NURS 3517 Pharmacology Test 1 Question and
Answer [2026] | UPDATED ACTUAL Exam | Exam
Script Review
• Controlled Acts for Nursing -✓✓ 1) Perform a prescribed procedure below the
dermis/mucous membrane.
2) Administer a substance by injection or inhalation
3) Put an instrument, hand or finger beyond a body orifice or artificial opening in the
body.
4) Dispensing a drug. (NEW for RPNs)
5) Treating by means of Psychotherapy
• Authorizing Mechanisms -✓✓ - Order
- Directive
Having the authority to administer a medication does not necessarily mean it is
appropriate to do so!
• Order -✓✓ Written, client-specific
• Directive -✓✓ Written, pre-existing orders, a group of clients
• When is an order required? -✓✓ - Controlled act
- Injection or inhalation
- Below the dermis
- Instrument or hand/finger beyond body orifice
- Dispensing a drug
- Part of medical POC
- Lab tests
- Not included within RHPA but included in other legislation (eg. X-Ray)
• Canadian Food and Drug Act -✓✓ - Primary piece of legislation governing foods,
drugs, cosmetics, and medical devices
- According to the Act, drugs must comply with official prescribed standards
- Recognized formularies
- Various schedules
- Health Products and FoodBranch federal regulator
• Open Access/Unscheduled -✓✓ Pharmacist not required, sold in any store, used to Tx
minor discomforts i.e. Tylenol
,• Open Access/Scheduled -✓✓ Pharmacist must be available to answer questions, used
for self-limiting problems i.e. suppositories, ulcer medications, antihistamines
• Restricted Access/Scheduled -✓✓ "BTC", dispensed by pharmacist i.e. low dose
codeine Tylenol #1
• Non-Narcotic Prescription Drugs [Schedule F] -✓✓ May be prescribed and refilled only
by qualified practitioners: MD, dentist etc.
i.e. antibiotics, corticosteroids etc.
• Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) -✓✓ - Replaced the Narcotic Control
Act in 1997.
- Provides requirements for the control and sale of narcotics, controlled drugs, and
substances of misuse
- The letter N and the symbol C are printed on the label of every narcotic drug.
- RCMP is responsible for enforcement of the CDSA
• Restrictions for Narcotics -✓✓ - Restricted possession
- Persons in possession of these drugs must ensure their security, promptly report any
loss/theft and maintain complete records of the disposition of the drugs
- Can only be dispensed by prescription, for a specified amount of time before
reassessment
• Legal Possession of Narcotics by a Nurse -✓✓ - When administering to a client with a
Dr.'s order
- When acting as the custodian of narcotics in a health care facility ..."carrying the keys"
- When the narcotic has been prescribed for medical treatment for the nurse
• Managing Narcotics -✓✓ - Narcotics are kept locked
- Strict Documentation (NAR)
- Narcotic Count Q shift
- Count must be correct
- Co-sign waste
- Set timeframe for review of the prescription
• Drug Standards (5 Total) -✓✓ - Purity
, - Potency
- Bioavailability
- Efficacy
- Safety
• Drug Standards: Purity -✓✓ Outline type and concentration of allowable impurities i.e.
dyes, flavorings, buffers, fillers etc.
• Drug Standards: Potency -✓✓ The strength of the drug is standardized
• Drug Standards: Bioavailability -✓✓ Degree to which the drug can be absorbed and
transported by the body to its site of action
• Drug Standards: Efficacy -✓✓ The effectiveness of the drug
• Drug Standards: Safety -✓✓ Measured by the incidence and severity of reported
adverse reactions
• Sources of Drugs -✓✓ - Plants
- Animal Products
- Inorganic Compounds
- Synthetic Sources
• New Drug Development -✓✓ - Ongoing process
- Our system of drug research and development is one of the most stringent in the world
- Developed out of concern for patient safety and drug efficacy
- Natural Health Products Regulation (2004)
- Health Canada drug approval process
- Once approved, drug is assigned a Drug
Identification Number (DIN).
• Four Clinical Phases of Investigational Drug Studies -✓✓ Phase I: small number of
health subjects (usually fewer than 100)
Phase II: larger numbers of volunteers who have the disease or ailment (usually 100 to
300)
Phase III: larger number of patients who are followed by medical research centres (1
000 to 3 000)
Answer [2026] | UPDATED ACTUAL Exam | Exam
Script Review
• Controlled Acts for Nursing -✓✓ 1) Perform a prescribed procedure below the
dermis/mucous membrane.
2) Administer a substance by injection or inhalation
3) Put an instrument, hand or finger beyond a body orifice or artificial opening in the
body.
4) Dispensing a drug. (NEW for RPNs)
5) Treating by means of Psychotherapy
• Authorizing Mechanisms -✓✓ - Order
- Directive
Having the authority to administer a medication does not necessarily mean it is
appropriate to do so!
• Order -✓✓ Written, client-specific
• Directive -✓✓ Written, pre-existing orders, a group of clients
• When is an order required? -✓✓ - Controlled act
- Injection or inhalation
- Below the dermis
- Instrument or hand/finger beyond body orifice
- Dispensing a drug
- Part of medical POC
- Lab tests
- Not included within RHPA but included in other legislation (eg. X-Ray)
• Canadian Food and Drug Act -✓✓ - Primary piece of legislation governing foods,
drugs, cosmetics, and medical devices
- According to the Act, drugs must comply with official prescribed standards
- Recognized formularies
- Various schedules
- Health Products and FoodBranch federal regulator
• Open Access/Unscheduled -✓✓ Pharmacist not required, sold in any store, used to Tx
minor discomforts i.e. Tylenol
,• Open Access/Scheduled -✓✓ Pharmacist must be available to answer questions, used
for self-limiting problems i.e. suppositories, ulcer medications, antihistamines
• Restricted Access/Scheduled -✓✓ "BTC", dispensed by pharmacist i.e. low dose
codeine Tylenol #1
• Non-Narcotic Prescription Drugs [Schedule F] -✓✓ May be prescribed and refilled only
by qualified practitioners: MD, dentist etc.
i.e. antibiotics, corticosteroids etc.
• Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) -✓✓ - Replaced the Narcotic Control
Act in 1997.
- Provides requirements for the control and sale of narcotics, controlled drugs, and
substances of misuse
- The letter N and the symbol C are printed on the label of every narcotic drug.
- RCMP is responsible for enforcement of the CDSA
• Restrictions for Narcotics -✓✓ - Restricted possession
- Persons in possession of these drugs must ensure their security, promptly report any
loss/theft and maintain complete records of the disposition of the drugs
- Can only be dispensed by prescription, for a specified amount of time before
reassessment
• Legal Possession of Narcotics by a Nurse -✓✓ - When administering to a client with a
Dr.'s order
- When acting as the custodian of narcotics in a health care facility ..."carrying the keys"
- When the narcotic has been prescribed for medical treatment for the nurse
• Managing Narcotics -✓✓ - Narcotics are kept locked
- Strict Documentation (NAR)
- Narcotic Count Q shift
- Count must be correct
- Co-sign waste
- Set timeframe for review of the prescription
• Drug Standards (5 Total) -✓✓ - Purity
, - Potency
- Bioavailability
- Efficacy
- Safety
• Drug Standards: Purity -✓✓ Outline type and concentration of allowable impurities i.e.
dyes, flavorings, buffers, fillers etc.
• Drug Standards: Potency -✓✓ The strength of the drug is standardized
• Drug Standards: Bioavailability -✓✓ Degree to which the drug can be absorbed and
transported by the body to its site of action
• Drug Standards: Efficacy -✓✓ The effectiveness of the drug
• Drug Standards: Safety -✓✓ Measured by the incidence and severity of reported
adverse reactions
• Sources of Drugs -✓✓ - Plants
- Animal Products
- Inorganic Compounds
- Synthetic Sources
• New Drug Development -✓✓ - Ongoing process
- Our system of drug research and development is one of the most stringent in the world
- Developed out of concern for patient safety and drug efficacy
- Natural Health Products Regulation (2004)
- Health Canada drug approval process
- Once approved, drug is assigned a Drug
Identification Number (DIN).
• Four Clinical Phases of Investigational Drug Studies -✓✓ Phase I: small number of
health subjects (usually fewer than 100)
Phase II: larger numbers of volunteers who have the disease or ailment (usually 100 to
300)
Phase III: larger number of patients who are followed by medical research centres (1
000 to 3 000)
