PHARMACOLOGY NR 293 EXAM 1 | COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE, PRACTICE
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS 2026/2027
Pharmacotherapeutics - correct answer ✔✔is the use of medications to prevent illnesses or as an
intervention to treat diseases.
Pharmacokinetics - correct answer ✔✔what the body does to a medication and entails four very
important processes: absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of the drug
Pharmacodynamics - correct answer ✔✔explores what the drug does to the body.
The nursing process - correct answer ✔✔evidence-based framework that is used to guide professional
nursing practice. The nursing process consists of five steps: assessment, nursing diagnosis, planning,
implementation, and evaluation. Critical decision making underscores the nursing process in action. The
nurse collects both subjective and objective information in utilizing the steps of the nursing process. The
nurse addresses the multifaceted concerns of the patient, including physiological, psychological,
spiritual, cultural, and socioeconomic needs.
Drug interactions - correct answer ✔✔can occur at any time.
The reasons that clients may experience drug interactions include
polypharmacy: the simultaneous use multiple drugs;
patient's lack of knowledge of medication instructions; and
interactions that may occur when taking over-the-counter and herbal supplements.
Strategies to Prevent Drug Interactions - correct answer ✔✔The patient should understand the reason
for taking the medication, instructions for how to take the medication, and how long he or she should
take the medication.
Encourage the patient to keep a current list of medications and bring it to each physician appointment.
Educate the patient about interactions with food and other medications that may increase or decrease
efficacy.
Support the patient in asking his or her healthcare provider and pharmacist to verify his or her
medication list, and if supplements or herbal therapies interact.
Have the patient return to demonstrate patient teaching regarding how to take the medications.
Designate friends or family members to assist patients with medication administration when the patient
has vision or memory problems.
Incorporate the use of a pillbox, calendar, or storage containers with labels to assist with organizing
medications.
Discard old or expired medications.
Pharmacological responses - correct answer ✔✔the physiological reactions that occur within the body.
These medication-body reactions may be therapeutic or toxic.
Administration Routes - correct answer ✔✔There are two general types of drug administration routes—
enteral (via the GI tract) and parenteral (by injection).
Common routes include oral (PO), intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM), and subcutaneous (SQ).
, intravenous (IV) - correct answer ✔✔Advantages:
Complete absorption
100% bioavailability
Precise control of dosing
Quick dilution of irritating drugs
Disadvantages:
Irreversible administration
Drug concentration, formulation, and rate of injection sensitivity
Risks of overloading body fluid volume, infection, and embolism
intramuscular (IM) - correct answer ✔✔Advantages:
The use of poorly water-soluble drugs
The use for depot drug formulation (e.g., Penicillin G)
Disadvantages:
Discomfort and inconvenience
Local tissue injury caused by chronic administration
Risk of nerve damage because of improper injection
Moderate to low bioavailability
subcutaneous (SQ) - correct answer ✔✔Advantages:
The use of poorly water-soluble drugs
The use for depot drug formulation
Disadvantages:
Discomfort and inconvenience
Local tissue injury caused by chronic administration
Risk of nerve damage because of improper injection
Moderate to low bioavailability
oral (PO) - correct answer ✔✔Advantages:
Convenient and inexpensive
Higher safety of administration
Disadvantages:
Variability of drug absorption and difficulty of drug concentration control
Inactivation of certain drugs because of acidic environment of the stomach (e.g., Penicillin G) and/or the
liver "first-pass" effect (nitroglycerin)
Patients consciousness requirement
Local irritation of the GI tract to cause vomiting and nausea
transdermal - correct answer ✔✔Advantages:
Good control of drug release (e.g., nitroglycerin and contraceptive hormones)
Convenient to use (e.g., patch and ointment)
Disadvantages:
Inconvenient administration for liquid formulation of drug
adverse drug event (ADE) - correct answer ✔✔refers to any undesirable occurrence related to either the
administration of a medication or the failure to administer a medication. If a medication is given at the
appropriate therapeutic dosage and any unexpected, undesired, or unintended reaction occurs, this
would be called an adverse drug reaction.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS 2026/2027
Pharmacotherapeutics - correct answer ✔✔is the use of medications to prevent illnesses or as an
intervention to treat diseases.
Pharmacokinetics - correct answer ✔✔what the body does to a medication and entails four very
important processes: absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of the drug
Pharmacodynamics - correct answer ✔✔explores what the drug does to the body.
The nursing process - correct answer ✔✔evidence-based framework that is used to guide professional
nursing practice. The nursing process consists of five steps: assessment, nursing diagnosis, planning,
implementation, and evaluation. Critical decision making underscores the nursing process in action. The
nurse collects both subjective and objective information in utilizing the steps of the nursing process. The
nurse addresses the multifaceted concerns of the patient, including physiological, psychological,
spiritual, cultural, and socioeconomic needs.
Drug interactions - correct answer ✔✔can occur at any time.
The reasons that clients may experience drug interactions include
polypharmacy: the simultaneous use multiple drugs;
patient's lack of knowledge of medication instructions; and
interactions that may occur when taking over-the-counter and herbal supplements.
Strategies to Prevent Drug Interactions - correct answer ✔✔The patient should understand the reason
for taking the medication, instructions for how to take the medication, and how long he or she should
take the medication.
Encourage the patient to keep a current list of medications and bring it to each physician appointment.
Educate the patient about interactions with food and other medications that may increase or decrease
efficacy.
Support the patient in asking his or her healthcare provider and pharmacist to verify his or her
medication list, and if supplements or herbal therapies interact.
Have the patient return to demonstrate patient teaching regarding how to take the medications.
Designate friends or family members to assist patients with medication administration when the patient
has vision or memory problems.
Incorporate the use of a pillbox, calendar, or storage containers with labels to assist with organizing
medications.
Discard old or expired medications.
Pharmacological responses - correct answer ✔✔the physiological reactions that occur within the body.
These medication-body reactions may be therapeutic or toxic.
Administration Routes - correct answer ✔✔There are two general types of drug administration routes—
enteral (via the GI tract) and parenteral (by injection).
Common routes include oral (PO), intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM), and subcutaneous (SQ).
, intravenous (IV) - correct answer ✔✔Advantages:
Complete absorption
100% bioavailability
Precise control of dosing
Quick dilution of irritating drugs
Disadvantages:
Irreversible administration
Drug concentration, formulation, and rate of injection sensitivity
Risks of overloading body fluid volume, infection, and embolism
intramuscular (IM) - correct answer ✔✔Advantages:
The use of poorly water-soluble drugs
The use for depot drug formulation (e.g., Penicillin G)
Disadvantages:
Discomfort and inconvenience
Local tissue injury caused by chronic administration
Risk of nerve damage because of improper injection
Moderate to low bioavailability
subcutaneous (SQ) - correct answer ✔✔Advantages:
The use of poorly water-soluble drugs
The use for depot drug formulation
Disadvantages:
Discomfort and inconvenience
Local tissue injury caused by chronic administration
Risk of nerve damage because of improper injection
Moderate to low bioavailability
oral (PO) - correct answer ✔✔Advantages:
Convenient and inexpensive
Higher safety of administration
Disadvantages:
Variability of drug absorption and difficulty of drug concentration control
Inactivation of certain drugs because of acidic environment of the stomach (e.g., Penicillin G) and/or the
liver "first-pass" effect (nitroglycerin)
Patients consciousness requirement
Local irritation of the GI tract to cause vomiting and nausea
transdermal - correct answer ✔✔Advantages:
Good control of drug release (e.g., nitroglycerin and contraceptive hormones)
Convenient to use (e.g., patch and ointment)
Disadvantages:
Inconvenient administration for liquid formulation of drug
adverse drug event (ADE) - correct answer ✔✔refers to any undesirable occurrence related to either the
administration of a medication or the failure to administer a medication. If a medication is given at the
appropriate therapeutic dosage and any unexpected, undesired, or unintended reaction occurs, this
would be called an adverse drug reaction.
