oil) come
from different sources (synthetic, mineral, or plant).
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
─
6) A patient may take two drugs for hypertension because of their:
A. Antagonistic effect
B. Potentiation
, C. Synergistic effect
D. Idiosyncratic response
Answer: C. Synergistic effect
Expert-Verified Explanation:
• A synergistic effect occurs when two drugs taken together produce a
combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.
• In hypertension, combination therapy that has a synergistic effect may
improve blood pressure control.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
─
7) Pharmacodynamics is the study of:
A. Drug sources
B. The medical field
C. The diseases of the body
D. The interactions between drugs and the body
Answer: D. The interactions between drugs and the body
Expert-Verified Explanation:
• Pharmacodynamics examines how a drug exerts its effect on the body,
including the mechanism of action and the relationship between drug
concentration and effect.
• It differs from pharmacokinetics, which deals with how the body processes
the drug.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
─
8) The following abbreviations are correct EXCEPT:
, A. b.i.d. means 2 times daily
B. n.p.o. means nothing by mouth
C. stat means now
D. q.i.d. means every other day
Answer: D. q.i.d. means every other day
Expert-Verified Explanation:
• q.i.d. (quater in die) actually means “four times a day.”
• “Every other day” is typically written as “q.o.d.” or “qod” but is recommended
to be spelled out to avoid confusion.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
─
9) Rules that ensure uniform strength, quality, and purity of drugs are called:
A. Drug standards
B. Drug references
C. Drug laws
D. Drug specifications
Answer: A. Drug standards
Expert-Verified Explanation:
• Drug standards establish consistent benchmarks for medication strength,
purity, and quality.
• Pharmacopoeias (like the USP – United States Pharmacopeia) and other
regulatory standards help maintain uniform drug quality.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
─
10) Biotransformation is:
, A. A series of chemical reactions that occur naturally
B. The removal of waste products
C. The same as metabolism
D. Both A and C
Answer: D. Both A and C
Expert-Verified Explanation:
• Biotransformation, also called metabolism, is the body’s way of chemically
altering a drug to facilitate its excretion.
• This process typically occurs in the liver through various enzyme systems.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
─
11) Examples of drugs made from plant sources are:
A. Iron and salt
B. Heparin and insulin
C. Digitalis and opium
D. Sulfa drugs and hydroxyurea
Answer: C. Digitalis and opium
Expert-Verified Explanation:
• Digitalis derives from the foxglove plant and opium from the poppy plant.
• Heparin and insulin come from animal sources, whereas many sulfa drugs
and hydroxyurea are synthetic or semi-synthetic.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
─
12) The generic name is usually the same as the:
A. Brand name
, B. Chemical name
C. Official name
D. Trade name
Answer: C. Official name
Expert-Verified Explanation:
• A “generic name” often becomes the official name once recognized by official
compendiums.
• The brand (trade) name is distinct and owned by the manufacturer.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
─
13) The action of a drug is:
A. A desirable effect that occurs apart from the primary purpose of giving the
drug
B. The chemical effect on body cells
C. An unintentional effect of a drug
D. The study of the body's responses to a drug
Answer: B. The chemical effect on body cells
Expert-Verified Explanation:
• The action or mechanism of action is how the drug chemically or
physiologically affects cells or tissues.
• Side effects (desirable or undesirable) are separate from the primary
intended action.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
─
14) The route of administration in which absorption begins in the mouth is:
