Pharmacology Final Master Deck with
Questions and Correct Answers Review
Study Guide GRADED A+ 2026/2027
Lipidemia - Answer--Presence of excess lipids in blood leading to vessel blockage
Cholesterol - Answer--Building block of steroid hormones, membranes, myelin
sheath, bile salts
Lipoproteins - Answer--Apoproteins attached to cholesterol and fat
Chylomicrons - Answer--Type of lipoprotein, transport dietary triglycerides
VLDL - Answer--Type of lipoprotein, high in triglycerides (fats)
LDL - Answer--Type of lipoprotein, very high in cholesterol, forms plaque by
transporting cholesterol to damaged areas, BAD/atherogenic
HDL - Answer--High in protein, lower in cholesterol and fats, returns cholesterol to
liver for disposal, GOOD antiatherogenic
High LDL and what leads to plaque - Answer--Other issues causing damage (like
high BP)
Stable plaque - Answer--Cholesterol core with fibrous cap, may contain calcium,
strong cap
Unstable plaque - Answer--Cholesterol core with thin cap that can erode/rupture
Hypolipidemic/Antilipemic Drugs - Answer--Reduce lipids in blood
PCSK9 Inhibitors - Answer--Antilipemic drugs, monoclonal antibodies, inhibit PCSK9
which destroys LDL receptors on liver, more receptors means more LDL removed
from blood
Alirocumab and evolocumab - Answer--PCSK9 inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies
,Statins - Answer--Antilipemic drugs, reduce LDL and cholesterol while increasing
HDL, competitive inhibitors of HMG-CoA reductase (cholesterol synthesis), inhibit
production of mevalonic acid
Statins side effects - Answer--Muscle weakness, liver damage, may cause mental
confusion, memory loss
Atorvastatin (lipitor) - Answer--Statin, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, antilipemic,
associated with greatest reduction in circulating LDL
Grapefruit juice and statins - Answer--Juice inhibits metabolism of statins --> too
much statins stay in blood
Cholesterol absorption inhibitors - Answer--Antilipemic drugs, block absorption of
cholesterol in small intestine, decrease VLDL and LDL
Ezetimibe - Answer--Cholesterol absorption inhibitor, antilipemic
Bile acid sequestrants - Answer--Antilipemic drugs, bind bile salts and cholesterol in
intestines and prevent absorption, leads to more cholesterol becoming part of bile
acids reducing LDL in blood
Cholestyramine, colestipol, colesevelam - Answer--Bile acid sequestrants,
antilipemic
Nicotinic Acid/Niacin/Vitamin B3 - Answer--Antilipemic drugs, increases HDL,
reduces cholesterol and LDL, affects cholesterol synthesis through GPCRs and
lipases
Stimulates lipoprotein lipase
Inhibits triglyceride lipase
Fibric acid derivatives/fibrates - Answer--Antilipemic drugs, inhibit triglyceride
lipolysis, decreasing fatty acid uptake by liver, decreases VLDL and fats, increases
HDL
Gemfibrozil, fenofibrate - Answer--Fibric acid derivatives, antilipemic
Inclisiran (leqvio) - Answer--Antilipemic, siRNA therapy to lower LDL
Lomitapide, mipomersen - Answer--Antilipemic, limit liver production of
apolipoprotein B (makes LDL and VLDL)
,Angina - Answer--Chest pain, common symptom of coronary artery disease (plaque
causes arteries to narrow)
Nitrates - Answer--Antianginal drugs, vasodilation of systemic veins and arteries,
donate nitric oxide to relax muscle
Isosorbide dinitrate - Answer--Vasodilator of veins, decreases preload/venous return,
antianginal, nitrate
Sublingual nitroglycerin - Answer--Nitrate, antianginal drug, relieves acute attacks
and avoids first pass metabolism
Viagra mechanism - Answer--Inhibits PDE-5 and keeps cAMP high
Beta adrenergic blocking drugs - Answer--Antianginal drugs, reverse effects of
sympathetic activation, decrease HR and force of contraction
Propranolol - Answer--Antianginal, beta adrenergic blocking drug
Calcium channel blockers - Answer--Antianginal, inhibit influx of calcium ions into
vascular smooth muscle (calcium leads to muscle contraction), vasodilation, lower
BP/relax arterial muscle
Best drug for treatment of variant angina - Answer--Calcium channel blockers
Verapamil - Answer--Antianginal, calcium channel blocker, decreases HR and AV
conduction only, vasodilator
Diltiazem - Answer--Antianginal, calcium channel blocker, decreases HR, strong
vasodilator
Nifedipine - Answer--Antianginal, calcium channel blocker, no cardiac effect,
vasodilator, treats variant angina
Nicardipine - Answer--Antianginal, calcium channel blocker, no cardiac effect,
vasodilator, relax coronary spasm
Almodipine, felodipine, isradipine - Answer--Antianginal, calcium channel blocker, no
cardiac effect
Hypercholesterolemia - Answer--Presence of high levels of bad/LDL cholesterol in
blood
, Lovastatin (mevacor) - Answer--Inhibits enzyme in cholesterol synthetic pathway,
antilipemic drug
The bactericidal antibiotic that interferes with bacterial cell-wall synthesis and that
may cause "red man syndrome" if
injected too rapidly is
A. piperacillin
B. vancomycin
C. gentamicin
D. clindamycin
E. cephalexin - Answer--B. vancomycin
The main pharmacokinetic feature of aminoglycosides is that they are
A. lipid soluble
B. well absorbed orally
C. poorly absorbed from the GI tract and excreted mostly unchanged in the urine if
injected
D. devoid of serious adverse effects
E. undergo extensive metabolism - Answer--C. poorly absorbed from the GI tract and
excreted mostly unchanged in the urine if injected
Which of the following is NOT correct about antifungal drugs or fungal infection?
A. systemic infection may occur in patients who are receiving drugs to suppress their
immune system
B. warts are an example of a dermatophytic fungal infection
C. the majority of antifungal drugs interfere with fungal cell-wall integrity
D. amphotericin B is associated with serious renal toxicity
E. topical antifungal drugs are available OTC - Answer--B. warts are an example of a
dermatophytic fungal infection
Which antifungal drug is matched with its correct mechanism of action?
A. echinocandins inhibit polysaccharide (glucan) synthesis in the cell wall
B. flucytosine binds to the cell membrane
C. ticonazole is an antimetabolite for fungal RNA
D. amphotericin B binds to a cytochrome P450-dependent enzyme
E. ketoconazole inhibits proteases in the host cell nuclei - Answer--A. echinocandins
inhibit polysaccharide (glucan) synthesis in the cell wall
Which of the following is correct about viruses?
A. active infection is the only way to develop immunity to the microorganism
B. viruses attach to the keratin protein and remain dormant for years
C. viruses can quickly develop resistance to drugs
D. viruses die as soon as they land on hard surfaces
Questions and Correct Answers Review
Study Guide GRADED A+ 2026/2027
Lipidemia - Answer--Presence of excess lipids in blood leading to vessel blockage
Cholesterol - Answer--Building block of steroid hormones, membranes, myelin
sheath, bile salts
Lipoproteins - Answer--Apoproteins attached to cholesterol and fat
Chylomicrons - Answer--Type of lipoprotein, transport dietary triglycerides
VLDL - Answer--Type of lipoprotein, high in triglycerides (fats)
LDL - Answer--Type of lipoprotein, very high in cholesterol, forms plaque by
transporting cholesterol to damaged areas, BAD/atherogenic
HDL - Answer--High in protein, lower in cholesterol and fats, returns cholesterol to
liver for disposal, GOOD antiatherogenic
High LDL and what leads to plaque - Answer--Other issues causing damage (like
high BP)
Stable plaque - Answer--Cholesterol core with fibrous cap, may contain calcium,
strong cap
Unstable plaque - Answer--Cholesterol core with thin cap that can erode/rupture
Hypolipidemic/Antilipemic Drugs - Answer--Reduce lipids in blood
PCSK9 Inhibitors - Answer--Antilipemic drugs, monoclonal antibodies, inhibit PCSK9
which destroys LDL receptors on liver, more receptors means more LDL removed
from blood
Alirocumab and evolocumab - Answer--PCSK9 inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies
,Statins - Answer--Antilipemic drugs, reduce LDL and cholesterol while increasing
HDL, competitive inhibitors of HMG-CoA reductase (cholesterol synthesis), inhibit
production of mevalonic acid
Statins side effects - Answer--Muscle weakness, liver damage, may cause mental
confusion, memory loss
Atorvastatin (lipitor) - Answer--Statin, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, antilipemic,
associated with greatest reduction in circulating LDL
Grapefruit juice and statins - Answer--Juice inhibits metabolism of statins --> too
much statins stay in blood
Cholesterol absorption inhibitors - Answer--Antilipemic drugs, block absorption of
cholesterol in small intestine, decrease VLDL and LDL
Ezetimibe - Answer--Cholesterol absorption inhibitor, antilipemic
Bile acid sequestrants - Answer--Antilipemic drugs, bind bile salts and cholesterol in
intestines and prevent absorption, leads to more cholesterol becoming part of bile
acids reducing LDL in blood
Cholestyramine, colestipol, colesevelam - Answer--Bile acid sequestrants,
antilipemic
Nicotinic Acid/Niacin/Vitamin B3 - Answer--Antilipemic drugs, increases HDL,
reduces cholesterol and LDL, affects cholesterol synthesis through GPCRs and
lipases
Stimulates lipoprotein lipase
Inhibits triglyceride lipase
Fibric acid derivatives/fibrates - Answer--Antilipemic drugs, inhibit triglyceride
lipolysis, decreasing fatty acid uptake by liver, decreases VLDL and fats, increases
HDL
Gemfibrozil, fenofibrate - Answer--Fibric acid derivatives, antilipemic
Inclisiran (leqvio) - Answer--Antilipemic, siRNA therapy to lower LDL
Lomitapide, mipomersen - Answer--Antilipemic, limit liver production of
apolipoprotein B (makes LDL and VLDL)
,Angina - Answer--Chest pain, common symptom of coronary artery disease (plaque
causes arteries to narrow)
Nitrates - Answer--Antianginal drugs, vasodilation of systemic veins and arteries,
donate nitric oxide to relax muscle
Isosorbide dinitrate - Answer--Vasodilator of veins, decreases preload/venous return,
antianginal, nitrate
Sublingual nitroglycerin - Answer--Nitrate, antianginal drug, relieves acute attacks
and avoids first pass metabolism
Viagra mechanism - Answer--Inhibits PDE-5 and keeps cAMP high
Beta adrenergic blocking drugs - Answer--Antianginal drugs, reverse effects of
sympathetic activation, decrease HR and force of contraction
Propranolol - Answer--Antianginal, beta adrenergic blocking drug
Calcium channel blockers - Answer--Antianginal, inhibit influx of calcium ions into
vascular smooth muscle (calcium leads to muscle contraction), vasodilation, lower
BP/relax arterial muscle
Best drug for treatment of variant angina - Answer--Calcium channel blockers
Verapamil - Answer--Antianginal, calcium channel blocker, decreases HR and AV
conduction only, vasodilator
Diltiazem - Answer--Antianginal, calcium channel blocker, decreases HR, strong
vasodilator
Nifedipine - Answer--Antianginal, calcium channel blocker, no cardiac effect,
vasodilator, treats variant angina
Nicardipine - Answer--Antianginal, calcium channel blocker, no cardiac effect,
vasodilator, relax coronary spasm
Almodipine, felodipine, isradipine - Answer--Antianginal, calcium channel blocker, no
cardiac effect
Hypercholesterolemia - Answer--Presence of high levels of bad/LDL cholesterol in
blood
, Lovastatin (mevacor) - Answer--Inhibits enzyme in cholesterol synthetic pathway,
antilipemic drug
The bactericidal antibiotic that interferes with bacterial cell-wall synthesis and that
may cause "red man syndrome" if
injected too rapidly is
A. piperacillin
B. vancomycin
C. gentamicin
D. clindamycin
E. cephalexin - Answer--B. vancomycin
The main pharmacokinetic feature of aminoglycosides is that they are
A. lipid soluble
B. well absorbed orally
C. poorly absorbed from the GI tract and excreted mostly unchanged in the urine if
injected
D. devoid of serious adverse effects
E. undergo extensive metabolism - Answer--C. poorly absorbed from the GI tract and
excreted mostly unchanged in the urine if injected
Which of the following is NOT correct about antifungal drugs or fungal infection?
A. systemic infection may occur in patients who are receiving drugs to suppress their
immune system
B. warts are an example of a dermatophytic fungal infection
C. the majority of antifungal drugs interfere with fungal cell-wall integrity
D. amphotericin B is associated with serious renal toxicity
E. topical antifungal drugs are available OTC - Answer--B. warts are an example of a
dermatophytic fungal infection
Which antifungal drug is matched with its correct mechanism of action?
A. echinocandins inhibit polysaccharide (glucan) synthesis in the cell wall
B. flucytosine binds to the cell membrane
C. ticonazole is an antimetabolite for fungal RNA
D. amphotericin B binds to a cytochrome P450-dependent enzyme
E. ketoconazole inhibits proteases in the host cell nuclei - Answer--A. echinocandins
inhibit polysaccharide (glucan) synthesis in the cell wall
Which of the following is correct about viruses?
A. active infection is the only way to develop immunity to the microorganism
B. viruses attach to the keratin protein and remain dormant for years
C. viruses can quickly develop resistance to drugs
D. viruses die as soon as they land on hard surfaces
