Pharmacology Test Bank
A 10-year old boy is sent to a pediatric neurologist for an evaluation due to poor performance and
inability to pay attention in school. He has also been fighting with other children. He is given a diagnosis
of ADHD with impulsivity and irratibility. Which is the most appropriate for management of the ADHD? -
ANSWER-dextroamphetamine
A 10-year-old boy with ADHD has symptoms that are controlled with an oral psychostimulant. However,
he and his family wish to avoid having to give a second dose of medication at school. They prefer an
alternative treatment that can be administered in the morning and last the entire day. Which treatment
option is best? - ANSWER-methylphenidate in a transdermal delivery system
A 12-year old girl has tonic-clonic seizures and is taking phenytoin. What is the mechanism of action of
this drug? - ANSWER-inactivation of voltage-gated sodium channels
A 20-year old man is admitted to the emergency room after an accidental overdose of alprazolam, a
benzodiazepine. Which of the following treatment could reverse the effect of the alprazolam overdose?
- ANSWER-flumazenil
A 23-year old male college student is taking amphetamine on a regular basis to stay alert while studying.
The mechanism of action of amphetamine that causes this effect is: - ANSWER-due to the release of
norepinephrine from central adrenergic neurons
A 23-year old man has deliberately ingested an organophosphate insecticide. His initial symptoms of
salivation, lacrimation, and diarrhea are a consequence of - ANSWER-inhibition of acetylcholinesterase
A 23-year old man is accosted by 3 men late at night. Immediately his heart rate increases due to an
increase in epinephrine in his circulation. The release of epinephrine from the adrenal medulla is the
result of the action of acetylcholine on - ANSWER-nicotine receptors
A 28-year-old woman is brought to the emergency department after overdosing on oxycodone, an
opiate analgesic. She is unconscious and barely breathing when she arrives at the hospital, but revives
and is breathing normally within 2 minutes after receiving an injection of naloxone. After about an hour,
she requires another dose of naloxone as the symptoms of opiate overdose begin to redevelop.
Naloxone is likely acting as a - ANSWER-competitive antagonist of opioid receptors
A 32-year old women is treated for schizophrenia with clozapine. Her physician insists on regular
monitoring of - ANSWER-complete blood count (CBC)
A 32-year old women with the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma is scheduled for surgery to remove her
adrenal tumor. The best drug to control her episodes of high blood pressure prior to her surgery would
be - ANSWER-a nonselective a adrenergic antagonist such as phenoxybenzamine
A 33-year old man is taking valproic acid for tonic-clonic seizures. Lamotrigine is added to improve
seizure control. The plasma concentration of lamotrigine may be increased because valproate inhibits -
ANSWER-glucuronidation
A 35-year old woman is anesthetized with desflurane for outpatient surgery. The induction with
desflurane is rapid because desflurane is not very soluble in fat and because desflurane - ANSWER-has a
low blood:gas partitiion coefficient
, Pharmacology Test Bank
A 35-year old women complains of not being able to sleep for the past week. She is prescribed zolpidem
to be taken at bedtime. What is the mechanism of action of zolpidem? - ANSWER-a nonbenzodiazepine,
GABA agonist
A 40-year old man presents to his family physician with drooping eyelids, difficulty chewing and
swallowing, and muscle fatigue even on mild exertion. Which agent could be used to diagnose
myasthenia gravis in this patient? - ANSWER-edrophonium
A 65-year old men with the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is being treated with donepezil. This drug
acts by - ANSWER-inhibiting acetylcholinesterase
A 72-year old patient is seeking treatment for chronic open-angle glaucoma, what drug would you
recommend? - ANSWER-timolol
A 75-year old man with OCD is treated with risperidone. After 3 weeks of therapy, he develops
bradykinesia, loss of facial expressions, and reduced arm movements when walking. These symptoms
are due to - ANSWER-D2 receptor antagonism
A child is experiencing absence seizures that interrupt his ability to pay attention during school and
activities. Which therapy is most appropriate for this patient? - ANSWER-ethosuximide
A drug has a pKa of 7.8. Will the drug favor the protonated or deprotonated form in the stomach? -
ANSWER-protonated
A drug with a half-life of 2 hours is administered by continuous intravenous infusion. How long will it
take for the drug to reach 50% of its steady state concentration? - ANSWER-2 hours
A drug, given as a 150 mg single dose, results in a peak plasma concentration of 10 ug/mL. The apparent
volume of distribution is (rapid distribution and negligible elimination prior to measuring the peak
plasma level): - ANSWER-15 L
A majority of treatments for MS target - ANSWER-the immune system
A patent with mild depression was being treated with an MAOI, but his physician is now switching the
antidepressant therapy to fluoxetine. How should these medications be switched out? - ANSWER-The
patient should wait 2 weeks after he stops taking the MAOI before beginning the SSRI
A patient being treated for schizophrenia develops tardive dyskinesia. Which of the following agents is
most likely to improve this adverse effect? - ANSWER-valbenzine
A patient enters the emergency room with bradycardia and hypotension. He reports eating Amanita
muscaria mushrooms, a species known to contain muscarine. What is the best drug to use as an
antidote? - ANSWER-atropine
A patient is experiencing seizures that result in a loss of consciousness followed by continuous
contraction and rapid contraction/relaxation phases - ANSWER-tonic-clonic
A patient need short-term relief for acute asthma symptoms, which drug should be prescribed? -
ANSWER-albuterol
A 10-year old boy is sent to a pediatric neurologist for an evaluation due to poor performance and
inability to pay attention in school. He has also been fighting with other children. He is given a diagnosis
of ADHD with impulsivity and irratibility. Which is the most appropriate for management of the ADHD? -
ANSWER-dextroamphetamine
A 10-year-old boy with ADHD has symptoms that are controlled with an oral psychostimulant. However,
he and his family wish to avoid having to give a second dose of medication at school. They prefer an
alternative treatment that can be administered in the morning and last the entire day. Which treatment
option is best? - ANSWER-methylphenidate in a transdermal delivery system
A 12-year old girl has tonic-clonic seizures and is taking phenytoin. What is the mechanism of action of
this drug? - ANSWER-inactivation of voltage-gated sodium channels
A 20-year old man is admitted to the emergency room after an accidental overdose of alprazolam, a
benzodiazepine. Which of the following treatment could reverse the effect of the alprazolam overdose?
- ANSWER-flumazenil
A 23-year old male college student is taking amphetamine on a regular basis to stay alert while studying.
The mechanism of action of amphetamine that causes this effect is: - ANSWER-due to the release of
norepinephrine from central adrenergic neurons
A 23-year old man has deliberately ingested an organophosphate insecticide. His initial symptoms of
salivation, lacrimation, and diarrhea are a consequence of - ANSWER-inhibition of acetylcholinesterase
A 23-year old man is accosted by 3 men late at night. Immediately his heart rate increases due to an
increase in epinephrine in his circulation. The release of epinephrine from the adrenal medulla is the
result of the action of acetylcholine on - ANSWER-nicotine receptors
A 28-year-old woman is brought to the emergency department after overdosing on oxycodone, an
opiate analgesic. She is unconscious and barely breathing when she arrives at the hospital, but revives
and is breathing normally within 2 minutes after receiving an injection of naloxone. After about an hour,
she requires another dose of naloxone as the symptoms of opiate overdose begin to redevelop.
Naloxone is likely acting as a - ANSWER-competitive antagonist of opioid receptors
A 32-year old women is treated for schizophrenia with clozapine. Her physician insists on regular
monitoring of - ANSWER-complete blood count (CBC)
A 32-year old women with the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma is scheduled for surgery to remove her
adrenal tumor. The best drug to control her episodes of high blood pressure prior to her surgery would
be - ANSWER-a nonselective a adrenergic antagonist such as phenoxybenzamine
A 33-year old man is taking valproic acid for tonic-clonic seizures. Lamotrigine is added to improve
seizure control. The plasma concentration of lamotrigine may be increased because valproate inhibits -
ANSWER-glucuronidation
A 35-year old woman is anesthetized with desflurane for outpatient surgery. The induction with
desflurane is rapid because desflurane is not very soluble in fat and because desflurane - ANSWER-has a
low blood:gas partitiion coefficient
, Pharmacology Test Bank
A 35-year old women complains of not being able to sleep for the past week. She is prescribed zolpidem
to be taken at bedtime. What is the mechanism of action of zolpidem? - ANSWER-a nonbenzodiazepine,
GABA agonist
A 40-year old man presents to his family physician with drooping eyelids, difficulty chewing and
swallowing, and muscle fatigue even on mild exertion. Which agent could be used to diagnose
myasthenia gravis in this patient? - ANSWER-edrophonium
A 65-year old men with the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is being treated with donepezil. This drug
acts by - ANSWER-inhibiting acetylcholinesterase
A 72-year old patient is seeking treatment for chronic open-angle glaucoma, what drug would you
recommend? - ANSWER-timolol
A 75-year old man with OCD is treated with risperidone. After 3 weeks of therapy, he develops
bradykinesia, loss of facial expressions, and reduced arm movements when walking. These symptoms
are due to - ANSWER-D2 receptor antagonism
A child is experiencing absence seizures that interrupt his ability to pay attention during school and
activities. Which therapy is most appropriate for this patient? - ANSWER-ethosuximide
A drug has a pKa of 7.8. Will the drug favor the protonated or deprotonated form in the stomach? -
ANSWER-protonated
A drug with a half-life of 2 hours is administered by continuous intravenous infusion. How long will it
take for the drug to reach 50% of its steady state concentration? - ANSWER-2 hours
A drug, given as a 150 mg single dose, results in a peak plasma concentration of 10 ug/mL. The apparent
volume of distribution is (rapid distribution and negligible elimination prior to measuring the peak
plasma level): - ANSWER-15 L
A majority of treatments for MS target - ANSWER-the immune system
A patent with mild depression was being treated with an MAOI, but his physician is now switching the
antidepressant therapy to fluoxetine. How should these medications be switched out? - ANSWER-The
patient should wait 2 weeks after he stops taking the MAOI before beginning the SSRI
A patient being treated for schizophrenia develops tardive dyskinesia. Which of the following agents is
most likely to improve this adverse effect? - ANSWER-valbenzine
A patient enters the emergency room with bradycardia and hypotension. He reports eating Amanita
muscaria mushrooms, a species known to contain muscarine. What is the best drug to use as an
antidote? - ANSWER-atropine
A patient is experiencing seizures that result in a loss of consciousness followed by continuous
contraction and rapid contraction/relaxation phases - ANSWER-tonic-clonic
A patient need short-term relief for acute asthma symptoms, which drug should be prescribed? -
ANSWER-albuterol
