NR 565 PHARMACOLOGY WEEK #1
TEST QUESTIONS WITH COMPLETE
ANSWERS
Duration - Answer-Length of time drug remains active; measured from therapeutic level
to when elimination decreases level below therapeutic range
Absorption - Answer-The movement into the bloodstream for distribution
Bioavailability - Answer-The extent to which a medication can be absorbed
Absorption: enteral - Answer-GI tract > bloodstream > liver = 1st pass effect
Causes of decreased enteral absorption - Answer-Bariatric surgery (decreased surface
area)
Vigorous activity (blood shunted away from GI tract)
Age (decreased motility)
Parenteral medications - Answer-No 1st pass effect; 100% available as they enter the
bloodstream
Topical medication administration sites - Answer-Skin, eyes, ears, nose, rectum, vagina
Purpose of topical medication application - Answer-Intended for action at the site of
application
Transdermal medications: intention - Answer-Internal effect
Transdermal medications: absorption - Answer-Carried through skin to bloodstream; no
1st pass effect
Transdermal medications: sites - Answer-Rotate sites to prevent irritation
Trunk or upper extremities with good circulation
Avoid scar tissue due to decreased absorption
Inhaled medications - Answer-Intented for lungs and/or other areas of the body
Distribution: transport - Answer-Most rapid in areas with high blood flow (major organs)
Slower to fat, skin, and muscles (increased by physical activity)
Distribution: elimination - Answer-Occurs primarily in the liver and kidneys
Watch for renal/liver toxicity
, Distribution: decreased albumin - Answer-Can increase risk of toxicity in burns,
starvation, negative nitrogen balance
Metabolism - Answer-When a substance is irreversibly transformed into metabolites
Excretion - Answer-Elimination of a substance from the body
Agonist - Answer-A drug that binds to and activates a receptor
Agonist: full - Answer-High efficacy, full response
Agonist: partial - Answer-Lower efficacy, sub-maximal activation when occupying all
receptors
Agonist: inverse - Answer-Produces opposite effect yet binds to the same receptors as
agonist
Silent antagonist - Answer-Neutral antagonist
Attenuates/weakens effects of agonists/inverse agonists
Produces functional reduction in signal transduction
No intrinsic activity itself
Antagonist - Answer-Attenuates/weakens effects of an agonist
Antagonist: competitive - Answer-Binds to same receptors without activation, blocking
action of agonist
Antagonist: non-competitive - Answer-Binds to allosteric (non-agonist) receptor site to
prevent activation
Antagonist: reversible - Answer-Binds non-covalently; can be washed out
Antagonist: irreversible - Answer-Binds covalently; cannot be displaced by competing
ligands or washing
Efficacy - Answer-How agonists vary in produced response when occupying the same
number of receptors
High efficacy - Answer-Maximum response, occupying low number of receptors
Low efficacy - Answer-Cannot produce maximum response, occupies more receptors
Therapeutic window - Answer-Amount of medication that gives desired effect vs amount
that produces more adverse than desired effects
TEST QUESTIONS WITH COMPLETE
ANSWERS
Duration - Answer-Length of time drug remains active; measured from therapeutic level
to when elimination decreases level below therapeutic range
Absorption - Answer-The movement into the bloodstream for distribution
Bioavailability - Answer-The extent to which a medication can be absorbed
Absorption: enteral - Answer-GI tract > bloodstream > liver = 1st pass effect
Causes of decreased enteral absorption - Answer-Bariatric surgery (decreased surface
area)
Vigorous activity (blood shunted away from GI tract)
Age (decreased motility)
Parenteral medications - Answer-No 1st pass effect; 100% available as they enter the
bloodstream
Topical medication administration sites - Answer-Skin, eyes, ears, nose, rectum, vagina
Purpose of topical medication application - Answer-Intended for action at the site of
application
Transdermal medications: intention - Answer-Internal effect
Transdermal medications: absorption - Answer-Carried through skin to bloodstream; no
1st pass effect
Transdermal medications: sites - Answer-Rotate sites to prevent irritation
Trunk or upper extremities with good circulation
Avoid scar tissue due to decreased absorption
Inhaled medications - Answer-Intented for lungs and/or other areas of the body
Distribution: transport - Answer-Most rapid in areas with high blood flow (major organs)
Slower to fat, skin, and muscles (increased by physical activity)
Distribution: elimination - Answer-Occurs primarily in the liver and kidneys
Watch for renal/liver toxicity
, Distribution: decreased albumin - Answer-Can increase risk of toxicity in burns,
starvation, negative nitrogen balance
Metabolism - Answer-When a substance is irreversibly transformed into metabolites
Excretion - Answer-Elimination of a substance from the body
Agonist - Answer-A drug that binds to and activates a receptor
Agonist: full - Answer-High efficacy, full response
Agonist: partial - Answer-Lower efficacy, sub-maximal activation when occupying all
receptors
Agonist: inverse - Answer-Produces opposite effect yet binds to the same receptors as
agonist
Silent antagonist - Answer-Neutral antagonist
Attenuates/weakens effects of agonists/inverse agonists
Produces functional reduction in signal transduction
No intrinsic activity itself
Antagonist - Answer-Attenuates/weakens effects of an agonist
Antagonist: competitive - Answer-Binds to same receptors without activation, blocking
action of agonist
Antagonist: non-competitive - Answer-Binds to allosteric (non-agonist) receptor site to
prevent activation
Antagonist: reversible - Answer-Binds non-covalently; can be washed out
Antagonist: irreversible - Answer-Binds covalently; cannot be displaced by competing
ligands or washing
Efficacy - Answer-How agonists vary in produced response when occupying the same
number of receptors
High efficacy - Answer-Maximum response, occupying low number of receptors
Low efficacy - Answer-Cannot produce maximum response, occupies more receptors
Therapeutic window - Answer-Amount of medication that gives desired effect vs amount
that produces more adverse than desired effects
