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NURS 682: Pharmacology Midterm Review
Questions and Correct Answers
what the body does to the drug (absorption, distribution,
metabolism, excretion) Ans: 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 Ans: Pharmacodynamics
-Percent of dose enter systemic circulation after PO administration
Fraction of the administered drug that reaches systemic
circulation Ans: Bioavailability
LESS drug there is in circulation and in the tissue, higher first pass
effect
ex. Simvastatin Ans: Lower bioavailability
the more of the drug that reaches systemic circulation, Lower first
pass effect
ex. Atorvastatin Ans: Higher bioavailability
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Time to maximum drug level observed Ans: Tmax
maximum or peak concentration of drug observed after
administration Ans: 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 Ans: Volume of
distribution
-Healthy adults 20-30 vs. 60-80
-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 Ans: Volume
of distribution: age related changes
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Aging
-less free water, more body fat
-lower average serum albumin
Hydration Status
Compartment and volume Ans: 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 Ans: First Pass Effect (pre-systemic
elimination)
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Works primarily by stimulating the activity of a receptor site
binds to a receptor, causes an effect similar to endogenous
compound Ans: Agonists
Clinical action= occupying a receptor site and inhibiting its
endogenous activity Ans: Antagonist
small differences in drug dose or blood concentration can be fatal
Any pharmaceutical which has <2-fold difference between the
minimum toxic concentration and minimum effective
concentration in blood Ans: Narrow therapeutic Index
Greater distance between effective dose and toxic dose
Ex. Fluoxetine does NOT need drug monitoring Ans: Wide
therapeutic index
Drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion
Influence dose requirements and/or adverse effects Ans:
Pharmacogenetics: PK genetic influences
© 2025 All rights reserved
NURS 682: Pharmacology Midterm Review
Questions and Correct Answers
what the body does to the drug (absorption, distribution,
metabolism, excretion) Ans: 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 Ans: Pharmacodynamics
-Percent of dose enter systemic circulation after PO administration
Fraction of the administered drug that reaches systemic
circulation Ans: Bioavailability
LESS drug there is in circulation and in the tissue, higher first pass
effect
ex. Simvastatin Ans: Lower bioavailability
the more of the drug that reaches systemic circulation, Lower first
pass effect
ex. Atorvastatin Ans: Higher bioavailability
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 2 | Page
Time to maximum drug level observed Ans: Tmax
maximum or peak concentration of drug observed after
administration Ans: 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 Ans: Volume of
distribution
-Healthy adults 20-30 vs. 60-80
-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 Ans: Volume
of distribution: age related changes
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 3 | Page
Aging
-less free water, more body fat
-lower average serum albumin
Hydration Status
Compartment and volume Ans: 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 Ans: First Pass Effect (pre-systemic
elimination)
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 4 | Page
Works primarily by stimulating the activity of a receptor site
binds to a receptor, causes an effect similar to endogenous
compound Ans: Agonists
Clinical action= occupying a receptor site and inhibiting its
endogenous activity Ans: Antagonist
small differences in drug dose or blood concentration can be fatal
Any pharmaceutical which has <2-fold difference between the
minimum toxic concentration and minimum effective
concentration in blood Ans: Narrow therapeutic Index
Greater distance between effective dose and toxic dose
Ex. Fluoxetine does NOT need drug monitoring Ans: Wide
therapeutic index
Drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion
Influence dose requirements and/or adverse effects Ans:
Pharmacogenetics: PK genetic influences
© 2025 All rights reserved
