Page 1 of 74
APPLIED PHARMACOLOGY FOR THE DENTAL HYGIENIST, 9TH
EDITION (HAVELES) EXAM 2026 LATEST VERSION QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS 2026 EDITION
APPLIED PHARMACOLOGY FOR THE DENTAL HYGIENIST, 9TH EDITION
(HAVELES) – 250 EXAM-STYLE QUESTIONS WITH RATIONALES
SECTION 1: GENERAL PRINCIPLES – INFORMATION SOURCES,
REGULATORY AGENCIES, DRUG LEGISLATION & PRESCRIPTION WRITING
(Chapters 1-3) – Questions 1-50
1. Knowledge of pharmacology aids the dental professional in which of the following?
(Select all that apply.)
A) Obtaining a patient's health history
B) Administering drugs in the office
C) Handling emergency situations
D) Selection of nonprescription medications
Correct Answer: A, B, C, D (All of the above)
Rationale: All choices are true. Because many patients are being treated with drugs,
knowledge of pharmacology helps in understanding and interpreting patients' responses to
health history questions. Knowledge of therapeutic and adverse effects helps in proper
medication administration in the office. Emergency situations may be caused by or treated
with drugs, requiring rapid response. Understanding drug action, handling, and interactions
allows the dental practitioner to make proper judgments .
2. Which of the following statements is true regarding planning appointments for
patients with systemic conditions?
A) Whether or not patients are taking medication for systemic diseases is of little
consequence in the dental office
B) Asthmatic patients should have dental appointments in the morning
, Page 2 of 74
C) Diabetic patients usually have fewer problems with a morning appointment compared
with afternoon appointments
D) Both B and C are true
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Asthmatic patients who experience dental anxiety should schedule appointments
when they are not rushed or under pressure, ideally early in the morning. Diabetic patients
usually have relatively fewer problems with a morning appointment. Patients taking
medication for systemic diseases may require special handling in the dental office .
3. Nutritional or herbal supplements:
A) Carry FDA approval for disease states
B) Are not drugs
C) Can cause adverse effects
D) Will not interact with other drugs
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Nutritional or herbal supplements are quite capable of causing adverse effects.
The majority do not carry FDA approval for treating disease states. These supplements are
drugs and can cause adverse effects and interact with different drugs .
4. Which type of drug name usually begins with a lowercase letter?
A) Brand name
B) Code name
C) Generic name
D) Trade name
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Before any drug is marketed, it is given a generic name that becomes the
"official" name of the drug. Each drug is assigned only one generic name selected by the U.S.
Adopted Name Council, and the name is not capitalized. The brand name is equivalent to the
trade name and is capitalized .
5. A drug's generic name is selected by the:
A) Pharmaceutical company manufacturing it
B) Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
C) U.S. Adopted Name Council
, Page 3 of 74
D) Federal Patent Office
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Each drug is assigned only one generic name (e.g., ibuprofen). It is selected by
the U.S. Adopted Name Council. The generic name is not selected by the FDA or the Federal
Patent Office .
6. Which of the following is true concerning generic and trade names of drugs?
A) A drug may only have one generic name and one trade name
B) A drug may only have one generic name, but it may have several trade names
C) A drug may have several generic names, but it may only have one trade name
D) A drug may have several generic names and several trade names
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Each drug has only one generic name but may have several trade names. The
generic name is not capitalized and becomes the "official" name. The pharmaceutical
company discovering the drug gives the drug a trade name. The trade name is protected by
Federal Patent Law for 20 years from the earliest claimed filing date, plus patent term
extensions .
7. Two drugs that are found to be chemically equivalent, but not biologically equivalent
or therapeutically equivalent are said to differ in:
A) Potency
B) Efficacy
C) Bioavailability
D) Therapeutic index
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A preparation can be chemically equivalent yet not biologically or therapeutically
equivalent. These products are said to differ in their bioavailability. Potency is a function of
the amount of drug required to produce an effect. Efficacy is the maximum intensity of effect
or response that can be produced by a drug .
8. The federal body that determines whether a drug is considered a controlled substance
and to which schedule it belongs is the:
A) Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
B) Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
, Page 4 of 74
C) Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
D) U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP)
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The DEA regulates the manufacture and distribution of substances with abuse
potential. Hence prescriber DEA numbers must appear on prescriptions for controlled
substances. The FDA does not have special powers regarding drugs of abuse. The FTC
regulates commerce and advertising claims of foods, OTC products, and cosmetics. The USP
regulates the uniformity and purity of drugs .
9. Which federal regulatory agency decides which drugs require a prescription and
which drugs may be sold over-the-counter (OTC)?
A) FDA
B) FTC
C) DEA
D) OSHA
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is part of the Department of Health and
Human Services (DHHS) and determines what drugs may be sold by prescription and OTC.
It also regulates the labeling and advertising of prescription drugs .
10. Which federal regulatory body regulates the trade practices of drug companies and
prohibits false advertising of foods, nonprescription drugs, and cosmetics?
A) FDA
B) FTC
C) DEA
D) OSHA
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulates the trade practices of drug
companies and prohibits the false advertising of foods, nonprescription (OTC) drugs, and
cosmetics .
11. The Kefauver-Harris Amendment of 1962 was passed in response to which tragedy?
A) The Sulfanilamide Elixir disaster
B) The Thalidomide disaster
APPLIED PHARMACOLOGY FOR THE DENTAL HYGIENIST, 9TH
EDITION (HAVELES) EXAM 2026 LATEST VERSION QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS 2026 EDITION
APPLIED PHARMACOLOGY FOR THE DENTAL HYGIENIST, 9TH EDITION
(HAVELES) – 250 EXAM-STYLE QUESTIONS WITH RATIONALES
SECTION 1: GENERAL PRINCIPLES – INFORMATION SOURCES,
REGULATORY AGENCIES, DRUG LEGISLATION & PRESCRIPTION WRITING
(Chapters 1-3) – Questions 1-50
1. Knowledge of pharmacology aids the dental professional in which of the following?
(Select all that apply.)
A) Obtaining a patient's health history
B) Administering drugs in the office
C) Handling emergency situations
D) Selection of nonprescription medications
Correct Answer: A, B, C, D (All of the above)
Rationale: All choices are true. Because many patients are being treated with drugs,
knowledge of pharmacology helps in understanding and interpreting patients' responses to
health history questions. Knowledge of therapeutic and adverse effects helps in proper
medication administration in the office. Emergency situations may be caused by or treated
with drugs, requiring rapid response. Understanding drug action, handling, and interactions
allows the dental practitioner to make proper judgments .
2. Which of the following statements is true regarding planning appointments for
patients with systemic conditions?
A) Whether or not patients are taking medication for systemic diseases is of little
consequence in the dental office
B) Asthmatic patients should have dental appointments in the morning
, Page 2 of 74
C) Diabetic patients usually have fewer problems with a morning appointment compared
with afternoon appointments
D) Both B and C are true
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Asthmatic patients who experience dental anxiety should schedule appointments
when they are not rushed or under pressure, ideally early in the morning. Diabetic patients
usually have relatively fewer problems with a morning appointment. Patients taking
medication for systemic diseases may require special handling in the dental office .
3. Nutritional or herbal supplements:
A) Carry FDA approval for disease states
B) Are not drugs
C) Can cause adverse effects
D) Will not interact with other drugs
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Nutritional or herbal supplements are quite capable of causing adverse effects.
The majority do not carry FDA approval for treating disease states. These supplements are
drugs and can cause adverse effects and interact with different drugs .
4. Which type of drug name usually begins with a lowercase letter?
A) Brand name
B) Code name
C) Generic name
D) Trade name
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Before any drug is marketed, it is given a generic name that becomes the
"official" name of the drug. Each drug is assigned only one generic name selected by the U.S.
Adopted Name Council, and the name is not capitalized. The brand name is equivalent to the
trade name and is capitalized .
5. A drug's generic name is selected by the:
A) Pharmaceutical company manufacturing it
B) Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
C) U.S. Adopted Name Council
, Page 3 of 74
D) Federal Patent Office
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Each drug is assigned only one generic name (e.g., ibuprofen). It is selected by
the U.S. Adopted Name Council. The generic name is not selected by the FDA or the Federal
Patent Office .
6. Which of the following is true concerning generic and trade names of drugs?
A) A drug may only have one generic name and one trade name
B) A drug may only have one generic name, but it may have several trade names
C) A drug may have several generic names, but it may only have one trade name
D) A drug may have several generic names and several trade names
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Each drug has only one generic name but may have several trade names. The
generic name is not capitalized and becomes the "official" name. The pharmaceutical
company discovering the drug gives the drug a trade name. The trade name is protected by
Federal Patent Law for 20 years from the earliest claimed filing date, plus patent term
extensions .
7. Two drugs that are found to be chemically equivalent, but not biologically equivalent
or therapeutically equivalent are said to differ in:
A) Potency
B) Efficacy
C) Bioavailability
D) Therapeutic index
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A preparation can be chemically equivalent yet not biologically or therapeutically
equivalent. These products are said to differ in their bioavailability. Potency is a function of
the amount of drug required to produce an effect. Efficacy is the maximum intensity of effect
or response that can be produced by a drug .
8. The federal body that determines whether a drug is considered a controlled substance
and to which schedule it belongs is the:
A) Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
B) Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
, Page 4 of 74
C) Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
D) U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP)
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The DEA regulates the manufacture and distribution of substances with abuse
potential. Hence prescriber DEA numbers must appear on prescriptions for controlled
substances. The FDA does not have special powers regarding drugs of abuse. The FTC
regulates commerce and advertising claims of foods, OTC products, and cosmetics. The USP
regulates the uniformity and purity of drugs .
9. Which federal regulatory agency decides which drugs require a prescription and
which drugs may be sold over-the-counter (OTC)?
A) FDA
B) FTC
C) DEA
D) OSHA
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is part of the Department of Health and
Human Services (DHHS) and determines what drugs may be sold by prescription and OTC.
It also regulates the labeling and advertising of prescription drugs .
10. Which federal regulatory body regulates the trade practices of drug companies and
prohibits false advertising of foods, nonprescription drugs, and cosmetics?
A) FDA
B) FTC
C) DEA
D) OSHA
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulates the trade practices of drug
companies and prohibits the false advertising of foods, nonprescription (OTC) drugs, and
cosmetics .
11. The Kefauver-Harris Amendment of 1962 was passed in response to which tragedy?
A) The Sulfanilamide Elixir disaster
B) The Thalidomide disaster
