Galen NUR 210 Exam 1 – Pharm Principles –
(2026/2027) Actual Questions & Answers,
100% Guarantee Pass
SECTION 1: FOUNDATIONAL CONCEPTS & PHARMACOKINETICS
Question 1
Pharmacokinetics is defined as:
A) What the drug does to the body
B) The study of drug interactions
C) What the body does to the drug
D) The study of drug toxicity
Answer: C
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics describes what the body does to the drug,
encompassing absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME).
Pharmacodynamics, in contrast, describes what the drug does to the body .
Question 2
Pharmacodynamics is defined as:
A) What the body does to the drug
B) The movement of a drug through the body
C) What the drug does to the body
D) The elimination of a drug from the body
Answer: C
Rationale: Pharmacodynamics is the study of the biochemical and physiological
effects of drugs on the body, including the mechanism of action and the drug's
therapeutic and adverse effects .
,Question 3
What are the four phases of pharmacokinetics?
A) Absorption, digestion, metabolism, excretion
B) Absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion
C) Administration, distribution, metabolism, elimination
D) Absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination
Answer: B
Rationale: The four phases are Absorption (movement into bloodstream),
Distribution (movement to tissues), Metabolism (biotransformation), and
Excretion (elimination from the body) .
Question 4
The nurse is teaching a patient about a new oral medication. Which statement
best describes the "first-pass effect"?
A) The process of the drug being broken down in the stomach before absorption
B) The initial dose of a drug given to rapidly achieve a therapeutic effect
C) The loss of a portion of the drug as it travels from the GI tract to the liver via
the portal vein, where it is metabolized
D) The movement of a drug from the bloodstream into the tissues and cells
Answer: C
Rationale: The first-pass effect occurs when an oral drug is absorbed from the GI
tract and then travels to the liver via the portal vein. The liver metabolizes a
portion of the drug before it reaches systemic circulation, reducing its
bioavailability .
Question 5
A patient asks the nurse why oral medications take longer to work than
intravenous medications. What is the best response?
A) "Oral medications are weaker than IV medications"
B) "Oral medications must be absorbed through the GI tract before entering the
,bloodstream"
C) "IV medications are more dangerous, so they work faster"
D) "Your body rejects oral medications more slowly"
Answer: B
Rationale: IV administration bypasses absorption entirely, providing 100%
bioavailability and immediate onset. Oral medications must be absorbed through
the GI tract, which takes time .
Question 6
Which route of administration has the fastest onset of action?
A) Oral
B) Subcutaneous
C) Intramuscular
D) Intravenous
Answer: D
Rationale: Intravenous (IV) administration has the fastest onset of action because
the drug is delivered directly into the bloodstream, bypassing absorption entirely .
Question 7
The percentage of an administered drug that reaches the systemic circulation
and is available to produce a therapeutic effect is called:
A) Half-life
B) Bioavailability
C) Therapeutic index
D) Peak effect
Answer: B
Rationale: Bioavailability is the percentage of an administered drug that reaches
the systemic circulation. Oral drugs may have reduced bioavailability due to first-
pass metabolism in the liver. IV drugs have 100% bioavailability .
, Question 8
A nurse is administering a medication that is 95% protein-bound. What is the
significance of this?
A) The drug will be excreted rapidly
B) Only 5% of the drug is free and pharmacologically active
C) The drug will have a short duration of action
D) The drug cannot be given orally
Answer: B
Rationale: Only unbound (free) drug is pharmacologically active. Highly protein-
bound drugs (like warfarin, phenytoin) have a small free fraction. Changes in
protein levels can significantly affect drug activity .
Question 9
A patient with low serum albumin is receiving a highly protein-bound
medication. What effect should the nurse anticipate?
A) Decreased drug effect
B) Increased risk of drug toxicity
C) No change in drug effect
D) Faster drug excretion
Answer: B
Rationale: Low albumin means fewer protein binding sites, resulting in more free
(active) drug. This increases the risk of toxicity, especially for drugs with narrow
therapeutic indices .
Question 10
What is the half-life of a drug?
A) The time required for the drug to be completely eliminated from the body
B) The time required for 50% of the drug to be eliminated from the body
(2026/2027) Actual Questions & Answers,
100% Guarantee Pass
SECTION 1: FOUNDATIONAL CONCEPTS & PHARMACOKINETICS
Question 1
Pharmacokinetics is defined as:
A) What the drug does to the body
B) The study of drug interactions
C) What the body does to the drug
D) The study of drug toxicity
Answer: C
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics describes what the body does to the drug,
encompassing absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME).
Pharmacodynamics, in contrast, describes what the drug does to the body .
Question 2
Pharmacodynamics is defined as:
A) What the body does to the drug
B) The movement of a drug through the body
C) What the drug does to the body
D) The elimination of a drug from the body
Answer: C
Rationale: Pharmacodynamics is the study of the biochemical and physiological
effects of drugs on the body, including the mechanism of action and the drug's
therapeutic and adverse effects .
,Question 3
What are the four phases of pharmacokinetics?
A) Absorption, digestion, metabolism, excretion
B) Absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion
C) Administration, distribution, metabolism, elimination
D) Absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination
Answer: B
Rationale: The four phases are Absorption (movement into bloodstream),
Distribution (movement to tissues), Metabolism (biotransformation), and
Excretion (elimination from the body) .
Question 4
The nurse is teaching a patient about a new oral medication. Which statement
best describes the "first-pass effect"?
A) The process of the drug being broken down in the stomach before absorption
B) The initial dose of a drug given to rapidly achieve a therapeutic effect
C) The loss of a portion of the drug as it travels from the GI tract to the liver via
the portal vein, where it is metabolized
D) The movement of a drug from the bloodstream into the tissues and cells
Answer: C
Rationale: The first-pass effect occurs when an oral drug is absorbed from the GI
tract and then travels to the liver via the portal vein. The liver metabolizes a
portion of the drug before it reaches systemic circulation, reducing its
bioavailability .
Question 5
A patient asks the nurse why oral medications take longer to work than
intravenous medications. What is the best response?
A) "Oral medications are weaker than IV medications"
B) "Oral medications must be absorbed through the GI tract before entering the
,bloodstream"
C) "IV medications are more dangerous, so they work faster"
D) "Your body rejects oral medications more slowly"
Answer: B
Rationale: IV administration bypasses absorption entirely, providing 100%
bioavailability and immediate onset. Oral medications must be absorbed through
the GI tract, which takes time .
Question 6
Which route of administration has the fastest onset of action?
A) Oral
B) Subcutaneous
C) Intramuscular
D) Intravenous
Answer: D
Rationale: Intravenous (IV) administration has the fastest onset of action because
the drug is delivered directly into the bloodstream, bypassing absorption entirely .
Question 7
The percentage of an administered drug that reaches the systemic circulation
and is available to produce a therapeutic effect is called:
A) Half-life
B) Bioavailability
C) Therapeutic index
D) Peak effect
Answer: B
Rationale: Bioavailability is the percentage of an administered drug that reaches
the systemic circulation. Oral drugs may have reduced bioavailability due to first-
pass metabolism in the liver. IV drugs have 100% bioavailability .
, Question 8
A nurse is administering a medication that is 95% protein-bound. What is the
significance of this?
A) The drug will be excreted rapidly
B) Only 5% of the drug is free and pharmacologically active
C) The drug will have a short duration of action
D) The drug cannot be given orally
Answer: B
Rationale: Only unbound (free) drug is pharmacologically active. Highly protein-
bound drugs (like warfarin, phenytoin) have a small free fraction. Changes in
protein levels can significantly affect drug activity .
Question 9
A patient with low serum albumin is receiving a highly protein-bound
medication. What effect should the nurse anticipate?
A) Decreased drug effect
B) Increased risk of drug toxicity
C) No change in drug effect
D) Faster drug excretion
Answer: B
Rationale: Low albumin means fewer protein binding sites, resulting in more free
(active) drug. This increases the risk of toxicity, especially for drugs with narrow
therapeutic indices .
Question 10
What is the half-life of a drug?
A) The time required for the drug to be completely eliminated from the body
B) The time required for 50% of the drug to be eliminated from the body
