PHARMACOLOGY EXAM 1 - MULTIPLE
CHOICE |CERTIFIED Q&A 2026
1. A 36-year-old male has been diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia. His oncologist discusses
treatment options with him. The patient is glad to hear that novel anticancer drugs used to treat chronic
myeloid leukemia have a much better risk-benefit ratio than older ones, due to their improved
selectivity. A major determinant for the selectivity of a given drug is
A) its target receptor ligand affinity.
B) its target receptor cell-type distribution.
C) its ionic interactions.
D) its hydrogen bonding.
E) its intrinsic activity. - correct-answer - B
2. A 56-year-old man with chest pain is diagnosed with stable angina and treated with several drugs
including nitroglycerin. Every day he has to discontinue nitroglycerin for some hours to re-establish
reactivity of his body to the drug. The clinical observation of a rapidly decreasing response to
nitroglycerin after administration of just a few doses is called
idiosyncrasy.
tachyphylaxis.
heterologous desensitization.
refractoriness.
,receptor downregulation. - correct-answer - B
3. Prolonged receptor stimulation during chronic drug therapy may induce cells to endocytose and
sequester drug receptors in endocytic vesicles. This molecular mechanism is called
A) tachyphylaxis.
B) inactivation.
C) desensitization.
D) downregulation.
E) refractoriness. - correct-answer - D
A 16-year-old female with a history of goiter is admitted with fever, profuse sweating, tachyarrhythmia,
hypertension, abdominal pain, and anxiety. Based on a working diagnosis of thyrotoxicosis, she is
started on a beta-adrenoceptor antagonist that has a very short half-life.
4. Refer to the case above. Regarding the mechanism by which the drug ameliorates the toxic effects of
excessive thyroxine levels, the drug acts as
A) a physiologic antagonist.
B) a competitive receptor antagonist.
C) a noncompetitive receptor antagonist.
D) a partial agonist.
E) an inverse agonist. - correct-answer - A
,5. The main pharmacologic effect of norepinephrine on alpha-1 receptors is
A. increased heart rate
B. bronchodilation
C. vasoconstriction
D. contraction of urinary bladder
E. increased force of myocardial contraction - correct-answer - C
6. A drug that has the potential for abuse and is regulated by the Drug Enforcement Agency is classified
as a
A. poison
B. OTC drug
C. prescription drug
D. controlled substance
E. nonproprietary drug - correct-answer - D
7. Select the term below that relates to the amount of drug administered to produce a therapeutic
effect.
A. posology
B. toxicology
, C. pharmacodynamics
D. pharmacotherapeutics
E. pharmacy - correct-answer - A
8. A medication that does not require a physician's service to obtain is referred to as
A. trade
B. nonproprietary
C. nonprescription
D. brand
E. generic - correct-answer - C
9. Which of the following could be categorized as an adverse reaction?
A. idiosyncrasy
B. drug allergy
C. teratogenicity
D. carcinogenicity
E. all of these - correct-answer - E
10. The time a drug continues to produce its effect is its
A. ED50
B. maximal response
CHOICE |CERTIFIED Q&A 2026
1. A 36-year-old male has been diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia. His oncologist discusses
treatment options with him. The patient is glad to hear that novel anticancer drugs used to treat chronic
myeloid leukemia have a much better risk-benefit ratio than older ones, due to their improved
selectivity. A major determinant for the selectivity of a given drug is
A) its target receptor ligand affinity.
B) its target receptor cell-type distribution.
C) its ionic interactions.
D) its hydrogen bonding.
E) its intrinsic activity. - correct-answer - B
2. A 56-year-old man with chest pain is diagnosed with stable angina and treated with several drugs
including nitroglycerin. Every day he has to discontinue nitroglycerin for some hours to re-establish
reactivity of his body to the drug. The clinical observation of a rapidly decreasing response to
nitroglycerin after administration of just a few doses is called
idiosyncrasy.
tachyphylaxis.
heterologous desensitization.
refractoriness.
,receptor downregulation. - correct-answer - B
3. Prolonged receptor stimulation during chronic drug therapy may induce cells to endocytose and
sequester drug receptors in endocytic vesicles. This molecular mechanism is called
A) tachyphylaxis.
B) inactivation.
C) desensitization.
D) downregulation.
E) refractoriness. - correct-answer - D
A 16-year-old female with a history of goiter is admitted with fever, profuse sweating, tachyarrhythmia,
hypertension, abdominal pain, and anxiety. Based on a working diagnosis of thyrotoxicosis, she is
started on a beta-adrenoceptor antagonist that has a very short half-life.
4. Refer to the case above. Regarding the mechanism by which the drug ameliorates the toxic effects of
excessive thyroxine levels, the drug acts as
A) a physiologic antagonist.
B) a competitive receptor antagonist.
C) a noncompetitive receptor antagonist.
D) a partial agonist.
E) an inverse agonist. - correct-answer - A
,5. The main pharmacologic effect of norepinephrine on alpha-1 receptors is
A. increased heart rate
B. bronchodilation
C. vasoconstriction
D. contraction of urinary bladder
E. increased force of myocardial contraction - correct-answer - C
6. A drug that has the potential for abuse and is regulated by the Drug Enforcement Agency is classified
as a
A. poison
B. OTC drug
C. prescription drug
D. controlled substance
E. nonproprietary drug - correct-answer - D
7. Select the term below that relates to the amount of drug administered to produce a therapeutic
effect.
A. posology
B. toxicology
, C. pharmacodynamics
D. pharmacotherapeutics
E. pharmacy - correct-answer - A
8. A medication that does not require a physician's service to obtain is referred to as
A. trade
B. nonproprietary
C. nonprescription
D. brand
E. generic - correct-answer - C
9. Which of the following could be categorized as an adverse reaction?
A. idiosyncrasy
B. drug allergy
C. teratogenicity
D. carcinogenicity
E. all of these - correct-answer - E
10. The time a drug continues to produce its effect is its
A. ED50
B. maximal response
