COX COLLEGE PHARMACOLOGY
EXAM 3 PASSED ACTUAL Exam
Questions and CORRECT Answers
What are the commonly used first line drugs used to treat anxiety? - CORRECT ANSWER-
✔✔Benzodiazepines
What are some common benzodiazepines? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔Alprazolam (Xanax)
Lorazepam (Ativan)
What are the most common risks associated with benzodiazepines? - CORRECT ANSWER-
✔✔In older adults these can cause a fall risk.
What is a common drug used to treat anxiety that is not a benzodiazepine? - CORRECT
ANSWER- ✔✔Buspirone (BuSpar)
How is buspirone different from benzodiazepines? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔Not a CNS
depressant, not habit forming, and does not work as PRN
What are some antidepressants that are also used to treat anxiety? - CORRECT ANSWER-
✔✔•venlafaxine (Effexor XR)
•duloxetine (Cymbalta)
•paroxetine (Paxil)
escitalopram (Lexapro)
What are the three main classes of drugs used to treat bipolar disorder? - CORRECT
ANSWER- ✔✔Mood stabilizers, Atypical antipsychotics, and Antidepressants
What are some examples of common mood stabilizers used to treat bipolar disorder? -
CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔Lithium and antiepileptics
What is the range for lithium? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔0.6-1.2
,What are the potential side effects/risks with lithium and toxicity? - CORRECT ANSWER-
✔✔NSAIDS can raise lithium levels, considered to be the old standard, sodium levels must
be monitored closely, and toxicity can cause: cardiac dysrhythmia, tremor, confusion,
seizures, GI pain
What are commonly used antiepileptics used to treat bipolar disorder? - CORRECT
ANSWER- ✔✔•oxcarbazepine (Trileptal)
•lamotrigine (Lamictal)
•topiramate (Topamax)
•valproic acid (Depakote)
Which antiepileptic is most commonly used to treat bipolar disorder? - CORRECT
ANSWER- ✔✔Valproic Acid (Depakote)
What are the potential side effects of valproic acid? - CORRECT ANSWER-
✔✔Hepatotoxicity, thrombocytopenia, and pancreatitis
How are antidepressants used to treat bipolar disorder? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔In
combination with mood stabilizers
What are the commonly used atypical antipsychotics? - CORRECT ANSWER-
✔✔•aripiprazole (Abilify)
•brexpiprazole (Rexulti)
•cariprazine (Vraylar)
•lurasidone (Latuda)
What are omega-3 fatty acids? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔•An old (1999) study suggested
usefulness of omega-3 fatty acids in treating BPD.
•Newer information less convincing
•May be used as a supplement, but never as monotherapy.
, What types of drugs are typically used to treat depression? - CORRECT ANSWER-
✔✔•Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs)
•Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs)
•Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
•Serotonin AND Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs)
•Atypical antidepressants
How long does it take for antidepressants to take effect? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔4-6
weeks
What is the black box warning for antidepressants? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔Increased
risk of suicide
What are tricyclic antidepressants? What are they most commonly used to treat and what are
their potential side effects? Examples? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔•Available for years, but
less commonly prescribed today due to adverse and toxic effects.
•Now more commonly prescribed for neuropathic pain.
•Adverse effects
•Orthostatic hypotension
•Tachycardia
•Dysrhythmias
•Weight gain
•Impotence
•Sedation
•Toxic effects
•Life-threatening dysrhythmias
•Seizures
•Orthostatic hypotension
•No specific antidote available
•Sample TCAs
•amitriptyline
•nortriptyline (Pamelor)
EXAM 3 PASSED ACTUAL Exam
Questions and CORRECT Answers
What are the commonly used first line drugs used to treat anxiety? - CORRECT ANSWER-
✔✔Benzodiazepines
What are some common benzodiazepines? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔Alprazolam (Xanax)
Lorazepam (Ativan)
What are the most common risks associated with benzodiazepines? - CORRECT ANSWER-
✔✔In older adults these can cause a fall risk.
What is a common drug used to treat anxiety that is not a benzodiazepine? - CORRECT
ANSWER- ✔✔Buspirone (BuSpar)
How is buspirone different from benzodiazepines? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔Not a CNS
depressant, not habit forming, and does not work as PRN
What are some antidepressants that are also used to treat anxiety? - CORRECT ANSWER-
✔✔•venlafaxine (Effexor XR)
•duloxetine (Cymbalta)
•paroxetine (Paxil)
escitalopram (Lexapro)
What are the three main classes of drugs used to treat bipolar disorder? - CORRECT
ANSWER- ✔✔Mood stabilizers, Atypical antipsychotics, and Antidepressants
What are some examples of common mood stabilizers used to treat bipolar disorder? -
CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔Lithium and antiepileptics
What is the range for lithium? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔0.6-1.2
,What are the potential side effects/risks with lithium and toxicity? - CORRECT ANSWER-
✔✔NSAIDS can raise lithium levels, considered to be the old standard, sodium levels must
be monitored closely, and toxicity can cause: cardiac dysrhythmia, tremor, confusion,
seizures, GI pain
What are commonly used antiepileptics used to treat bipolar disorder? - CORRECT
ANSWER- ✔✔•oxcarbazepine (Trileptal)
•lamotrigine (Lamictal)
•topiramate (Topamax)
•valproic acid (Depakote)
Which antiepileptic is most commonly used to treat bipolar disorder? - CORRECT
ANSWER- ✔✔Valproic Acid (Depakote)
What are the potential side effects of valproic acid? - CORRECT ANSWER-
✔✔Hepatotoxicity, thrombocytopenia, and pancreatitis
How are antidepressants used to treat bipolar disorder? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔In
combination with mood stabilizers
What are the commonly used atypical antipsychotics? - CORRECT ANSWER-
✔✔•aripiprazole (Abilify)
•brexpiprazole (Rexulti)
•cariprazine (Vraylar)
•lurasidone (Latuda)
What are omega-3 fatty acids? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔•An old (1999) study suggested
usefulness of omega-3 fatty acids in treating BPD.
•Newer information less convincing
•May be used as a supplement, but never as monotherapy.
, What types of drugs are typically used to treat depression? - CORRECT ANSWER-
✔✔•Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs)
•Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs)
•Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
•Serotonin AND Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs)
•Atypical antidepressants
How long does it take for antidepressants to take effect? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔4-6
weeks
What is the black box warning for antidepressants? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔Increased
risk of suicide
What are tricyclic antidepressants? What are they most commonly used to treat and what are
their potential side effects? Examples? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔•Available for years, but
less commonly prescribed today due to adverse and toxic effects.
•Now more commonly prescribed for neuropathic pain.
•Adverse effects
•Orthostatic hypotension
•Tachycardia
•Dysrhythmias
•Weight gain
•Impotence
•Sedation
•Toxic effects
•Life-threatening dysrhythmias
•Seizures
•Orthostatic hypotension
•No specific antidote available
•Sample TCAs
•amitriptyline
•nortriptyline (Pamelor)
