ATI Pharmacology Proctored exam
2024/2025 questions and
answers(LATEST 2025
/2026UPDATE)
1. A provider prescribes phenobarbital for a client who has a seizure
disorder. The medication has a long half-life of 4 days. How many times per
day should the nurse expect to administer this medication?
A. One
B.Two
C.Three
D. Four: A. One
(Medications with long half-lives remain at their therapeutic levels between doses
for long periods of time. The nurse should expect to administer this medication once
a day.)
2. A staff educator is reviewing medication dosages and factors that
influence medication metabolism with a group of nurses at an in-service
presentation. Which of the following factors should the educator include as
a reason to administer lower medication dosages? (Select all that apply.)
A. Increased renal secretion
B. Increased medication-metabolizing enzymes
C. Liver failure
D. Peripheral vascular disease
E. Concurrent use of medication the same pathway metabolizes: C. Liver failure
E. Concurrent use of medication the same pathway metabolizes
C. Liver failure decreases metabolism and thus increases the concentration of a
medication. This requires decreasing the dosage.
E. When the same pathway metabolizes two medications, they compete for metabo-
,lism, thereby increasing the concentration of one or both medications. This requires
decreasing the dosage of one or both
3. A nurse is preparing to administer eye drops to a client. Which of
the following actions should the nurse take? (Select all that apply.)
A. Have the client lie on her side.
B. Ask the client to look up at the ceiling.
C.Tell the client to blink when the drops enter her eye.
D. Drop the medication into the center of the client's conjunctival sac.
E. Instruct the client to close her eye gently after instillation: B. Ask the client
to look up at the ceiling.
D. Drop the medication into the center of the client's conjunctival sac.
E. Instruct the client to close her eye gently after instillation
(B. The client should look upward to keep the drops from falling onto her cornea.
D. The nurse should drop the medication into the
center of the conjunctival sac to promote distribution.
E. The client should close her eye gently to promote distribution of the medication)
4. A nurse is completing discharge teaching for a client who has a new
pre- scription for transdermal patches. Which of the following statements
should the nurse identify as an indication that the client understands the
instruc- tions?
A. "I will clean the site with an alcohol swab before I apply the patch."
B. "I will rotate the application sites weekly."
C. "I will apply the patch to an area of skin with no hair."
D. "I will place the new patch on the site of the old patch.: C. "I will apply the
patch to an area of skin with no hair."
(The client should apply the patch to a hairless area of skin to promote absorption
of the medication.)
5. A nurse reviewing a client's medical record notes a new prescription
for verifying the trough level of the client's medication. Which of the
following actions should the nurse take?
A. Obtain a blood specimen immediately prior to administering the next dose
of medication.
,B.Verify that the client has been taking the medication for 24 hr before
obtaining a blood specimen.
C. Ask the client to provide a urine specimen after the next dose of medication.
D. Administer the medication,and obtain a blood specimen 30 min late: A.
Obtain a blood specimen immediately prior to administering the next dose of med-
ication.
(To verify trough levels of a medication, the nurse should obtain a blood specimen
immediately before administering the next dose of medication.)
6. A nurse is preparing a client's medications. Which of the following
actions should the nurse take in following legal practice guidelines? (Select
all that apply.)
A. Maintain skill competency.
B. Determine the dosage.
C. Monitor for adverse effects.
D. Safeguard medications.
E. Identify the client's diagnosis: A. Maintain skill competency.
C. Monitor for adverse effects.
D. Safeguard medications.
(A.maintaining sskill scompetency sand susing sappropriate sadministration stechniques
sare slegal sresponsibilities sof sthe snurse
C. sA snurse sis slegally sresponsible sfor smonitoring sfor sside sand sadverse seffects sof
smedication
D. sSafeguarding sof smedications, ssuch sas scontrolled ssubstances, sis sa slegal
sresponsi- sbility sof sthe snurse)
7. A snurse sreviewing sa sclient's shealth srecord snotes sa snew sprescription
sfor sLisinopril s10 smg sPO sonce severy sday.sThe snurse sshould sidentify sthis
sas swhich sof sthe sfollowing stypes sof sprescription?
A. Single
B. Stat
C. Routine
D. Standing: sC. sRoutine
(A sroutine sor sstandard sprescription sidentifies smedications sto sgive son sa sregular
, sschedule swith sor swithout sa stermination sdate sor sa sspecific snumber sof sdoses.sThe
snurse swill sadminister
this smedication severy sday suntil sthe sprovider sdiscontinues sit.)
8. A snurse sis sreviewing sa snew sprescription sfor sOndansetron s4 smg sPO
sPRN sfor snausea sand svomiting sfor sa sclient swho shas sHyperemesis
sGravidarum.sThe snurse sshould sclarify swhich sof sthe sfollowing sparts sof sthe
sprescription swith sthe sprovider?
A. Name
B. Dosage
C. Route
D. Frequency: sD. sFrequency
(This sprescription sdoes snot sinclude sthe stime sor sfrequency sof smedication
sadministra- stion. sThe snurse smust sclarify sthis swith sthe sprescribing sprovide)
9. A snurse sis sadmitting sa sclient sand scompleting sa spreassessment sbefore
sadmin- sistering smedications. sWhich sof sthe sfollowing sdata sshould sthe snurse
sinclude sin sthe spreassessment? s(Select sall sthat sapply.)
A. Use sof sherbal steas
B. Daily sfluid sintake
C. Current shealth sstatus
D. Previous ssurgical shistory
E. Food sallergies: sA. sUse sof sherbal steas
C. sCurrent shealth sstatus
E. sFood sallergies
(A. sThe snurse sshould sinquire sabout sthe sclient's suse sof sherbal sproducts, swhich
soften scontain scaffeine, sprior sto smedication sadministration sbecause scaffeine scan
saffect smedication sbiotransformation
C.sThe snurse sshould sreview sthe sclient's scurrent shealth sstatus sbecause snew
sprescrip- stions scan scause salterations sin scurrent shealth sstatus
E.sThe snurse sshould sinquire sabout sfood sallergies sduring sthe spreassessment sto
sidentify sany spotential sreactions sor sinteractions)
10. A snurse sorienting sa snewly slicensed snurse sis sreviewing sthe
sprocedure sfor staking sa stelephone sprescription.sWhich sof sthe sfollowing
sstatements sshould sthe snurse sidentify sas san sindication sthat sthe snewly
2024/2025 questions and
answers(LATEST 2025
/2026UPDATE)
1. A provider prescribes phenobarbital for a client who has a seizure
disorder. The medication has a long half-life of 4 days. How many times per
day should the nurse expect to administer this medication?
A. One
B.Two
C.Three
D. Four: A. One
(Medications with long half-lives remain at their therapeutic levels between doses
for long periods of time. The nurse should expect to administer this medication once
a day.)
2. A staff educator is reviewing medication dosages and factors that
influence medication metabolism with a group of nurses at an in-service
presentation. Which of the following factors should the educator include as
a reason to administer lower medication dosages? (Select all that apply.)
A. Increased renal secretion
B. Increased medication-metabolizing enzymes
C. Liver failure
D. Peripheral vascular disease
E. Concurrent use of medication the same pathway metabolizes: C. Liver failure
E. Concurrent use of medication the same pathway metabolizes
C. Liver failure decreases metabolism and thus increases the concentration of a
medication. This requires decreasing the dosage.
E. When the same pathway metabolizes two medications, they compete for metabo-
,lism, thereby increasing the concentration of one or both medications. This requires
decreasing the dosage of one or both
3. A nurse is preparing to administer eye drops to a client. Which of
the following actions should the nurse take? (Select all that apply.)
A. Have the client lie on her side.
B. Ask the client to look up at the ceiling.
C.Tell the client to blink when the drops enter her eye.
D. Drop the medication into the center of the client's conjunctival sac.
E. Instruct the client to close her eye gently after instillation: B. Ask the client
to look up at the ceiling.
D. Drop the medication into the center of the client's conjunctival sac.
E. Instruct the client to close her eye gently after instillation
(B. The client should look upward to keep the drops from falling onto her cornea.
D. The nurse should drop the medication into the
center of the conjunctival sac to promote distribution.
E. The client should close her eye gently to promote distribution of the medication)
4. A nurse is completing discharge teaching for a client who has a new
pre- scription for transdermal patches. Which of the following statements
should the nurse identify as an indication that the client understands the
instruc- tions?
A. "I will clean the site with an alcohol swab before I apply the patch."
B. "I will rotate the application sites weekly."
C. "I will apply the patch to an area of skin with no hair."
D. "I will place the new patch on the site of the old patch.: C. "I will apply the
patch to an area of skin with no hair."
(The client should apply the patch to a hairless area of skin to promote absorption
of the medication.)
5. A nurse reviewing a client's medical record notes a new prescription
for verifying the trough level of the client's medication. Which of the
following actions should the nurse take?
A. Obtain a blood specimen immediately prior to administering the next dose
of medication.
,B.Verify that the client has been taking the medication for 24 hr before
obtaining a blood specimen.
C. Ask the client to provide a urine specimen after the next dose of medication.
D. Administer the medication,and obtain a blood specimen 30 min late: A.
Obtain a blood specimen immediately prior to administering the next dose of med-
ication.
(To verify trough levels of a medication, the nurse should obtain a blood specimen
immediately before administering the next dose of medication.)
6. A nurse is preparing a client's medications. Which of the following
actions should the nurse take in following legal practice guidelines? (Select
all that apply.)
A. Maintain skill competency.
B. Determine the dosage.
C. Monitor for adverse effects.
D. Safeguard medications.
E. Identify the client's diagnosis: A. Maintain skill competency.
C. Monitor for adverse effects.
D. Safeguard medications.
(A.maintaining sskill scompetency sand susing sappropriate sadministration stechniques
sare slegal sresponsibilities sof sthe snurse
C. sA snurse sis slegally sresponsible sfor smonitoring sfor sside sand sadverse seffects sof
smedication
D. sSafeguarding sof smedications, ssuch sas scontrolled ssubstances, sis sa slegal
sresponsi- sbility sof sthe snurse)
7. A snurse sreviewing sa sclient's shealth srecord snotes sa snew sprescription
sfor sLisinopril s10 smg sPO sonce severy sday.sThe snurse sshould sidentify sthis
sas swhich sof sthe sfollowing stypes sof sprescription?
A. Single
B. Stat
C. Routine
D. Standing: sC. sRoutine
(A sroutine sor sstandard sprescription sidentifies smedications sto sgive son sa sregular
, sschedule swith sor swithout sa stermination sdate sor sa sspecific snumber sof sdoses.sThe
snurse swill sadminister
this smedication severy sday suntil sthe sprovider sdiscontinues sit.)
8. A snurse sis sreviewing sa snew sprescription sfor sOndansetron s4 smg sPO
sPRN sfor snausea sand svomiting sfor sa sclient swho shas sHyperemesis
sGravidarum.sThe snurse sshould sclarify swhich sof sthe sfollowing sparts sof sthe
sprescription swith sthe sprovider?
A. Name
B. Dosage
C. Route
D. Frequency: sD. sFrequency
(This sprescription sdoes snot sinclude sthe stime sor sfrequency sof smedication
sadministra- stion. sThe snurse smust sclarify sthis swith sthe sprescribing sprovide)
9. A snurse sis sadmitting sa sclient sand scompleting sa spreassessment sbefore
sadmin- sistering smedications. sWhich sof sthe sfollowing sdata sshould sthe snurse
sinclude sin sthe spreassessment? s(Select sall sthat sapply.)
A. Use sof sherbal steas
B. Daily sfluid sintake
C. Current shealth sstatus
D. Previous ssurgical shistory
E. Food sallergies: sA. sUse sof sherbal steas
C. sCurrent shealth sstatus
E. sFood sallergies
(A. sThe snurse sshould sinquire sabout sthe sclient's suse sof sherbal sproducts, swhich
soften scontain scaffeine, sprior sto smedication sadministration sbecause scaffeine scan
saffect smedication sbiotransformation
C.sThe snurse sshould sreview sthe sclient's scurrent shealth sstatus sbecause snew
sprescrip- stions scan scause salterations sin scurrent shealth sstatus
E.sThe snurse sshould sinquire sabout sfood sallergies sduring sthe spreassessment sto
sidentify sany spotential sreactions sor sinteractions)
10. A snurse sorienting sa snewly slicensed snurse sis sreviewing sthe
sprocedure sfor staking sa stelephone sprescription.sWhich sof sthe sfollowing
sstatements sshould sthe snurse sidentify sas san sindication sthat sthe snewly
