Focus on Nursing Pharmacology 9th Edition Test
Bank – Questions & Answers
Unit I: Introduction to Drugs and Core Pharmacological Concepts
Questions 1–30
Question 1
A nurse working in radiology administers iodine to a patient who is having a
computed tomography (CT) scan. A nurse on an oncology unit administers
chemotherapy to patients who have cancer. At the Public Health Department, a
nurse administers a measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine to a 14-month-old
child as a routine immunization. Which branch of pharmacology best describes
the actions of all three nurses?
A) Pharmacoeconomics
B) Pharmacotherapeutics
C) Pharmacodynamics
D) Pharmacokinetics
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Pharmacology is the study of the biologic effects of chemicals.
Nurses are involved with clinical pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics, which is
a branch of pharmacology that deals with the uses of drugs to treat, prevent, and
diagnose disease. The radiology nurse is administering a drug to help diagnose a
disease. The oncology nurse is administering a drug to help treat a disease.
Pharmacoeconomics includes any costs involved in drug therapy.
Pharmacodynamics involves how a drug affects the body, and pharmacokinetics is
how the body acts on the drug.
Question 2
A physician has ordered intramuscular (IM) injections of morphine, a narcotic,
every 4 hours as needed for pain in a motor vehicle accident victim. The nurse is
,aware this drug has a high abuse potential. Under what category would morphine
be classified?
A) Schedule I
B) Schedule II
C) Schedule III
D) Schedule IV
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Narcotics with a high abuse potential are classified as Schedule
II drugs because of severe dependence liability. Schedule I drugs have high abuse
potential and no accepted medical use. Schedule III drugs have a lesser abuse
potential than Schedule II and an accepted medical use. Schedule IV drugs have
low abuse potential and limited dependence liability.
Question 3
When involved in phase III drug evaluation studies, what responsibilities would
the nurse have?
A) Working with animals who are given experimental drugs
B) Choosing appropriate patients to be involved in the drug study
C) Monitoring and observing patients closely for adverse effects
D) Conducting research to determine effectiveness of the drug
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Phase III studies involve use of a drug in a vast clinical
population in which patients are asked to record any symptoms they experience
while taking the drugs. Nurses may be responsible for helping collect and analyze
the information to be shared with the FDA but would not conduct research
independently because nurses do not prescribe medications. Use of animals in
drug testing is done in preclinical trials. Phase II studies involve patients who have
the disease the drug is intended to treat. Phase I studies involve healthy human
volunteers who are usually paid for their participation.
,Question 4
What concept is considered when generic drugs are substituted for brand name
drugs?
A) Bioavailability
B) Critical concentration
C) Distribution
D) Half-life
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Bioavailability is the portion of a dose of a drug that reaches
the systemic circulation and is available to act on body cells. Binders used in a
generic drug may not be the same as those used in the brand name drug.
Therefore, the way the body breaks down and uses the drug may differ, which
may eliminate a generic drug substitution. Critical concentration is the amount of
a drug needed to cause a therapeutic effect and should not differ between
generic and brand name medications. Distribution is the phase of
pharmacokinetics that involves the movement of a drug to the body's tissues and
is the same in generic and brand name drugs.
Question 5
A nurse is assessing the patient's response to a drug. Which factor would the
nurse identify as affecting the drug's effectiveness?
A) The patient's age
B) The color of the medication
C) The cost of the medication
D) The manufacturer's logo
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Many factors affect drug effectiveness, including age, weight,
gender, genetic factors, and pathophysiological conditions. The patient's age is a
critical factor because pediatric and geriatric patients often require dosage
, adjustments. The color, cost, and manufacturer's logo do not directly affect the
pharmacological effectiveness of a drug.
Question 6
The nurse understands that dosage recommended by drug manufacturers is
based on an individual weighing:
A) 100 lb (45 kg)
B) 150 lb (68 kg)
C) 200 lb (91 kg)
D) 250 lb (113 kg)
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The recommended dosage of a drug is based on drug
evaluation studies and is targeted at a 150-lb (68 kg) person. As a result, clients
who weigh more or less than this may require minor dosage adjustments in some
cases.
Question 7
A client has developed a tolerance to a drug. How should the nurse address this
when providing care?
A) Assess whether the client needs larger doses to achieve the effect
B) Assess the client for allergic reactions
C) Expect the client to experience adverse effects
D) Discontinue the medication immediately
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: With tolerance, increasingly larger doses are needed to achieve
the therapeutic effect. An allergy would be manifested by reactions ranging from
mild, such as a rash, to more severe, such as anaphylaxis. Although a change may
be needed, tolerance typically requires an increase in dosage. To avoid the need
Bank – Questions & Answers
Unit I: Introduction to Drugs and Core Pharmacological Concepts
Questions 1–30
Question 1
A nurse working in radiology administers iodine to a patient who is having a
computed tomography (CT) scan. A nurse on an oncology unit administers
chemotherapy to patients who have cancer. At the Public Health Department, a
nurse administers a measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine to a 14-month-old
child as a routine immunization. Which branch of pharmacology best describes
the actions of all three nurses?
A) Pharmacoeconomics
B) Pharmacotherapeutics
C) Pharmacodynamics
D) Pharmacokinetics
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Pharmacology is the study of the biologic effects of chemicals.
Nurses are involved with clinical pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics, which is
a branch of pharmacology that deals with the uses of drugs to treat, prevent, and
diagnose disease. The radiology nurse is administering a drug to help diagnose a
disease. The oncology nurse is administering a drug to help treat a disease.
Pharmacoeconomics includes any costs involved in drug therapy.
Pharmacodynamics involves how a drug affects the body, and pharmacokinetics is
how the body acts on the drug.
Question 2
A physician has ordered intramuscular (IM) injections of morphine, a narcotic,
every 4 hours as needed for pain in a motor vehicle accident victim. The nurse is
,aware this drug has a high abuse potential. Under what category would morphine
be classified?
A) Schedule I
B) Schedule II
C) Schedule III
D) Schedule IV
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Narcotics with a high abuse potential are classified as Schedule
II drugs because of severe dependence liability. Schedule I drugs have high abuse
potential and no accepted medical use. Schedule III drugs have a lesser abuse
potential than Schedule II and an accepted medical use. Schedule IV drugs have
low abuse potential and limited dependence liability.
Question 3
When involved in phase III drug evaluation studies, what responsibilities would
the nurse have?
A) Working with animals who are given experimental drugs
B) Choosing appropriate patients to be involved in the drug study
C) Monitoring and observing patients closely for adverse effects
D) Conducting research to determine effectiveness of the drug
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Phase III studies involve use of a drug in a vast clinical
population in which patients are asked to record any symptoms they experience
while taking the drugs. Nurses may be responsible for helping collect and analyze
the information to be shared with the FDA but would not conduct research
independently because nurses do not prescribe medications. Use of animals in
drug testing is done in preclinical trials. Phase II studies involve patients who have
the disease the drug is intended to treat. Phase I studies involve healthy human
volunteers who are usually paid for their participation.
,Question 4
What concept is considered when generic drugs are substituted for brand name
drugs?
A) Bioavailability
B) Critical concentration
C) Distribution
D) Half-life
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Bioavailability is the portion of a dose of a drug that reaches
the systemic circulation and is available to act on body cells. Binders used in a
generic drug may not be the same as those used in the brand name drug.
Therefore, the way the body breaks down and uses the drug may differ, which
may eliminate a generic drug substitution. Critical concentration is the amount of
a drug needed to cause a therapeutic effect and should not differ between
generic and brand name medications. Distribution is the phase of
pharmacokinetics that involves the movement of a drug to the body's tissues and
is the same in generic and brand name drugs.
Question 5
A nurse is assessing the patient's response to a drug. Which factor would the
nurse identify as affecting the drug's effectiveness?
A) The patient's age
B) The color of the medication
C) The cost of the medication
D) The manufacturer's logo
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Many factors affect drug effectiveness, including age, weight,
gender, genetic factors, and pathophysiological conditions. The patient's age is a
critical factor because pediatric and geriatric patients often require dosage
, adjustments. The color, cost, and manufacturer's logo do not directly affect the
pharmacological effectiveness of a drug.
Question 6
The nurse understands that dosage recommended by drug manufacturers is
based on an individual weighing:
A) 100 lb (45 kg)
B) 150 lb (68 kg)
C) 200 lb (91 kg)
D) 250 lb (113 kg)
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The recommended dosage of a drug is based on drug
evaluation studies and is targeted at a 150-lb (68 kg) person. As a result, clients
who weigh more or less than this may require minor dosage adjustments in some
cases.
Question 7
A client has developed a tolerance to a drug. How should the nurse address this
when providing care?
A) Assess whether the client needs larger doses to achieve the effect
B) Assess the client for allergic reactions
C) Expect the client to experience adverse effects
D) Discontinue the medication immediately
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: With tolerance, increasingly larger doses are needed to achieve
the therapeutic effect. An allergy would be manifested by reactions ranging from
mild, such as a rash, to more severe, such as anaphylaxis. Although a change may
be needed, tolerance typically requires an increase in dosage. To avoid the need
