Advanced Pharmacology Exam 1 2025
Questions and Answers
Once you graduate from an NP program, in order to prescribe you'll need: - ANSWER✔✔--
Advanced nurse prescriber license
-DEA #
What is the purpose of a DEA #? - ANSWER✔✔-Needed to prescribed scheduled drugs
Rules for prescribing Schedule II drugs: - ANSWER✔✔--Written script needed
-1 month supply only
-No refills
What is the PDMP? - ANSWER✔✔-Prescription Drug Monitoring Program
Used to effectively track patient's controlled substance uses across different health facilities (in the
same state)
What are clinical practice guidelines? - ANSWER✔✔-Recommendations that are intended to
optimize patient care that are informed by a systematic review of the evidence and an assessment of
the benefits/harms of alternative care practices
FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY COPYRIGHT © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,Ex: sepsis, CAP
Common causes of medication errors: - ANSWER✔✔--Illegible writing
-Drug names that sound alike
-Medications that look alike
-Administering a drug with the wrong route
What is pharmacokinetics? What are its 4 categories? - ANSWER✔✔-What the body does to the
drug
1. Absorption
2. Metabolism
3. Distribution
4. Excretion
Quickest route of absorption? Slowest? - ANSWER✔✔-IV = quickest
IM = slowest
What is the most common way drugs pass through cell membranes? - ANSWER✔✔-Passive
diffusion
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,What characteristics of a drug allow it to pass most quickly through cell membranes (usually through
passive diffusion)? - ANSWER✔✔-Small, uncharged (unionized), lipid soluble--pass through
membrane without any energy
What does it mean when a drug is ionized? - ANSWER✔✔-It means that the drug is stuck in the
compartment it was ionized in and has to be moved to the next compartment (cannot be absorbed
into the bloodstream)
Where do weak acids absorb? - ANSWER✔✔-Stomach
Where do weak bases absorb? - ANSWER✔✔-Small intestine
pH of stomach: - ANSWER✔✔-2-4
pH of small intestine: - ANSWER✔✔-6-7
pH of large intestine: - ANSWER✔✔-6-7
pH of bloodstream: - ANSWER✔✔-7.35-7.45
pH of bladder: - ANSWER✔✔-5-8
pH of breastmilk: - ANSWER✔✔-7.1
Where will a drug absorb if it is a weak base that ionizes at a pH of 4 and lower? - ANSWER✔✔-In
the small intestine (since the stomach has a pH of 2-4, so the drug will become ionized and move to
the small intestine where it will be able to absorb into the bloodstream)
FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY COPYRIGHT © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
, How can we manipulate the urine pH in cases of overdose? - ANSWER✔✔-Drugs that are weak
acids (aspirin) can be trapped and excreted through the urine.
We raise pH of the urine (with sodium bicarb) to force the drug to ionize and allow it to be excreted,
not reabsorbed through the bloodstream.
What is distribution? - ANSWER✔✔-How a drug will be transported to the tissues it needs to go to
in order for it to exert its effects
Drug factors related to distribution: - ANSWER✔✔--Lipid solubility
-Molecular size
-Degree of ionization
-Duration of action
-Cellular binding
-Therapeutic effects
-Toxic effects
(lipid soluble, small, and non-ionized drugs will distribute more quickly)
Body factors related to distribution: - ANSWER✔✔--Vascularity (poor perfusion, disruption of
blood flow due to trauma--difficulty distributing)
FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY COPYRIGHT © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4
Questions and Answers
Once you graduate from an NP program, in order to prescribe you'll need: - ANSWER✔✔--
Advanced nurse prescriber license
-DEA #
What is the purpose of a DEA #? - ANSWER✔✔-Needed to prescribed scheduled drugs
Rules for prescribing Schedule II drugs: - ANSWER✔✔--Written script needed
-1 month supply only
-No refills
What is the PDMP? - ANSWER✔✔-Prescription Drug Monitoring Program
Used to effectively track patient's controlled substance uses across different health facilities (in the
same state)
What are clinical practice guidelines? - ANSWER✔✔-Recommendations that are intended to
optimize patient care that are informed by a systematic review of the evidence and an assessment of
the benefits/harms of alternative care practices
FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY COPYRIGHT © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,Ex: sepsis, CAP
Common causes of medication errors: - ANSWER✔✔--Illegible writing
-Drug names that sound alike
-Medications that look alike
-Administering a drug with the wrong route
What is pharmacokinetics? What are its 4 categories? - ANSWER✔✔-What the body does to the
drug
1. Absorption
2. Metabolism
3. Distribution
4. Excretion
Quickest route of absorption? Slowest? - ANSWER✔✔-IV = quickest
IM = slowest
What is the most common way drugs pass through cell membranes? - ANSWER✔✔-Passive
diffusion
FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY COPYRIGHT © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
,What characteristics of a drug allow it to pass most quickly through cell membranes (usually through
passive diffusion)? - ANSWER✔✔-Small, uncharged (unionized), lipid soluble--pass through
membrane without any energy
What does it mean when a drug is ionized? - ANSWER✔✔-It means that the drug is stuck in the
compartment it was ionized in and has to be moved to the next compartment (cannot be absorbed
into the bloodstream)
Where do weak acids absorb? - ANSWER✔✔-Stomach
Where do weak bases absorb? - ANSWER✔✔-Small intestine
pH of stomach: - ANSWER✔✔-2-4
pH of small intestine: - ANSWER✔✔-6-7
pH of large intestine: - ANSWER✔✔-6-7
pH of bloodstream: - ANSWER✔✔-7.35-7.45
pH of bladder: - ANSWER✔✔-5-8
pH of breastmilk: - ANSWER✔✔-7.1
Where will a drug absorb if it is a weak base that ionizes at a pH of 4 and lower? - ANSWER✔✔-In
the small intestine (since the stomach has a pH of 2-4, so the drug will become ionized and move to
the small intestine where it will be able to absorb into the bloodstream)
FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY COPYRIGHT © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
, How can we manipulate the urine pH in cases of overdose? - ANSWER✔✔-Drugs that are weak
acids (aspirin) can be trapped and excreted through the urine.
We raise pH of the urine (with sodium bicarb) to force the drug to ionize and allow it to be excreted,
not reabsorbed through the bloodstream.
What is distribution? - ANSWER✔✔-How a drug will be transported to the tissues it needs to go to
in order for it to exert its effects
Drug factors related to distribution: - ANSWER✔✔--Lipid solubility
-Molecular size
-Degree of ionization
-Duration of action
-Cellular binding
-Therapeutic effects
-Toxic effects
(lipid soluble, small, and non-ionized drugs will distribute more quickly)
Body factors related to distribution: - ANSWER✔✔--Vascularity (poor perfusion, disruption of
blood flow due to trauma--difficulty distributing)
FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY COPYRIGHT © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4
