EDMUNDS PHARMACOLOGY FOR THE
PRIMARY PROVIDER PRACTICE TEST 2026
TESTED QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT
ANSWERS
◉ A nurse practitioner (NP) is considering a possible drug regimen
for an 80-year-old patient who reports being forgetful. To promote
adherence to the regimen, the NP should:
Answer: select drugs that can be given once or twice daily.
◉ A 75-year-old patient who lives alone will begin taking a narcotic
analgesic for pain. To help ensure patient safety, the NP prescribing
this medication should:
Answer: perform a thorough evaluation of cognitive and motor
abilities.
◉ A thin 90-year-old patient who will begin taking warfarin has
experienced a recent weight loss of 15 pounds. The NP caring for
this patient should:
Answer: write the initial prescription at the lowest possible dose.
◉ An 86-year-old patient is seen in clinic for a scheduled follow-up
after starting a new oral medication 1 month prior. The patient
,reports no change in symptoms, and a laboratory test reveals a
subtherapeutic serum drug level. The NP caring for this patient
should:
Answer: determine the number of pills left in the patient's
prescription bottle.
◉ An NP learns that a 90-year-old patient is chronically constipated
and has frequent problems with acid reflux. The NP notes a weight
loss of 20 pounds in this patient in the previous 6 months. Which of
the following drugs that this patient is taking is cause for concern?
a. Quinidine
b. Naproxen
c. Calcium citrate
d. Calcium channel blocker
Answer: b. Naproxen
Rationale: Naproxen has a high binding affinity for protein, and
these drugs can become toxic in patients who may have low serum
albumin because of the amount of free drug in serum. Constipation
and acid reflux may cause problems with absorption for some drugs,
but not the drugs listed
◉ An NP is caring for a 70-year-old patient who reports having
seasonal allergies with severe rhinorrhea. Using the Beers criteria,
,which of the following medications should the NP recommend for
this patient?
Answer: Loratadine (Claritin)
◉ An NP orders an inhaled corticosteroid 2 puffs twice daily and an
albuterol metered-dose inhaler 2 puffs every 4 hours as needed for
cough or wheezing for a 65-year-old patient with recent onset of
reactive airways disease who reports symptoms occurring every 1
or 2 weeks. At a follow-up appointment several months later, the
patient reports no change in frequency of symptoms. The NP's initial
action should be to:
Answer: ask the patient to describe how the medications are taken
each day.
◉ A nurse practitioner (NP) is preparing to prescribe a medication
for a 5-year-old child. To determine the correct dose for this child,
the NP should:
Answer: follow the drug manufacturer's recommendations for
medication dosing.
◉ An NP is prescribing a drug that is known to be safe in children
but is unable to find recommendations about drug dosing. The
recommended adult dose is 100 mg per dose. The child weighs 14
kg. Using Clark's rule, the NP should order _____ mg per dose.
Answer: 20
, Rationale:Clark's rule suggests dividing the weight of the child in kg
by the weight of an adult in kg and multiplying the result by the
adult dose to get an approximation of the child's dose. The average
adult weighs 150 lb, or 70 kg. The equation is: 14 kg/70 kg = 0.2. 0.2
´ 100 = 20 mg.
◉ A child who weighs 22 lb, 2 oz needs a medication. The NP learns
that the recommended dosing for this drug is 25 to 30 mg per kg per
day in three divided doses. The NP should order:
Answer: 100 mg tid.
◉ The mother of a 3-year-old child who weighs 15 kg tells the NP
that she has liquid acetaminophen at home but does not know what
dose to give her child. The NP should tell the mother:
Answer: to find out whether she has a preparation made for infants
or children.
◉ The parent of a toddler asks the NP about using a topical
antihistamine to treat the child's atopic dermatitis symptoms. The
NP should tell the parent that:
Answer: topical application of an antihistamine may result in drug
toxicity in children.
PRIMARY PROVIDER PRACTICE TEST 2026
TESTED QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT
ANSWERS
◉ A nurse practitioner (NP) is considering a possible drug regimen
for an 80-year-old patient who reports being forgetful. To promote
adherence to the regimen, the NP should:
Answer: select drugs that can be given once or twice daily.
◉ A 75-year-old patient who lives alone will begin taking a narcotic
analgesic for pain. To help ensure patient safety, the NP prescribing
this medication should:
Answer: perform a thorough evaluation of cognitive and motor
abilities.
◉ A thin 90-year-old patient who will begin taking warfarin has
experienced a recent weight loss of 15 pounds. The NP caring for
this patient should:
Answer: write the initial prescription at the lowest possible dose.
◉ An 86-year-old patient is seen in clinic for a scheduled follow-up
after starting a new oral medication 1 month prior. The patient
,reports no change in symptoms, and a laboratory test reveals a
subtherapeutic serum drug level. The NP caring for this patient
should:
Answer: determine the number of pills left in the patient's
prescription bottle.
◉ An NP learns that a 90-year-old patient is chronically constipated
and has frequent problems with acid reflux. The NP notes a weight
loss of 20 pounds in this patient in the previous 6 months. Which of
the following drugs that this patient is taking is cause for concern?
a. Quinidine
b. Naproxen
c. Calcium citrate
d. Calcium channel blocker
Answer: b. Naproxen
Rationale: Naproxen has a high binding affinity for protein, and
these drugs can become toxic in patients who may have low serum
albumin because of the amount of free drug in serum. Constipation
and acid reflux may cause problems with absorption for some drugs,
but not the drugs listed
◉ An NP is caring for a 70-year-old patient who reports having
seasonal allergies with severe rhinorrhea. Using the Beers criteria,
,which of the following medications should the NP recommend for
this patient?
Answer: Loratadine (Claritin)
◉ An NP orders an inhaled corticosteroid 2 puffs twice daily and an
albuterol metered-dose inhaler 2 puffs every 4 hours as needed for
cough or wheezing for a 65-year-old patient with recent onset of
reactive airways disease who reports symptoms occurring every 1
or 2 weeks. At a follow-up appointment several months later, the
patient reports no change in frequency of symptoms. The NP's initial
action should be to:
Answer: ask the patient to describe how the medications are taken
each day.
◉ A nurse practitioner (NP) is preparing to prescribe a medication
for a 5-year-old child. To determine the correct dose for this child,
the NP should:
Answer: follow the drug manufacturer's recommendations for
medication dosing.
◉ An NP is prescribing a drug that is known to be safe in children
but is unable to find recommendations about drug dosing. The
recommended adult dose is 100 mg per dose. The child weighs 14
kg. Using Clark's rule, the NP should order _____ mg per dose.
Answer: 20
, Rationale:Clark's rule suggests dividing the weight of the child in kg
by the weight of an adult in kg and multiplying the result by the
adult dose to get an approximation of the child's dose. The average
adult weighs 150 lb, or 70 kg. The equation is: 14 kg/70 kg = 0.2. 0.2
´ 100 = 20 mg.
◉ A child who weighs 22 lb, 2 oz needs a medication. The NP learns
that the recommended dosing for this drug is 25 to 30 mg per kg per
day in three divided doses. The NP should order:
Answer: 100 mg tid.
◉ The mother of a 3-year-old child who weighs 15 kg tells the NP
that she has liquid acetaminophen at home but does not know what
dose to give her child. The NP should tell the mother:
Answer: to find out whether she has a preparation made for infants
or children.
◉ The parent of a toddler asks the NP about using a topical
antihistamine to treat the child's atopic dermatitis symptoms. The
NP should tell the parent that:
Answer: topical application of an antihistamine may result in drug
toxicity in children.
