Test Bank for Focus on Nursing Pharmacology,
9th Edition
By Amy Karch (Rebecca Tucker) | ISBN:
9781975180409
Chapters 1–60 | Complete Q&A with Rationales |
2026/2027 Update
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO DRUGS
Questions 1–10
Question 1
A nurse working in radiology administers iodine to a patient who is having a computed
tomography (CT) scan. The nurse working on the oncology unit administers chemotherapy to
patients who have cancer. At the Public Health Department, a nurse administers a
measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine to a 14-month-old child as a routine immunization.
Which branch of pharmacology best describes the actions of all three nurses?
A) Pharmacoeconomics
B) Pharmacotherapeutics
C) Pharmacodynamics
D) Pharmacokinetics
Correct answer: B
Rationale: Pharmacology is the study of the biologic effects of chemicals. Nurses are involved
with clinical pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics, which deals with the uses of drugs to treat,
prevent, and diagnose disease. The radiology nurse is administering a drug to help diagnose a
disease. The oncology nurse is administering a drug to help treat a disease.
Pharmacoeconomics includes costs involved in drug therapy. Pharmacodynamics involves how
a drug affects the body, and pharmacokinetics is how the body acts on the drug .
,Question 2
A physician has ordered intramuscular (IM) injections of morphine, a narcotic, every 4 hours as
needed for pain in a motor vehicle accident victim. The nurse is aware this drug has a high
abuse potential. Under what category would morphine be classified?
A) Schedule I
B) Schedule II
C) Schedule III
D) Schedule IV
Correct answer: B
Rationale: Narcotics with a high abuse potential are classified as Schedule II drugs because of
severe dependence liability. Schedule I drugs have high abuse potential and no accepted
medical use. Schedule III drugs have a lesser abuse potential than II and an accepted medical
use. Schedule IV drugs have low abuse potential and limited dependence liability .
Question 3
When involved in phase III drug evaluation studies, what responsibilities would the nurse have?
A) Working with animals who are given experimental drugs
B) Choosing appropriate patients to be involved in the drug study
C) Monitoring and observing patients closely for adverse effects
D) Conducting research to determine effectiveness of the drug
Correct answer: C
Rationale: Phase III studies involve use of a drug in a vast clinical population in which patients
are asked to record any symptoms they experience while taking the drugs. Nurses may be
responsible for helping collect and analyze the information to be shared with the FDA but would
not conduct research independently because nurses do not prescribe medications. Use of
animals in drug testing is done in preclinical trials. Phase II studies involve patients who have
the disease the drug is intended to treat. Phase I studies involve healthy human volunteers who
are usually paid for their participation .
Question 4
What concept is considered when generic drugs are substituted for brand name drugs?
,A) Bioavailability
B) Critical concentration
C) Distribution
D) Half-life
Correct answer: A
Rationale: Bioavailability is the portion of a dose of a drug that reaches the systemic circulation
and is available to act on body cells. Binders used in a generic drug may not be the same as
those used in the brand name drug. Therefore, the way the body breaks down and uses the
drug may differ, which may eliminate a generic drug substitution. Critical concentration is the
amount of a drug needed to cause a therapeutic effect and should not differ between generic
and brand name medications. Distribution is the phase of pharmacokinetics that involves the
movement of a drug to the body's tissues and is the same in generic and brand name drugs .
Question 5
A nurse is assessing the patient's home medication use. After listening to the patient list current
medications, the nurse asks what priority question?
A) "Do you take any generic medications?"
B) "Are any of these medications orphan drugs?"
C) "Are these medications safe to take during pregnancy?"
D) "Do you take any over-the-counter medications?"
Correct answer: D
Rationale: It is important for the nurse to specifically question use of over-the-counter
medications because patients may not consider them important. The patient is unlikely to know
the meaning of orphan drugs unless they too are healthcare providers. Safety during pregnancy,
use of a generic medication, or classification of orphan drugs are things the patient would be
unable to answer but could be found in reference books if the nurse wishes to research them .
Question 6
After completing a course on pharmacology for nurses, what will the nurse know?
A) Everything necessary for safe and effective medication administration
B) Current pharmacologic therapy; the nurse will not require ongoing education for 5 years
, C) General drug information; the nurse can consult a drug guide for specific drug information
D) The drug actions that are associated with each classification of medication
Correct answer: C
Rationale: After completing a pharmacology course, nurses will have general drug information
needed for safe and effective medication administration but will need to consult a drug guide for
specific drug information before administering any medication. Pharmacology is constantly
changing, with new drugs entering the market and new uses for existing drugs identified.
Continuing education in pharmacology is essential to safe practice. Nurses tend to become
familiar with the medications they administer most often, but there will always be a need to
research new drugs and also those the nurse is not familiar with because no nurse knows all
medications .
Question 7
Which federal agency is responsible for ensuring the safety and efficacy of drugs in the United
States?
A) Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
B) Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
C) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
D) Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Correct answer: B
Rationale: The FDA regulates drug approval, labeling, and safety. The DEA enforces controlled
substance regulations .
Question 8
A patient with a known allergy to sulfa drugs is prescribed a medication. Which medication
should the nurse question?
A) Ciprofloxacin
B) Penicillin
C) Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim)
D) Acetaminophen
Correct answer: C
9th Edition
By Amy Karch (Rebecca Tucker) | ISBN:
9781975180409
Chapters 1–60 | Complete Q&A with Rationales |
2026/2027 Update
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO DRUGS
Questions 1–10
Question 1
A nurse working in radiology administers iodine to a patient who is having a computed
tomography (CT) scan. The nurse working on the oncology unit administers chemotherapy to
patients who have cancer. At the Public Health Department, a nurse administers a
measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine to a 14-month-old child as a routine immunization.
Which branch of pharmacology best describes the actions of all three nurses?
A) Pharmacoeconomics
B) Pharmacotherapeutics
C) Pharmacodynamics
D) Pharmacokinetics
Correct answer: B
Rationale: Pharmacology is the study of the biologic effects of chemicals. Nurses are involved
with clinical pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics, which deals with the uses of drugs to treat,
prevent, and diagnose disease. The radiology nurse is administering a drug to help diagnose a
disease. The oncology nurse is administering a drug to help treat a disease.
Pharmacoeconomics includes costs involved in drug therapy. Pharmacodynamics involves how
a drug affects the body, and pharmacokinetics is how the body acts on the drug .
,Question 2
A physician has ordered intramuscular (IM) injections of morphine, a narcotic, every 4 hours as
needed for pain in a motor vehicle accident victim. The nurse is aware this drug has a high
abuse potential. Under what category would morphine be classified?
A) Schedule I
B) Schedule II
C) Schedule III
D) Schedule IV
Correct answer: B
Rationale: Narcotics with a high abuse potential are classified as Schedule II drugs because of
severe dependence liability. Schedule I drugs have high abuse potential and no accepted
medical use. Schedule III drugs have a lesser abuse potential than II and an accepted medical
use. Schedule IV drugs have low abuse potential and limited dependence liability .
Question 3
When involved in phase III drug evaluation studies, what responsibilities would the nurse have?
A) Working with animals who are given experimental drugs
B) Choosing appropriate patients to be involved in the drug study
C) Monitoring and observing patients closely for adverse effects
D) Conducting research to determine effectiveness of the drug
Correct answer: C
Rationale: Phase III studies involve use of a drug in a vast clinical population in which patients
are asked to record any symptoms they experience while taking the drugs. Nurses may be
responsible for helping collect and analyze the information to be shared with the FDA but would
not conduct research independently because nurses do not prescribe medications. Use of
animals in drug testing is done in preclinical trials. Phase II studies involve patients who have
the disease the drug is intended to treat. Phase I studies involve healthy human volunteers who
are usually paid for their participation .
Question 4
What concept is considered when generic drugs are substituted for brand name drugs?
,A) Bioavailability
B) Critical concentration
C) Distribution
D) Half-life
Correct answer: A
Rationale: Bioavailability is the portion of a dose of a drug that reaches the systemic circulation
and is available to act on body cells. Binders used in a generic drug may not be the same as
those used in the brand name drug. Therefore, the way the body breaks down and uses the
drug may differ, which may eliminate a generic drug substitution. Critical concentration is the
amount of a drug needed to cause a therapeutic effect and should not differ between generic
and brand name medications. Distribution is the phase of pharmacokinetics that involves the
movement of a drug to the body's tissues and is the same in generic and brand name drugs .
Question 5
A nurse is assessing the patient's home medication use. After listening to the patient list current
medications, the nurse asks what priority question?
A) "Do you take any generic medications?"
B) "Are any of these medications orphan drugs?"
C) "Are these medications safe to take during pregnancy?"
D) "Do you take any over-the-counter medications?"
Correct answer: D
Rationale: It is important for the nurse to specifically question use of over-the-counter
medications because patients may not consider them important. The patient is unlikely to know
the meaning of orphan drugs unless they too are healthcare providers. Safety during pregnancy,
use of a generic medication, or classification of orphan drugs are things the patient would be
unable to answer but could be found in reference books if the nurse wishes to research them .
Question 6
After completing a course on pharmacology for nurses, what will the nurse know?
A) Everything necessary for safe and effective medication administration
B) Current pharmacologic therapy; the nurse will not require ongoing education for 5 years
, C) General drug information; the nurse can consult a drug guide for specific drug information
D) The drug actions that are associated with each classification of medication
Correct answer: C
Rationale: After completing a pharmacology course, nurses will have general drug information
needed for safe and effective medication administration but will need to consult a drug guide for
specific drug information before administering any medication. Pharmacology is constantly
changing, with new drugs entering the market and new uses for existing drugs identified.
Continuing education in pharmacology is essential to safe practice. Nurses tend to become
familiar with the medications they administer most often, but there will always be a need to
research new drugs and also those the nurse is not familiar with because no nurse knows all
medications .
Question 7
Which federal agency is responsible for ensuring the safety and efficacy of drugs in the United
States?
A) Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
B) Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
C) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
D) Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Correct answer: B
Rationale: The FDA regulates drug approval, labeling, and safety. The DEA enforces controlled
substance regulations .
Question 8
A patient with a known allergy to sulfa drugs is prescribed a medication. Which medication
should the nurse question?
A) Ciprofloxacin
B) Penicillin
C) Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim)
D) Acetaminophen
Correct answer: C
