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PHARMACOLOGY: A PATIENT-CENTERED NURSING PROCESS
APPROACH, 11TH EDITION (SAUNDERS EXAM LATEST
VERSION QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2026 EDITION
Pharmacology: A Patient-Centered Nursing Process Approach, 11th Edition
(Saunders): 250 Practice Questions
10-POINT SUMMARIZED EXAM COVERAGE
DOMAIN 1: CORE CONCEPTS AND PHARMACOKINETICS (25 Questions)
1. A client asks the nurse about the difference between a generic drug and a trade-
name drug. Which response is most accurate?
A) "Generic drugs are less effective than trade-name drugs."
B) "Generic drugs have the same active ingredients and are equivalent in dosage,
strength, safety, and efficacy."
C) "Trade-name drugs are always more expensive and have fewer side effects."
D) "Generic drugs can be sold under any name the manufacturer chooses."
Answer: B) "Generic drugs have the same active ingredients and are equivalent in
dosage, strength, safety, and efficacy."
Rationale: Generic drugs contain the same active ingredients and are bioequivalent to
the trade-name drug. They must meet FDA standards for safety, efficacy, and quality.
They are typically less expensive due to lower marketing costs .
2. The study of how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and excretes drugs
is called:
A) Pharmacodynamics
B) Pharmacokinetics
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C) Pharmacotherapeutics
D) Pharmacogenomics
Answer: B) Pharmacokinetics
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics describes what the body does to the drug—the processes
of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME). Pharmacodynamics
describes what the drug does to the body .
3. A drug has a half-life of 4 hours. How many half-lives are required for the drug to
reach a steady state?
A) 2-3 half-lives
B) 4-5 half-lives
C) 6-7 half-lives
D) 8-10 half-lives
Answer: B) 4-5 half-lives
Rationale: It takes approximately 4-5 half-lives for a drug to reach steady state, where
drug elimination equals drug administration. This is about 3-5 times the half-life .
4. The nurse is caring for a client with liver disease. Which pharmacokinetic
process is most likely affected?
A) Absorption
B) Distribution
C) Metabolism
D) Excretion
Answer: C) Metabolism
Rationale: The liver is the primary site of drug metabolism (biotransformation). Liver
disease can impair drug metabolism, leading to drug accumulation and toxicity. Dosage
adjustments may be necessary .
5. The nurse is caring for a client with renal failure. Which pharmacokinetic process
is most likely affected?
A) Absorption
B) Distribution
C) Metabolism
D) Excretion
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Answer: D) Excretion
Rationale: The kidneys are the primary route of drug excretion for most drugs. Renal
failure can lead to drug accumulation and toxicity. Dosage adjustments based on
creatinine clearance are necessary .
6. A client is prescribed a drug that is 90% protein-bound. The nurse understands
that this drug will have:
A) A short duration of action
B) A long duration of action
C) Rapid distribution to tissues
D) Increased excretion in the urine
Answer: B) A long duration of action
Rationale: Highly protein-bound drugs (e.g., warfarin, digoxin) have a long duration of
action because only the unbound (free) fraction is pharmacologically active. The bound
fraction acts as a reservoir, slowly releasing the drug .
7. The nurse is administering a drug that is an agonist. Which statement best
describes an agonist?
A) It binds to a receptor and produces a response
B) It binds to a receptor and blocks a response
C) It has no effect on receptors
D) It increases the metabolism of other drugs
Answer: A) It binds to a receptor and produces a response
Rationale: An agonist binds to a receptor and activates it, producing a response. An
antagonist binds to a receptor but blocks the response. The affinity and intrinsic activity
of a drug determine its action at receptors .
8. The nurse is calculating a dosage for a client. Which formula is used to calculate
the pediatric dosage based on body surface area (BSA)?
A) Clark's rule
B) Young's rule
C) Fried's rule
D) Mosteller formula
Answer: D) Mosteller formula
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Rationale: The Mosteller formula is used to calculate BSA: BSA (m²) = √[(height in cm ×
weight in kg) / 3600]. Dosages based on BSA are more accurate for children and for
certain medications such as chemotherapy agents .
9. A client is prescribed a drug with a low therapeutic index. The nurse understands
that:
A) The drug has a wide margin of safety
B) The drug has a narrow margin of safety
C) The drug is safe for all populations
D) The drug has no side effects
Answer: B) The drug has a narrow margin of safety
Rationale: A low therapeutic index means there is a narrow margin between the
effective dose and the toxic dose. These drugs require careful monitoring (e.g., digoxin,
phenytoin, theophylline). The therapeutic index is the ratio of the median lethal dose
(LD50) to the median effective dose (ED50) .
10. The nurse is teaching a client about enteric-coated tablets. Which instruction
should the nurse include?
A) "Chew the tablet thoroughly before swallowing."
B) "Crush the tablet and mix it with applesauce."
C) "Swallow the tablet whole without crushing or chewing."
D) "Dissolve the tablet in water before taking."
Answer: C) "Swallow the tablet whole without crushing or chewing."
Rationale: Enteric-coated tablets are designed to dissolve in the intestines, not the
stomach, to prevent gastric irritation or to protect the drug from gastric acid. They
should be swallowed whole. Crushing or chewing destroys the coating .
DOMAIN 2: MEDICATION SAFETY AND ADMINISTRATION (25 Questions)
11. The nurse is preparing to administer a medication. Which of the following is
NOT one of the "Rights" of medication administration?
A) Right patient
B) Right drug
PHARMACOLOGY: A PATIENT-CENTERED NURSING PROCESS
APPROACH, 11TH EDITION (SAUNDERS EXAM LATEST
VERSION QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2026 EDITION
Pharmacology: A Patient-Centered Nursing Process Approach, 11th Edition
(Saunders): 250 Practice Questions
10-POINT SUMMARIZED EXAM COVERAGE
DOMAIN 1: CORE CONCEPTS AND PHARMACOKINETICS (25 Questions)
1. A client asks the nurse about the difference between a generic drug and a trade-
name drug. Which response is most accurate?
A) "Generic drugs are less effective than trade-name drugs."
B) "Generic drugs have the same active ingredients and are equivalent in dosage,
strength, safety, and efficacy."
C) "Trade-name drugs are always more expensive and have fewer side effects."
D) "Generic drugs can be sold under any name the manufacturer chooses."
Answer: B) "Generic drugs have the same active ingredients and are equivalent in
dosage, strength, safety, and efficacy."
Rationale: Generic drugs contain the same active ingredients and are bioequivalent to
the trade-name drug. They must meet FDA standards for safety, efficacy, and quality.
They are typically less expensive due to lower marketing costs .
2. The study of how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and excretes drugs
is called:
A) Pharmacodynamics
B) Pharmacokinetics
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C) Pharmacotherapeutics
D) Pharmacogenomics
Answer: B) Pharmacokinetics
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics describes what the body does to the drug—the processes
of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME). Pharmacodynamics
describes what the drug does to the body .
3. A drug has a half-life of 4 hours. How many half-lives are required for the drug to
reach a steady state?
A) 2-3 half-lives
B) 4-5 half-lives
C) 6-7 half-lives
D) 8-10 half-lives
Answer: B) 4-5 half-lives
Rationale: It takes approximately 4-5 half-lives for a drug to reach steady state, where
drug elimination equals drug administration. This is about 3-5 times the half-life .
4. The nurse is caring for a client with liver disease. Which pharmacokinetic
process is most likely affected?
A) Absorption
B) Distribution
C) Metabolism
D) Excretion
Answer: C) Metabolism
Rationale: The liver is the primary site of drug metabolism (biotransformation). Liver
disease can impair drug metabolism, leading to drug accumulation and toxicity. Dosage
adjustments may be necessary .
5. The nurse is caring for a client with renal failure. Which pharmacokinetic process
is most likely affected?
A) Absorption
B) Distribution
C) Metabolism
D) Excretion
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Answer: D) Excretion
Rationale: The kidneys are the primary route of drug excretion for most drugs. Renal
failure can lead to drug accumulation and toxicity. Dosage adjustments based on
creatinine clearance are necessary .
6. A client is prescribed a drug that is 90% protein-bound. The nurse understands
that this drug will have:
A) A short duration of action
B) A long duration of action
C) Rapid distribution to tissues
D) Increased excretion in the urine
Answer: B) A long duration of action
Rationale: Highly protein-bound drugs (e.g., warfarin, digoxin) have a long duration of
action because only the unbound (free) fraction is pharmacologically active. The bound
fraction acts as a reservoir, slowly releasing the drug .
7. The nurse is administering a drug that is an agonist. Which statement best
describes an agonist?
A) It binds to a receptor and produces a response
B) It binds to a receptor and blocks a response
C) It has no effect on receptors
D) It increases the metabolism of other drugs
Answer: A) It binds to a receptor and produces a response
Rationale: An agonist binds to a receptor and activates it, producing a response. An
antagonist binds to a receptor but blocks the response. The affinity and intrinsic activity
of a drug determine its action at receptors .
8. The nurse is calculating a dosage for a client. Which formula is used to calculate
the pediatric dosage based on body surface area (BSA)?
A) Clark's rule
B) Young's rule
C) Fried's rule
D) Mosteller formula
Answer: D) Mosteller formula
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Rationale: The Mosteller formula is used to calculate BSA: BSA (m²) = √[(height in cm ×
weight in kg) / 3600]. Dosages based on BSA are more accurate for children and for
certain medications such as chemotherapy agents .
9. A client is prescribed a drug with a low therapeutic index. The nurse understands
that:
A) The drug has a wide margin of safety
B) The drug has a narrow margin of safety
C) The drug is safe for all populations
D) The drug has no side effects
Answer: B) The drug has a narrow margin of safety
Rationale: A low therapeutic index means there is a narrow margin between the
effective dose and the toxic dose. These drugs require careful monitoring (e.g., digoxin,
phenytoin, theophylline). The therapeutic index is the ratio of the median lethal dose
(LD50) to the median effective dose (ED50) .
10. The nurse is teaching a client about enteric-coated tablets. Which instruction
should the nurse include?
A) "Chew the tablet thoroughly before swallowing."
B) "Crush the tablet and mix it with applesauce."
C) "Swallow the tablet whole without crushing or chewing."
D) "Dissolve the tablet in water before taking."
Answer: C) "Swallow the tablet whole without crushing or chewing."
Rationale: Enteric-coated tablets are designed to dissolve in the intestines, not the
stomach, to prevent gastric irritation or to protect the drug from gastric acid. They
should be swallowed whole. Crushing or chewing destroys the coating .
DOMAIN 2: MEDICATION SAFETY AND ADMINISTRATION (25 Questions)
11. The nurse is preparing to administer a medication. Which of the following is
NOT one of the "Rights" of medication administration?
A) Right patient
B) Right drug
