NURS 572: Pharmacology
basics, pharmacodynamics,
pharmacokinetics Exam Study
Guide – Practice Questions
with Verified Answers. GRADED
A+. Latest 2026/2027 Update
Drug - Answer✔✔-Any chemical that can affect living processes
Most chemicals can be considered drugs, pharmacology focuses on those with
therapeutic effects
Pharmacology - Answer✔✔-The study of drugs and their interactions with
living systems
Physical, chemical, biochemical, physiologic properties
Includes knowledge of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion
,Clinical Pharmacology - Answer✔✔-Study of drugs in humans - in patients and
healthy volunteers
Therapeutics - Answer✔✔-Use of drugs to diagnose or treat disease, or
prevent pregnancy
AKA the medical use of drugs
Informs how drugs are used or therapeutic effects and how to avoid adverse
effects
Plateau - Answer✔✔-With repeated dosing, levels of drug in the blood rise and
eventually reach a plateau or steady state, depending on the dose interval
Time required to reach a plateau is equivalent to about four half-lives,
independent of dosage size (although the height of the plateau will be higher
with larger doses.)
For a drug with a long half-life, may use a loading dose to achieve plateau
quickly.
Affinity - Answer✔✔-Affinity - strength of attraction between drug and
receptor, reflected in potency
Higher affinity → effective in lower doses → potent
,First Pass Effect - Answer✔✔-Rapid inactivation of certain oral drugs by the
liver
When drugs are absorbed orally through GI tract, they are carried straight to
liver by hepatic portal vein
If the liver can metabolize that drug quickly, the drug becomes inactive on the
first pass through the liver, without having an effect on the body
To avoid: some drugs are administered via a different route (parenteral,
sublingual)
Therapeutic Objective of Drug Therapy - Answer✔✔-Maximum benefit with
minimal harm
Pharmacokinetic processes - Answer✔✔-Drug absorption
Drug distribution
Drug metabolism
Drug excretion
Absorption - Answer✔✔-Movement of a drug from its site of administration
into the blood
Rate of absorption - how soon effects begin
Amount of absorption - how intense the effects will be
Factors of Drug Absorption:
Rate of Dissolution - Different barriers to absorption with each route
, Surface Area
Blood Flow
Lipid Solubility - can the drug cross lipid membranes
pH partitioning
Distribution - Answer✔✔-Drug movement from the blood to the interstitial
space and then into the cells
Blood flow delivers drug from blood to tissues
Exiting the Vascular System - Drugs mostly pass between cells in capillary beds
except the blood-brain barrier and placenta
Entering cells - can it cross the lipid membrane, have transport system?
Metabolism - Answer✔✔-Biotransformation - chemical alteration of a drug
structure
Mostly in the liver
Hepatic drug-metabolizing enzymes: P450 system
Either breakdown of drugs into smaller molecules, or synthesis of larger drug
molecules
Excretion - Answer✔✔-Removal of drugs from the body
Majority of drug excreted through the kidneys
basics, pharmacodynamics,
pharmacokinetics Exam Study
Guide – Practice Questions
with Verified Answers. GRADED
A+. Latest 2026/2027 Update
Drug - Answer✔✔-Any chemical that can affect living processes
Most chemicals can be considered drugs, pharmacology focuses on those with
therapeutic effects
Pharmacology - Answer✔✔-The study of drugs and their interactions with
living systems
Physical, chemical, biochemical, physiologic properties
Includes knowledge of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion
,Clinical Pharmacology - Answer✔✔-Study of drugs in humans - in patients and
healthy volunteers
Therapeutics - Answer✔✔-Use of drugs to diagnose or treat disease, or
prevent pregnancy
AKA the medical use of drugs
Informs how drugs are used or therapeutic effects and how to avoid adverse
effects
Plateau - Answer✔✔-With repeated dosing, levels of drug in the blood rise and
eventually reach a plateau or steady state, depending on the dose interval
Time required to reach a plateau is equivalent to about four half-lives,
independent of dosage size (although the height of the plateau will be higher
with larger doses.)
For a drug with a long half-life, may use a loading dose to achieve plateau
quickly.
Affinity - Answer✔✔-Affinity - strength of attraction between drug and
receptor, reflected in potency
Higher affinity → effective in lower doses → potent
,First Pass Effect - Answer✔✔-Rapid inactivation of certain oral drugs by the
liver
When drugs are absorbed orally through GI tract, they are carried straight to
liver by hepatic portal vein
If the liver can metabolize that drug quickly, the drug becomes inactive on the
first pass through the liver, without having an effect on the body
To avoid: some drugs are administered via a different route (parenteral,
sublingual)
Therapeutic Objective of Drug Therapy - Answer✔✔-Maximum benefit with
minimal harm
Pharmacokinetic processes - Answer✔✔-Drug absorption
Drug distribution
Drug metabolism
Drug excretion
Absorption - Answer✔✔-Movement of a drug from its site of administration
into the blood
Rate of absorption - how soon effects begin
Amount of absorption - how intense the effects will be
Factors of Drug Absorption:
Rate of Dissolution - Different barriers to absorption with each route
, Surface Area
Blood Flow
Lipid Solubility - can the drug cross lipid membranes
pH partitioning
Distribution - Answer✔✔-Drug movement from the blood to the interstitial
space and then into the cells
Blood flow delivers drug from blood to tissues
Exiting the Vascular System - Drugs mostly pass between cells in capillary beds
except the blood-brain barrier and placenta
Entering cells - can it cross the lipid membrane, have transport system?
Metabolism - Answer✔✔-Biotransformation - chemical alteration of a drug
structure
Mostly in the liver
Hepatic drug-metabolizing enzymes: P450 system
Either breakdown of drugs into smaller molecules, or synthesis of larger drug
molecules
Excretion - Answer✔✔-Removal of drugs from the body
Majority of drug excreted through the kidneys
