KAU
Faculty of Medicine
Third Year Medicine
Pharmacology Core Corse
Pharmacology - Common MCQs
General Pharmacology
( First 5 Lectures )
Topic Page
Exam Questions (115 MCQs) 2
Problem Solving Questions (22 MCQs) 22
Lippincott’s Questions (11 MCQs) 27
Katzung's Questions (60 MCQ) 29
Problem Solving Questions ( Katzung ) 38
Total = 208 MCQs
, General Pharmacology MCQs
Exam Questions (115 MCQs) :
1. Binding of a drug to plasma proteins will tend to:
A. Decrease half-life.
B. Decrease its rate of glomerular filtration.
C. Increase its rate of biotransformation.
D. Increase its concentration in the plasma.
E. Increase its pharmacological activity.
2. Dose-response curves are used for drug evaluation in the animal laboratory and in
the clinic. Quantal dose-response curves are
A. Used for determining the therapeutic index of a drug
B. Used for determining the maximal efficacy of a drug
C. More precisely quantitated than ordinary graded dose-response curves
D. Obtainable from the study of intact subjects but not from isolated tissue
preparations
E. Used to determine statistical variation (standed deviation) of the maximal
response to the drug
3. Compared to the average adult dose, the recommended dose of a drug for elderly
patients will likely be:
A. Less than average due to increased biotransformation.
B. Less than average due to decreased renal function or excretion
C. More than average due to decreased plasma protein binding capacity.
D. More than average due to increased renal excretion.
E. Totally unpredictable.
4. Which one of the following statements is applicable to absorption of drugs from
the gastrointestinal tract?
A. Absorption of weak acids occurs only from the stomach and not from the small
intestine.
B. Some drugs are metabolized extensively by the liver and do not reach the
general circulation (first-pass effect)
C. All the drugs are stable at the low pH of the stomach.
D. Rectal administration is the best way to give irritating drugs.
E. Ingesting drugs with food always enhances drug absorption.
5. Which of the following statements about spare receptor is MOST correct
A. Spare receptors, in the absence of drug, are sequestered in the cytoplasm
B. Spare receptors may be detected by finding that the drug-receptor interaction
longer than the intracellular effect
C. Spare receptors influence the maximal efficacy of the drug-receptor system
D. Spare receptors activate the effector machinery of the cell without the need for a
drug
E. Spare receptors may be detected by the finding that the EC50 is smaller
than the Kd for the agonist
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, General Pharmacology MCQs
6. A patient is treated chronically with a drug (A) metabolized by CYP 3A4. Recently
he administer another drug (B) which is an enzymatic inducer of the
CYP2D6.Which of the following is likely to occur:
A. Longer half life of drug (A)
B. Longer half life of drug (B)
C. Enhanced pharmacological effect of drug A
D. No significant drug interaction
E. Reduced pharmacological effect of drug B
7. All of the following are applicable to the concept of the blood-brain barrier
EXCEPT:
A. Restricts the entry of hydrophilic compounds into the brain.
B. Has as one component, endothelial cells with pores accessible only by
compounds of less than 200 Daltons.
C. Is penetrated only by organic solvents which are used as general anesthetic
agents.
D. Is between the plasma space and the interstitial space of the brain.
E. Drugs which are well absorbed from the G.I.T penetrate well into the brain.
8. What happen if valproic acid ( strongly bound to albumin) and imipramine, a
tricyclic antidepressant ( bound to alpha acid glycoprotein)
A. Potential toxicity of valproic acid.
B. significant increase in free level of both drugs.
C. Enhanced biotransformation of valproic acid.
D. increase in volume of distribution of imipramin
E. No interference in protein binding is expected / No pharmacokinetic drug-
drug interaction is expected
9. A drug with half life of about 24h was prescribe orally at the dose of 100mg once
daily. After two weeks, the dose was changed to, 200mg once daily. Following this
change in treatment:
A. The mean plasma concentration doubles.
B. The plasma half life of the drug doubles
C. the difference between the maximum plasma concentration (peak) and minimal
(trough) become very small.
D. the volume of distribution of the drug double.
E. The time required to reach the steady state of concentration decrease by a half
10. In general, biotransformation usually results in a product which is more:
A. Likely to produce side effects.
B. Likely to distribute intracellularly.
C. Lipid soluble than the original drug.
D. Likely to be reabsorbed by kidney tubules.
E. Water soluble than the original drug.
|Page٣
, General Pharmacology MCQs
11. For a drug eliminated by a first-order kinetic process:
A. A constant amount of drug is eliminated per unit time.
B. The duration of action will be longer than for a drug eliminated by zero-order
process.
C. The elimination rate constant will be independent of the dose administered.
D. It is unlikely to bind significantly to plasma albumin.
E. The apparent volume of distribution will vary with time.
12. Enzyme inhibitors such as Cimetidine and Erythromycin are likely to produce:
A. Increase rate of breakdown of some drugs
B. increase free level of some drugs
C. inhibition of certain enzymes which break down some drugs.
D. improvement of bioavailability of some drugs
E. Reduction the toxicity of some drugs.
13. A competitive reversible antagonist :
A. Shifts the dose-response curve of an agonist to the right.
B. Decreases the maximal response produced by agonists acting on the same
receptor.
C. Produces an effect which is mathematically equivalent to decreasing the efficacy
of the agonist.
D. Increases the efficacy of the agonist.
E. Binds to the receptor by covalent bonding.
14. Regarding binding of drugs to plasma albumin:
A. All drugs are strongly bound to albumin.
B. Binding of drugs enhance there therapeutic effects.
C. Binding of drugs to albumin enhance their elimenation.
D. Albumin binds reversibly certain acidic drugs.
E. drugs bound to albumin crosses membranes easily.
15. An experiment was performed to determine the median effective dose (ED50) for
causing hypnosis and the median lethal dose (LD50) of a drug. The ED50 was
found to be 1 mg. The LD50 was found to be 300mg. What is the therapeutic index
for this drug?
A. 300.
B. 30.
C. Less than 10.
D. 3.
16. The following statement concerning pre-systemic metabolism are true except:
A. is the metabolism of administrated drugs before reaching systemic circulation.
B. it can be avoided by giving the drug via another route of administration.
C. it usually leads to decrease drug bioavailability.
D. drugs with extensive first pass effect may be ineffective orally.
E. it is usually occurs due to enzyme induction or inhibition.
|Page٤
Faculty of Medicine
Third Year Medicine
Pharmacology Core Corse
Pharmacology - Common MCQs
General Pharmacology
( First 5 Lectures )
Topic Page
Exam Questions (115 MCQs) 2
Problem Solving Questions (22 MCQs) 22
Lippincott’s Questions (11 MCQs) 27
Katzung's Questions (60 MCQ) 29
Problem Solving Questions ( Katzung ) 38
Total = 208 MCQs
, General Pharmacology MCQs
Exam Questions (115 MCQs) :
1. Binding of a drug to plasma proteins will tend to:
A. Decrease half-life.
B. Decrease its rate of glomerular filtration.
C. Increase its rate of biotransformation.
D. Increase its concentration in the plasma.
E. Increase its pharmacological activity.
2. Dose-response curves are used for drug evaluation in the animal laboratory and in
the clinic. Quantal dose-response curves are
A. Used for determining the therapeutic index of a drug
B. Used for determining the maximal efficacy of a drug
C. More precisely quantitated than ordinary graded dose-response curves
D. Obtainable from the study of intact subjects but not from isolated tissue
preparations
E. Used to determine statistical variation (standed deviation) of the maximal
response to the drug
3. Compared to the average adult dose, the recommended dose of a drug for elderly
patients will likely be:
A. Less than average due to increased biotransformation.
B. Less than average due to decreased renal function or excretion
C. More than average due to decreased plasma protein binding capacity.
D. More than average due to increased renal excretion.
E. Totally unpredictable.
4. Which one of the following statements is applicable to absorption of drugs from
the gastrointestinal tract?
A. Absorption of weak acids occurs only from the stomach and not from the small
intestine.
B. Some drugs are metabolized extensively by the liver and do not reach the
general circulation (first-pass effect)
C. All the drugs are stable at the low pH of the stomach.
D. Rectal administration is the best way to give irritating drugs.
E. Ingesting drugs with food always enhances drug absorption.
5. Which of the following statements about spare receptor is MOST correct
A. Spare receptors, in the absence of drug, are sequestered in the cytoplasm
B. Spare receptors may be detected by finding that the drug-receptor interaction
longer than the intracellular effect
C. Spare receptors influence the maximal efficacy of the drug-receptor system
D. Spare receptors activate the effector machinery of the cell without the need for a
drug
E. Spare receptors may be detected by the finding that the EC50 is smaller
than the Kd for the agonist
|Page٢
, General Pharmacology MCQs
6. A patient is treated chronically with a drug (A) metabolized by CYP 3A4. Recently
he administer another drug (B) which is an enzymatic inducer of the
CYP2D6.Which of the following is likely to occur:
A. Longer half life of drug (A)
B. Longer half life of drug (B)
C. Enhanced pharmacological effect of drug A
D. No significant drug interaction
E. Reduced pharmacological effect of drug B
7. All of the following are applicable to the concept of the blood-brain barrier
EXCEPT:
A. Restricts the entry of hydrophilic compounds into the brain.
B. Has as one component, endothelial cells with pores accessible only by
compounds of less than 200 Daltons.
C. Is penetrated only by organic solvents which are used as general anesthetic
agents.
D. Is between the plasma space and the interstitial space of the brain.
E. Drugs which are well absorbed from the G.I.T penetrate well into the brain.
8. What happen if valproic acid ( strongly bound to albumin) and imipramine, a
tricyclic antidepressant ( bound to alpha acid glycoprotein)
A. Potential toxicity of valproic acid.
B. significant increase in free level of both drugs.
C. Enhanced biotransformation of valproic acid.
D. increase in volume of distribution of imipramin
E. No interference in protein binding is expected / No pharmacokinetic drug-
drug interaction is expected
9. A drug with half life of about 24h was prescribe orally at the dose of 100mg once
daily. After two weeks, the dose was changed to, 200mg once daily. Following this
change in treatment:
A. The mean plasma concentration doubles.
B. The plasma half life of the drug doubles
C. the difference between the maximum plasma concentration (peak) and minimal
(trough) become very small.
D. the volume of distribution of the drug double.
E. The time required to reach the steady state of concentration decrease by a half
10. In general, biotransformation usually results in a product which is more:
A. Likely to produce side effects.
B. Likely to distribute intracellularly.
C. Lipid soluble than the original drug.
D. Likely to be reabsorbed by kidney tubules.
E. Water soluble than the original drug.
|Page٣
, General Pharmacology MCQs
11. For a drug eliminated by a first-order kinetic process:
A. A constant amount of drug is eliminated per unit time.
B. The duration of action will be longer than for a drug eliminated by zero-order
process.
C. The elimination rate constant will be independent of the dose administered.
D. It is unlikely to bind significantly to plasma albumin.
E. The apparent volume of distribution will vary with time.
12. Enzyme inhibitors such as Cimetidine and Erythromycin are likely to produce:
A. Increase rate of breakdown of some drugs
B. increase free level of some drugs
C. inhibition of certain enzymes which break down some drugs.
D. improvement of bioavailability of some drugs
E. Reduction the toxicity of some drugs.
13. A competitive reversible antagonist :
A. Shifts the dose-response curve of an agonist to the right.
B. Decreases the maximal response produced by agonists acting on the same
receptor.
C. Produces an effect which is mathematically equivalent to decreasing the efficacy
of the agonist.
D. Increases the efficacy of the agonist.
E. Binds to the receptor by covalent bonding.
14. Regarding binding of drugs to plasma albumin:
A. All drugs are strongly bound to albumin.
B. Binding of drugs enhance there therapeutic effects.
C. Binding of drugs to albumin enhance their elimenation.
D. Albumin binds reversibly certain acidic drugs.
E. drugs bound to albumin crosses membranes easily.
15. An experiment was performed to determine the median effective dose (ED50) for
causing hypnosis and the median lethal dose (LD50) of a drug. The ED50 was
found to be 1 mg. The LD50 was found to be 300mg. What is the therapeutic index
for this drug?
A. 300.
B. 30.
C. Less than 10.
D. 3.
16. The following statement concerning pre-systemic metabolism are true except:
A. is the metabolism of administrated drugs before reaching systemic circulation.
B. it can be avoided by giving the drug via another route of administration.
C. it usually leads to decrease drug bioavailability.
D. drugs with extensive first pass effect may be ineffective orally.
E. it is usually occurs due to enzyme induction or inhibition.
|Page٤
