Principles of pharmacology | Questions with 100% Verified
Answers | Latest Update 2026/2027
Question: what term describes the official name given to a drug by the pharmaceutical company that
developed it?
Answer: generic name
Question: What term describes the commercial name given to a drug by the company that is producing and
marketing it?
Answer: brand or trade name
Question: The movement of a drug from the site of administration to various tissues of the body is what kind of
pharmacokinetic action?
Answer: absorption
Question: The movement of a drug by the circulatory system to the intended site of action is what kind of
pharmacokinetic action?
Answer: distribution
Question: The change or biotransformation that occurs in a drug into a more or less potent, soluble, or inactive
form is what kind of a pharmacokinetic action?
Answer: metabolism
Question: The elimination of a drug or its metabolites from the body to the external environment through the
kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, skin, or lungs is what kind of pharmacokinetic action?
Answer: excretion
Question: What is the term given to the altered version of a drug after biotransformation occurs?
Answer: metabolite
Question: In what organ does the majority of a drug's biotransformation occur?
Answer: liver
Question: What term describes the intended effects of a drug?
Answer: therapeutic effect
Question: What terms describe the unintended effects of a drug?
Answer: side effects and adverse effects
Question: What is another term for drugs able to be purchased "over the counter"?
Answer: nonprescription drugs
Question: What term describes a drug that has been identified by the federal government as being potentially
harmful if its administration is not supervised by a licensed health provider such as a physician, nurse
practitioner, or physician's assistant?
Answer: prescription drug
, Question: What is the name of the process that addresses how various drug forms affect the dissolution,
absorption rate, and onset of action of a drug?
Answer: pharmaceutics
Question: What form of oral drug is expected to have the longest absorption rate?
Answer: tablets with enteric coating
Question: What are the terms used to describe oral medications that come in forms that delay release of the
medication?
Answer: extended release (ER), enteric coated (EC)
Question: What is the term for a medication that is injected into a vein, subcutaneous tissue, or muscle tissue?
Answer: parenteral
Question: What is the term for a medication applied directly to the skin?
Answer: topical or transdermal
Question: What is the term for the time it takes a medication in the body to decrease in amount by half?
Answer: half life
Question: What is the term for the amount of time it takes a medication to demonstrate a therapeutic
response?
Answer: onset of action
Question: What is the term for the amount of time it takes for a drug to demonstrate its full therapeutic effect?
Answer: peak effect
Question: What is the term for the length of time that a medication's therapeutic effect lasts?
Answer: duration
Question: What is the term for the point in time when a drug is at its highest level in the body?
Answer: peak level
Question: What is the term for the point in time when a drug is at its lowest level in the body?
Answer: trough level
Question: What type of drug binds with the receptor site on a cell and elicits a greater than typical response?
Answer: agonist
Question: What type of drug binds with the receptor site on a cell and either blocks or precipitates a less than
typical response?
Answer: antagonist
Question: What is the name of the process that occurs when a drug changes a target molecule's typical
response by inhibiting or enhancing the action of an enzyme that affects the target molecule?
Answer: selective interaction
Answers | Latest Update 2026/2027
Question: what term describes the official name given to a drug by the pharmaceutical company that
developed it?
Answer: generic name
Question: What term describes the commercial name given to a drug by the company that is producing and
marketing it?
Answer: brand or trade name
Question: The movement of a drug from the site of administration to various tissues of the body is what kind of
pharmacokinetic action?
Answer: absorption
Question: The movement of a drug by the circulatory system to the intended site of action is what kind of
pharmacokinetic action?
Answer: distribution
Question: The change or biotransformation that occurs in a drug into a more or less potent, soluble, or inactive
form is what kind of a pharmacokinetic action?
Answer: metabolism
Question: The elimination of a drug or its metabolites from the body to the external environment through the
kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, skin, or lungs is what kind of pharmacokinetic action?
Answer: excretion
Question: What is the term given to the altered version of a drug after biotransformation occurs?
Answer: metabolite
Question: In what organ does the majority of a drug's biotransformation occur?
Answer: liver
Question: What term describes the intended effects of a drug?
Answer: therapeutic effect
Question: What terms describe the unintended effects of a drug?
Answer: side effects and adverse effects
Question: What is another term for drugs able to be purchased "over the counter"?
Answer: nonprescription drugs
Question: What term describes a drug that has been identified by the federal government as being potentially
harmful if its administration is not supervised by a licensed health provider such as a physician, nurse
practitioner, or physician's assistant?
Answer: prescription drug
, Question: What is the name of the process that addresses how various drug forms affect the dissolution,
absorption rate, and onset of action of a drug?
Answer: pharmaceutics
Question: What form of oral drug is expected to have the longest absorption rate?
Answer: tablets with enteric coating
Question: What are the terms used to describe oral medications that come in forms that delay release of the
medication?
Answer: extended release (ER), enteric coated (EC)
Question: What is the term for a medication that is injected into a vein, subcutaneous tissue, or muscle tissue?
Answer: parenteral
Question: What is the term for a medication applied directly to the skin?
Answer: topical or transdermal
Question: What is the term for the time it takes a medication in the body to decrease in amount by half?
Answer: half life
Question: What is the term for the amount of time it takes a medication to demonstrate a therapeutic
response?
Answer: onset of action
Question: What is the term for the amount of time it takes for a drug to demonstrate its full therapeutic effect?
Answer: peak effect
Question: What is the term for the length of time that a medication's therapeutic effect lasts?
Answer: duration
Question: What is the term for the point in time when a drug is at its highest level in the body?
Answer: peak level
Question: What is the term for the point in time when a drug is at its lowest level in the body?
Answer: trough level
Question: What type of drug binds with the receptor site on a cell and elicits a greater than typical response?
Answer: agonist
Question: What type of drug binds with the receptor site on a cell and either blocks or precipitates a less than
typical response?
Answer: antagonist
Question: What is the name of the process that occurs when a drug changes a target molecule's typical
response by inhibiting or enhancing the action of an enzyme that affects the target molecule?
Answer: selective interaction