TEST BANK UNDERSTANDING PHARMACOLOGY: ESSENTIALS FOR
MEDICA TION SAFETY, 2ND EDITION WORKMAN & LACHARITY
1. Absorption: Movement of a drug from the outside of the body into the blood stream.
2. Agonist: An extrinsic drug that activates the receptor site of a cell and mimics the actions of naturally occurring drugs.
3. Antagonist: An extrinsic drug that blocks the receptor site of a cell, preventing the naturally occurring substance from
binding to the receptor.
4. Bioavailability: The percentage of a drug dose that actually reaches the blood.
5. Black Box Warning: A notice that a drug may produce serious or even life threatening effects in some people in addition to
its beneficial effects.
6. Cytoxic: A drug action that is intended to kill a cell or organism.
7. Distribution: The extent that a drug absorbed into the bloodstream spreads into the three body water components.
8. Duration of Action: The length of time a drug is present in the blood at or above the level needed to produce an effect or
response.
9. Extrinsic Drugs: Drugs that are man made or derived from another species; not made by the human body.
10. First pass loss: Rapid inactivation or elimination of oral drugs as a result of liver metabolism.
11. Generic Name: National and international public drug name created by the United States Adopted NamesCouncil to
indicate the usual use or chemical composition of a drug.
12. Half Life: Time san needed for one half of a drug dose to be eliminated.
13. High Alert Drug: A drug that has an increased risk of causing patient harm if it is used in error.
14. Loading Dose: The first dose of a drug that is larger than all subsequent doses of the same drug; used when it takes more
drug to reach steady state that it does to maintain it.
15. Mechanism of Action: Exactly how, at the cellular level, a drug changes the activity of a cell.
16. Minimum Effective
Concentration: The smallest amount of drug necessary in the blood or target tissue to result in a measurable intended action.
17. Percutaneous Route: Movement of a drug from the outside of the body to the inside through the skin or mucous
membranes.
18. Pharmacodynamics: Ways in which drugs work to change body function.
19. Pharmacokinetics: How the body changes drugs; drug metabolism.
20. Physiologic Effects: The change in body function as an income of the mechanism of action off a drug.
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, TEST BANK UNDERSTANDING PHARMACOLOGY: ESSENTIALS FOR
MEDICA TION SAFETY, 2ND EDITION WORKMAN & LACHARITY
21. Receptors: Physical place on or in a cell where a drug can bind and interact.
22. Sequestration: The trapping of drugs within certain body tissues, delaying their elimination and extending their duration
of action.
23. Steady State: Point at which drug elimination is balance with drug entry, resulting in a constant effective blood level of the
drug.
24. Target Tissue: The actual cells or tissues affected by the mechanism of action or intended actions of a specific drug.
25. Transdermal: Type of percutaneous drug delivery in which the drug is applied to the skin, passes through the skin and
enters the bloodstream.
26. Vaporized: Changing of a drug from a liquid form to a gas that can be absorbed into the body by inhalation.
27. A plan to improve or prevent a health problem that includes the use of drugs.: Drug therapy.
28. What factors does drug therapy involve?: 1. Identifying the specific health problem.
2. Determining what drug or drugs would be the best treatment for the problem.
3. Deciding the best delivery method and schedule.
4. Ensuring that the proper amount of the drug is given.
5. Helping the patient become an active participant in his or her drug therapy.
29. What is the prescriber's role in drug therapy?: To select and order specific drugs.
30. What are examples of state approved prescribers?: Physicians, dentists, podiatrists, advanced practice nurses, and
physician's assistants.
31. What is the pharmacists role in drug therapy?: To mix and dispense prescribed drugs.
32. What is the nurse's role in drug therapy?: To administer drugs.
33. A desired effect of a drug.: Intended action or therapeutic response.
34. Which name of a drug is commonly used by physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and other healthcare
professionals?: Generic
35. Who creates the generic names for all drugs?: United States Adopted Names (USAN)
36. Prefix that indicates lipid lowering effect in generic drugs.: -statin
37. Prefix that indicates a beta-blocker.: -olol
38. Give some examples of OTC drugs.: Aspirin, antacids, vitamins, and antihistamines.
39. Which drugs have been reclassified as OTC?: Benadryl, Zantac, and Prilosec
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MEDICA TION SAFETY, 2ND EDITION WORKMAN & LACHARITY
1. Absorption: Movement of a drug from the outside of the body into the blood stream.
2. Agonist: An extrinsic drug that activates the receptor site of a cell and mimics the actions of naturally occurring drugs.
3. Antagonist: An extrinsic drug that blocks the receptor site of a cell, preventing the naturally occurring substance from
binding to the receptor.
4. Bioavailability: The percentage of a drug dose that actually reaches the blood.
5. Black Box Warning: A notice that a drug may produce serious or even life threatening effects in some people in addition to
its beneficial effects.
6. Cytoxic: A drug action that is intended to kill a cell or organism.
7. Distribution: The extent that a drug absorbed into the bloodstream spreads into the three body water components.
8. Duration of Action: The length of time a drug is present in the blood at or above the level needed to produce an effect or
response.
9. Extrinsic Drugs: Drugs that are man made or derived from another species; not made by the human body.
10. First pass loss: Rapid inactivation or elimination of oral drugs as a result of liver metabolism.
11. Generic Name: National and international public drug name created by the United States Adopted NamesCouncil to
indicate the usual use or chemical composition of a drug.
12. Half Life: Time san needed for one half of a drug dose to be eliminated.
13. High Alert Drug: A drug that has an increased risk of causing patient harm if it is used in error.
14. Loading Dose: The first dose of a drug that is larger than all subsequent doses of the same drug; used when it takes more
drug to reach steady state that it does to maintain it.
15. Mechanism of Action: Exactly how, at the cellular level, a drug changes the activity of a cell.
16. Minimum Effective
Concentration: The smallest amount of drug necessary in the blood or target tissue to result in a measurable intended action.
17. Percutaneous Route: Movement of a drug from the outside of the body to the inside through the skin or mucous
membranes.
18. Pharmacodynamics: Ways in which drugs work to change body function.
19. Pharmacokinetics: How the body changes drugs; drug metabolism.
20. Physiologic Effects: The change in body function as an income of the mechanism of action off a drug.
1/5
, TEST BANK UNDERSTANDING PHARMACOLOGY: ESSENTIALS FOR
MEDICA TION SAFETY, 2ND EDITION WORKMAN & LACHARITY
21. Receptors: Physical place on or in a cell where a drug can bind and interact.
22. Sequestration: The trapping of drugs within certain body tissues, delaying their elimination and extending their duration
of action.
23. Steady State: Point at which drug elimination is balance with drug entry, resulting in a constant effective blood level of the
drug.
24. Target Tissue: The actual cells or tissues affected by the mechanism of action or intended actions of a specific drug.
25. Transdermal: Type of percutaneous drug delivery in which the drug is applied to the skin, passes through the skin and
enters the bloodstream.
26. Vaporized: Changing of a drug from a liquid form to a gas that can be absorbed into the body by inhalation.
27. A plan to improve or prevent a health problem that includes the use of drugs.: Drug therapy.
28. What factors does drug therapy involve?: 1. Identifying the specific health problem.
2. Determining what drug or drugs would be the best treatment for the problem.
3. Deciding the best delivery method and schedule.
4. Ensuring that the proper amount of the drug is given.
5. Helping the patient become an active participant in his or her drug therapy.
29. What is the prescriber's role in drug therapy?: To select and order specific drugs.
30. What are examples of state approved prescribers?: Physicians, dentists, podiatrists, advanced practice nurses, and
physician's assistants.
31. What is the pharmacists role in drug therapy?: To mix and dispense prescribed drugs.
32. What is the nurse's role in drug therapy?: To administer drugs.
33. A desired effect of a drug.: Intended action or therapeutic response.
34. Which name of a drug is commonly used by physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and other healthcare
professionals?: Generic
35. Who creates the generic names for all drugs?: United States Adopted Names (USAN)
36. Prefix that indicates lipid lowering effect in generic drugs.: -statin
37. Prefix that indicates a beta-blocker.: -olol
38. Give some examples of OTC drugs.: Aspirin, antacids, vitamins, and antihistamines.
39. Which drugs have been reclassified as OTC?: Benadryl, Zantac, and Prilosec
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