NURS 615 PHARM EXAM ADVANCED PHARMACOTHERAPEUTICS
Maryville 2025/2026
How does hypoalbuminemia affect the process of prescribing? - Low albumin =
freer drug (by the drug can't bind to albumin aka protein) = increased adverse
effects
What is a Black Box Warning: - is considered a contraindication to administer
that drug.
What is the drugs half-life? - Half-life specifically means the amount of time it
takes for an administered drug to be halfway cleared from the system.
Peak of action: - the time between drug administration and maximum
concentration of drug in the blood stream. Best therapeutic effect.
Duration of action: - the time between onset of action and metabolism of drug
below the minimum needed for an effect. The length of time you have the drug
in your system.
According to the WHO what is the first step in the prescribing process? - The
first step is to define the patient's problem
The second step is to - specify the therapeutic objective
The third step is to - choose which drug or treatment is needed.
Step 4 of the WHO approach: - Start the treatment
,Step 5 of the WHO approach: - Educate the patient
Step 6 of the WHO approach: - Monitor the treatment
Phase 1 of drug development: - The drug is tested on healthy volunteers
Phase 2 of drug development: - trials with people who have the disease for
which the drug is thought to be effective
Phase 3 of drug development: - Large numbers of patients in medical research
centers receive the drug in phase 3. This larger sampling provides information
about infrequent or rare adverse effects. The FFA will approve a new drug
application if phase 3 studies are satisfactory.
Phase 4 of drug development: - This phase is voluntary and involves
postmarket surveillance of the drug's therapeutic effects at the completion of
phase 3. The pharmaceutical company receives reports from doctors and other
health care professionals about the therapeutic results and adverse effects of
the drug. Some medications, for example, have been found to be toxic and
have been removed from the market after their initial release.
Explain first pass metabolism - much of the drug is lost in the absorption
process. The liver metabolizes many drugs, thus reduces the bioavailabilty of
the drug.
What is the fasted route of absorption: - The fastest route of absorption is
inhalation, and not as mistakenly considered the IV administration.
, Why does the GI tract take longer to absorb? - The GI tract is lined with
epithelial cells; drugs must permeate through these cells in order to be
absorbed into the circulatory system.
What is One particular cellular barrier that may prevent absorption of a given
drug? - the cell membrane. Cell membranes are essentially lipid bilayers which
form a semipermeable membrane. Pure lipid bilayers are generally permeable
only to small and uncharged solutes, hence whether or not a molecule is
ionized will affect its absorption, since ionic molecules are charged.
What is solubility? - Solubility favors charged species, permeability favors
neutral species. Some molecules have special exchange proteins and channels
to facilitate movement from the lumen into the circulation.
Why does absorption occur at a slower rate for oral, IM, SQ routes? -
Absorption occurs at a slower rate because the complex membrane systems of
GI mucosal layers, muscle, and skin delay drug passage.
The ability of a drug to cross a cell membrane depends on: - whether the drug
is water or lipid (fat) soluble. Lipid-soluble drugs easily cross through cell
membranes; water-soluble drugs can't. Lipid-soluble drugs can also cross the
blood-brain barrier and enter the brain.
As a drug travels through the body, it comes in contact with? - proteins such as
the plasma protein albumin. The drug can remain free or bind to the protein.
The portion of a drug that's bound to a protein is inactive and can't exert a
therapeutic effect. Only the free, or unbound, portion remains active. A drug is
said to be highly protein-bound if more than 80% of the drug is bound to
protein.
Maryville 2025/2026
How does hypoalbuminemia affect the process of prescribing? - Low albumin =
freer drug (by the drug can't bind to albumin aka protein) = increased adverse
effects
What is a Black Box Warning: - is considered a contraindication to administer
that drug.
What is the drugs half-life? - Half-life specifically means the amount of time it
takes for an administered drug to be halfway cleared from the system.
Peak of action: - the time between drug administration and maximum
concentration of drug in the blood stream. Best therapeutic effect.
Duration of action: - the time between onset of action and metabolism of drug
below the minimum needed for an effect. The length of time you have the drug
in your system.
According to the WHO what is the first step in the prescribing process? - The
first step is to define the patient's problem
The second step is to - specify the therapeutic objective
The third step is to - choose which drug or treatment is needed.
Step 4 of the WHO approach: - Start the treatment
,Step 5 of the WHO approach: - Educate the patient
Step 6 of the WHO approach: - Monitor the treatment
Phase 1 of drug development: - The drug is tested on healthy volunteers
Phase 2 of drug development: - trials with people who have the disease for
which the drug is thought to be effective
Phase 3 of drug development: - Large numbers of patients in medical research
centers receive the drug in phase 3. This larger sampling provides information
about infrequent or rare adverse effects. The FFA will approve a new drug
application if phase 3 studies are satisfactory.
Phase 4 of drug development: - This phase is voluntary and involves
postmarket surveillance of the drug's therapeutic effects at the completion of
phase 3. The pharmaceutical company receives reports from doctors and other
health care professionals about the therapeutic results and adverse effects of
the drug. Some medications, for example, have been found to be toxic and
have been removed from the market after their initial release.
Explain first pass metabolism - much of the drug is lost in the absorption
process. The liver metabolizes many drugs, thus reduces the bioavailabilty of
the drug.
What is the fasted route of absorption: - The fastest route of absorption is
inhalation, and not as mistakenly considered the IV administration.
, Why does the GI tract take longer to absorb? - The GI tract is lined with
epithelial cells; drugs must permeate through these cells in order to be
absorbed into the circulatory system.
What is One particular cellular barrier that may prevent absorption of a given
drug? - the cell membrane. Cell membranes are essentially lipid bilayers which
form a semipermeable membrane. Pure lipid bilayers are generally permeable
only to small and uncharged solutes, hence whether or not a molecule is
ionized will affect its absorption, since ionic molecules are charged.
What is solubility? - Solubility favors charged species, permeability favors
neutral species. Some molecules have special exchange proteins and channels
to facilitate movement from the lumen into the circulation.
Why does absorption occur at a slower rate for oral, IM, SQ routes? -
Absorption occurs at a slower rate because the complex membrane systems of
GI mucosal layers, muscle, and skin delay drug passage.
The ability of a drug to cross a cell membrane depends on: - whether the drug
is water or lipid (fat) soluble. Lipid-soluble drugs easily cross through cell
membranes; water-soluble drugs can't. Lipid-soluble drugs can also cross the
blood-brain barrier and enter the brain.
As a drug travels through the body, it comes in contact with? - proteins such as
the plasma protein albumin. The drug can remain free or bind to the protein.
The portion of a drug that's bound to a protein is inactive and can't exert a
therapeutic effect. Only the free, or unbound, portion remains active. A drug is
said to be highly protein-bound if more than 80% of the drug is bound to
protein.
