NUR 210 | Principles of Pharmacology | Exam 1 Study Guide 2026
|Galen College
1. Which process of pharmacokinetics is primarily affected by the first-pass
effect?
A. Metabolism
B. Distribution
C. Absorption
D. Excretion
Answer: A
Rationale: The first-pass effect occurs when a drug is metabolized in the liver before it
reaches the systemic circulation, significantly reducing its bioavailability.
2. When a drug has a narrow therapeutic index, the nurse should expect which
of the following?
A. The drug is very safe and requires little monitoring.
B. The drug will have a very long half-life.
C. There is a small margin between the effective dose and the toxic dose.
D. The drug must be administered intravenously only.
Answer: C
Rationale: A narrow therapeutic index means the difference between a therapeutic dose
and a toxic dose is small, requiring close monitoring of blood levels.
,3. Which route of administration provides the highest bioavailability?
A. Oral
B. Intravenous
C. Sublingual
D. Rectal
Answer: B
Rationale: Intravenous (IV) administration bypasses the liver’s first-pass metabolism and
absorption barriers, resulting in 100% bioavailability.
4. A patient with low serum albumin levels is receiving a highly protein-bound
drug. What is the nurse’s primary concern?
A. Increased risk of drug toxicity
B. Decreased drug effectiveness
C. Faster excretion of the drug
D. The drug will not be absorbed in the GI tract
Answer: A
Rationale: If albumin is low, there are fewer binding sites, leading to higher levels of free
(active) drug in the bloodstream, which increases the risk of toxicity.
5. The nurse is preparing to administer a drug that is an ‘agonist.’ How does this
drug work?
A. It blocks a receptor to prevent a response.
B. It binds to a receptor and produces a biological response.
C. It destroys the receptor site entirely.
D. It enhances the excretion of other drugs.
Answer: B
Rationale: An agonist is a drug that binds to a receptor and stimulates it to produce a
physiological effect.
, 6. What is the primary site of drug excretion in the human body?
A. Liver
B. Kidneys
C. Lungs
D. Sweat glands
Answer: B
Rationale: While drugs can be excreted through various routes, the kidneys are the
primary organ responsible for eliminating drugs from the body.
7. A drug’s half-life is defined as the time it takes for:
A. The drug to reach its peak concentration.
B. The drug concentration in the body to be reduced by 50%.
C. The patient to feel the full effect of the drug.
D. The drug to be completely eliminated from the body.
Answer: B
Rationale: Half-life is the time required for the amount of drug in the body to decrease by
exactly one half.
8. Which phase of the nursing process involves gathering data about the
patient’s medication history and allergies?
A. Planning
B. Implementation
C. Assessment
D. Evaluation
Answer: C
Rationale: Assessment is the first step of the nursing process where the nurse collects
subjective and objective data.
|Galen College
1. Which process of pharmacokinetics is primarily affected by the first-pass
effect?
A. Metabolism
B. Distribution
C. Absorption
D. Excretion
Answer: A
Rationale: The first-pass effect occurs when a drug is metabolized in the liver before it
reaches the systemic circulation, significantly reducing its bioavailability.
2. When a drug has a narrow therapeutic index, the nurse should expect which
of the following?
A. The drug is very safe and requires little monitoring.
B. The drug will have a very long half-life.
C. There is a small margin between the effective dose and the toxic dose.
D. The drug must be administered intravenously only.
Answer: C
Rationale: A narrow therapeutic index means the difference between a therapeutic dose
and a toxic dose is small, requiring close monitoring of blood levels.
,3. Which route of administration provides the highest bioavailability?
A. Oral
B. Intravenous
C. Sublingual
D. Rectal
Answer: B
Rationale: Intravenous (IV) administration bypasses the liver’s first-pass metabolism and
absorption barriers, resulting in 100% bioavailability.
4. A patient with low serum albumin levels is receiving a highly protein-bound
drug. What is the nurse’s primary concern?
A. Increased risk of drug toxicity
B. Decreased drug effectiveness
C. Faster excretion of the drug
D. The drug will not be absorbed in the GI tract
Answer: A
Rationale: If albumin is low, there are fewer binding sites, leading to higher levels of free
(active) drug in the bloodstream, which increases the risk of toxicity.
5. The nurse is preparing to administer a drug that is an ‘agonist.’ How does this
drug work?
A. It blocks a receptor to prevent a response.
B. It binds to a receptor and produces a biological response.
C. It destroys the receptor site entirely.
D. It enhances the excretion of other drugs.
Answer: B
Rationale: An agonist is a drug that binds to a receptor and stimulates it to produce a
physiological effect.
, 6. What is the primary site of drug excretion in the human body?
A. Liver
B. Kidneys
C. Lungs
D. Sweat glands
Answer: B
Rationale: While drugs can be excreted through various routes, the kidneys are the
primary organ responsible for eliminating drugs from the body.
7. A drug’s half-life is defined as the time it takes for:
A. The drug to reach its peak concentration.
B. The drug concentration in the body to be reduced by 50%.
C. The patient to feel the full effect of the drug.
D. The drug to be completely eliminated from the body.
Answer: B
Rationale: Half-life is the time required for the amount of drug in the body to decrease by
exactly one half.
8. Which phase of the nursing process involves gathering data about the
patient’s medication history and allergies?
A. Planning
B. Implementation
C. Assessment
D. Evaluation
Answer: C
Rationale: Assessment is the first step of the nursing process where the nurse collects
subjective and objective data.
