1
NURS 682: Pharmacology Midterm Review Questions
with Answers (100% Correct Answers)
what the body does to the drug (absorption, distribution, metabolism,
excretion) Answer: Pharmacokinetics
what the drug does to the body; mechanism of action
Pharmacodynamic study= determining the effect of a specific
medication dose in treating a disease Answer: Pharmacodynamics
-Percent of dose enter systemic circulation after PO administration
Fraction of the administered drug that reaches systemic circulation
Answer: Bioavailability
LESS drug there is in circulation and in the tissue, higher first pass
effect
ex. Simvastatin Answer: Lower bioavailability
© 2025 All rights reserved
,2
the more of the drug that reaches systemic circulation, Lower first pass
effect
ex. Atorvastatin Answer: Higher bioavailability
Time to maximum drug level observed Answer: Tmax
maximum or peak concentration of drug observed after administration
Answer: Cmax
Vd = (amount of drug in the body) / (plasma drug concentration)
-distribution of a medication between plasma and the rest of the body;
the volume in which the amount of drug would need to be uniformly
distributed to produce the observed blood concentration
ex. Vancomycin in serum testing for trough levels Answer: Volume of
distribution
-Healthy adults 20-30 vs. 60-80
© 2025 All rights reserved
,3
-Older adults get more dehydrated
-Medications that are lipophilic will stay longer in the older adult and
older adults get
-Liver shrinks with age and albumin is synthesized in the liver. There
is freer drug available in highly protein bound drugs—->Decrease in
serum albumin
-Most drugs are biotransformed in the liver, with older adults there is
slower transformation and longer half lives Answer: Volume of
distribution: age related changes
Aging
-less free water, more body fat
-lower average serum albumin
Hydration Status
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 4
Compartment and volume Answer: Factors that influence volume of
distribution
Biostranformation and/or excretion of oral drug by hepatic
mechanisms
-occurs prior to entering GI tract
Drugs absorbed from the GI tract
Extensive hepatic metabolism.extraciton
Ex. IV vs oral dosages Answer: First Pass Effect (pre-systemic
elimination)
Works primarily by stimulating the activity of a receptor site
binds to a receptor, causes an effect similar to endogenous compound
Answer: Agonists
© 2025 All rights reserved
NURS 682: Pharmacology Midterm Review Questions
with Answers (100% Correct Answers)
what the body does to the drug (absorption, distribution, metabolism,
excretion) Answer: Pharmacokinetics
what the drug does to the body; mechanism of action
Pharmacodynamic study= determining the effect of a specific
medication dose in treating a disease Answer: Pharmacodynamics
-Percent of dose enter systemic circulation after PO administration
Fraction of the administered drug that reaches systemic circulation
Answer: Bioavailability
LESS drug there is in circulation and in the tissue, higher first pass
effect
ex. Simvastatin Answer: Lower bioavailability
© 2025 All rights reserved
,2
the more of the drug that reaches systemic circulation, Lower first pass
effect
ex. Atorvastatin Answer: Higher bioavailability
Time to maximum drug level observed Answer: Tmax
maximum or peak concentration of drug observed after administration
Answer: Cmax
Vd = (amount of drug in the body) / (plasma drug concentration)
-distribution of a medication between plasma and the rest of the body;
the volume in which the amount of drug would need to be uniformly
distributed to produce the observed blood concentration
ex. Vancomycin in serum testing for trough levels Answer: Volume of
distribution
-Healthy adults 20-30 vs. 60-80
© 2025 All rights reserved
,3
-Older adults get more dehydrated
-Medications that are lipophilic will stay longer in the older adult and
older adults get
-Liver shrinks with age and albumin is synthesized in the liver. There
is freer drug available in highly protein bound drugs—->Decrease in
serum albumin
-Most drugs are biotransformed in the liver, with older adults there is
slower transformation and longer half lives Answer: Volume of
distribution: age related changes
Aging
-less free water, more body fat
-lower average serum albumin
Hydration Status
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 4
Compartment and volume Answer: Factors that influence volume of
distribution
Biostranformation and/or excretion of oral drug by hepatic
mechanisms
-occurs prior to entering GI tract
Drugs absorbed from the GI tract
Extensive hepatic metabolism.extraciton
Ex. IV vs oral dosages Answer: First Pass Effect (pre-systemic
elimination)
Works primarily by stimulating the activity of a receptor site
binds to a receptor, causes an effect similar to endogenous compound
Answer: Agonists
© 2025 All rights reserved
