HUBS 1416- Pharmacology Exam Questions And
Correct And Answers
Based on what you know about the ability of drugs to cross biological membranes,
which of the following would you predict would most likely cross the placenta should it
be ingested by a pregnant woman?
a. a large molecule drug
b. a drug that is highly bound to plasma proteins
c. a drug that is highly water soluble
d. a highly lipid soluble (lipophilic) drug - d. A highly lipid soluble drug
Agents such as general anaesthetics are highly lipid soluble. How would a person with a
considerable amount of body fat be affected by such an anaesthetic when undergoing
surgery?
a. The anaesthetic will not reach the fat stores during operation since blood flow to the
fat stores is very low.
b. They will take longer to be anaesthetised and longer to wake up, as the drug will go
into their fat cells, and the fat will act as a storage depot for the drug.
c. They will be anaesthetised at the same rate as a thin person because fat does not
affect the pharmacodynamics of a drug.
d. They will be anaesthetised more quickly and wake up more quickly, as the fat cells
will metabolise the drug very quickly. - b. They will take longer to be anaesthetised and
longer to wake up, as the drug will go into their fat cells and the fat will act as a storage
depot for the drug.
The therapeutic range or therapeutic index of a drug is:
a. the range of concentrations of the drug that have an effect without being lethal to the
patient
b. the average plasma concentration that has a therapeutic effect
c. the range of concentrations between the minimum effective dose and a toxic dose of
,the drug
d. None of the above - c. the range of concentrations between the minimum effective
dose and a toxic dose of the drug
Which of the following is a pharmacodynamic characteristic?
a. Toxicity
b. Bioavailability
c. Duration of action
d. Plasma protein binding - a. toxicity
Pharmacodynamics is:
a. the study of the absorption, distribution and fate of drugs in the body.
b. the study of the mechanism of action of drugs.
c. the study of causes of variability in response to drugs.
d. the study of drug interactions. - b. the study of the mechanism of action of drug
Drugs are most easily absorbed from the small intestine if they are:
a. large and water soluble
b. large and lipophilic
c. small and water soluble
d. small and lipophilic - d. small and lipophilic
A new drug that is claimed to have fewer side effects than the currently available drugs
comes on to the market. This drug is an analgesic and is an agonist at a particular
receptor. In order to have fewer side effects than older, similar drugs, which of the
following characteristics will it have? a. It will be more selective for the receptor than
the older drugs
b. It will have greater affinity for the receptor than older drugs
c. It will show more potency than the older drugs
, d. It will be more lipophilic than the older drugs - a. it will be more selective to the
receptor than the older drugs
81 year-old Molly is taking the anticoagulant drug warfarin to reduce her risk of a
second heart attack. She also has aches and pains and when these occur she takes
paracetamol. Warfarin is highly protein bound in the bloodstream and so is paracetamol
and so the drugs compete for the binding sites. What is most likely to happen when Molly
takes full dose paracetamol with her warfarin?
a. Warfarin absorption will be reduced
b. Warfarin levels and Molly's clotting time will decrease
c. Warfarin levels and Molly's clotting time will increase
d. Molly will experience gastric bleeding induced by the paracetamol - c. warfarin levels
and Molly's clotting time will increase
Heroin (diamorphine) is considerably more lipid soluble than morphine. Heroin, however
does not act on its receptors until it has been converted to morphine. Heroin is roughly 4
times more potent than morphine in producing its effects. Why would this be?
a. Each molecule of heroin must be giving rise to four molecules of morphine to account
for the difference in potency.
b. Heroin is acting on other, non-opioid receptors until it is metabolised to morphine.
c. Because heroin is highly lipid-soluble, it is absorbed into the body fat, which
increases the potency of the drug.
d. Because heroin is more fat soluble than morphine, it more easily passes the
blood-brain barrier and then is converted to morphine. - d. Because heroin is more fat
soluble than morphine, it more readily crosses the blood-brain barrier and is then
metabolized into morphine.
A new medication requires a high volume administration. For this reason, the drug is
given intramuscularly. Your football player patient takes this medication prior to a
training session. Your bedridden elderly female patient also takes this medication. The
Gluteus Maximus is the site of injection for both patients. Which of the following is more
likely to take place due to this fact?
a. The blood levels of the drug will increase much more rapidly in the football player
compared to the elderly lady. b. The blood levels of the drug will increase much more
rapidly in the elderly lady compared with the football player. c. The blood levels of the
Correct And Answers
Based on what you know about the ability of drugs to cross biological membranes,
which of the following would you predict would most likely cross the placenta should it
be ingested by a pregnant woman?
a. a large molecule drug
b. a drug that is highly bound to plasma proteins
c. a drug that is highly water soluble
d. a highly lipid soluble (lipophilic) drug - d. A highly lipid soluble drug
Agents such as general anaesthetics are highly lipid soluble. How would a person with a
considerable amount of body fat be affected by such an anaesthetic when undergoing
surgery?
a. The anaesthetic will not reach the fat stores during operation since blood flow to the
fat stores is very low.
b. They will take longer to be anaesthetised and longer to wake up, as the drug will go
into their fat cells, and the fat will act as a storage depot for the drug.
c. They will be anaesthetised at the same rate as a thin person because fat does not
affect the pharmacodynamics of a drug.
d. They will be anaesthetised more quickly and wake up more quickly, as the fat cells
will metabolise the drug very quickly. - b. They will take longer to be anaesthetised and
longer to wake up, as the drug will go into their fat cells and the fat will act as a storage
depot for the drug.
The therapeutic range or therapeutic index of a drug is:
a. the range of concentrations of the drug that have an effect without being lethal to the
patient
b. the average plasma concentration that has a therapeutic effect
c. the range of concentrations between the minimum effective dose and a toxic dose of
,the drug
d. None of the above - c. the range of concentrations between the minimum effective
dose and a toxic dose of the drug
Which of the following is a pharmacodynamic characteristic?
a. Toxicity
b. Bioavailability
c. Duration of action
d. Plasma protein binding - a. toxicity
Pharmacodynamics is:
a. the study of the absorption, distribution and fate of drugs in the body.
b. the study of the mechanism of action of drugs.
c. the study of causes of variability in response to drugs.
d. the study of drug interactions. - b. the study of the mechanism of action of drug
Drugs are most easily absorbed from the small intestine if they are:
a. large and water soluble
b. large and lipophilic
c. small and water soluble
d. small and lipophilic - d. small and lipophilic
A new drug that is claimed to have fewer side effects than the currently available drugs
comes on to the market. This drug is an analgesic and is an agonist at a particular
receptor. In order to have fewer side effects than older, similar drugs, which of the
following characteristics will it have? a. It will be more selective for the receptor than
the older drugs
b. It will have greater affinity for the receptor than older drugs
c. It will show more potency than the older drugs
, d. It will be more lipophilic than the older drugs - a. it will be more selective to the
receptor than the older drugs
81 year-old Molly is taking the anticoagulant drug warfarin to reduce her risk of a
second heart attack. She also has aches and pains and when these occur she takes
paracetamol. Warfarin is highly protein bound in the bloodstream and so is paracetamol
and so the drugs compete for the binding sites. What is most likely to happen when Molly
takes full dose paracetamol with her warfarin?
a. Warfarin absorption will be reduced
b. Warfarin levels and Molly's clotting time will decrease
c. Warfarin levels and Molly's clotting time will increase
d. Molly will experience gastric bleeding induced by the paracetamol - c. warfarin levels
and Molly's clotting time will increase
Heroin (diamorphine) is considerably more lipid soluble than morphine. Heroin, however
does not act on its receptors until it has been converted to morphine. Heroin is roughly 4
times more potent than morphine in producing its effects. Why would this be?
a. Each molecule of heroin must be giving rise to four molecules of morphine to account
for the difference in potency.
b. Heroin is acting on other, non-opioid receptors until it is metabolised to morphine.
c. Because heroin is highly lipid-soluble, it is absorbed into the body fat, which
increases the potency of the drug.
d. Because heroin is more fat soluble than morphine, it more easily passes the
blood-brain barrier and then is converted to morphine. - d. Because heroin is more fat
soluble than morphine, it more readily crosses the blood-brain barrier and is then
metabolized into morphine.
A new medication requires a high volume administration. For this reason, the drug is
given intramuscularly. Your football player patient takes this medication prior to a
training session. Your bedridden elderly female patient also takes this medication. The
Gluteus Maximus is the site of injection for both patients. Which of the following is more
likely to take place due to this fact?
a. The blood levels of the drug will increase much more rapidly in the football player
compared to the elderly lady. b. The blood levels of the drug will increase much more
rapidly in the elderly lady compared with the football player. c. The blood levels of the
