Rush - Advanced Pharmacology - NSG 531 - Exam 1 2025/2026
ACTUAL COMPLETE REAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED
ANSWERS (CORRECT DETAILED & ELABORATED) ALREADY
GRADED A+ /2025 NEWEST VERSION!!
What do we need to know when the two sides of the
reaction are equal? -
ANSWER-the drug will see the pH as
neutral
no net gain or loss of
hydrogen ion
we need to know the
drug's pKa
Say you have a drug where pKa = 6 and the pH of the
environment is 7.4. What
will happen? - ANSWER-The drug will see the environment as
basic so it will
favor it to the right giving up its'
hydrogen ion
what does ALAN stand for? - ANSWER-Acidic environment
moves reaction to
,Left and makes
Acid
Nonionized
(base is opposite or
ionized)
HA --><-- H+ +
A- pH of 3
pKa of 7
which way is this reaction favored? -
ANSWER-pH<pKa environment is acidic
moves reaction to the left
makes the acid nonionized
What does BRAIN stand for? - ANSWER-Basic environment
moves reaction to
Right and
makes
Acid
Ionized and the
base
Nonionized
BH+ --><-- B + H+
pH of 7
,pKa of 5
which way is this reaction favored? - ANSWER-
pKa<pH Basic environment
favors reaction to the right
makes the base nonionized
Say we have Dilantin -
weak acid
pKa =
8.3
the pH in the GI tract varies from 1 - 8
How will the reaction be favored throughout the GI tract? -
ANSWER-We know that all across the GI tract the pH<pKa
acidic environment
Use ALAN
Favored to the left throughout
However when you are in the stomach (more acidic) it will be
favored strongly to the left
compared to distally in the GI tract (closer to pH of 8) it will only
sightly be favored to the left
may be 90% nonionized form and 10% ionized form in the
stomach compared to 55% nonionized form and 45% ionized
form in the distal reaches of the gut
, What happens as you have a bigger discrepancy in pH and
pKa, what will
happen? - ANSWER-there will be a bigger difference in
the ionized and
nonionized sides of the
reaction
When is it to our advantage to make drugs less absorbed?
Shifting the fraction of drug from a lipid soluble dominance to a
water soluble dominance? - ANSWER-If someone overdoses!
We want to change the reaction and cause the drug to be more
water soluble so that the kidneys will excrete the drug instead
of reabsorbing it back into the blood
making a drug more water soluble enhances this process
we alter the pH of the blood to alter the pH of the filtrate to favor
the dominance of water solubility
if they OD on an acidic drug we give them a base if they OD on
a basic drug we give them an acid
what rate of IV infusion is needed to maintain a drug plasma
level of 75 ug/mL
in a 70 kg male if the systemic clearance of the drug is 15
mL/minute? -
ANSWER-75 ug/mL x 15
mL/minute
ACTUAL COMPLETE REAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED
ANSWERS (CORRECT DETAILED & ELABORATED) ALREADY
GRADED A+ /2025 NEWEST VERSION!!
What do we need to know when the two sides of the
reaction are equal? -
ANSWER-the drug will see the pH as
neutral
no net gain or loss of
hydrogen ion
we need to know the
drug's pKa
Say you have a drug where pKa = 6 and the pH of the
environment is 7.4. What
will happen? - ANSWER-The drug will see the environment as
basic so it will
favor it to the right giving up its'
hydrogen ion
what does ALAN stand for? - ANSWER-Acidic environment
moves reaction to
,Left and makes
Acid
Nonionized
(base is opposite or
ionized)
HA --><-- H+ +
A- pH of 3
pKa of 7
which way is this reaction favored? -
ANSWER-pH<pKa environment is acidic
moves reaction to the left
makes the acid nonionized
What does BRAIN stand for? - ANSWER-Basic environment
moves reaction to
Right and
makes
Acid
Ionized and the
base
Nonionized
BH+ --><-- B + H+
pH of 7
,pKa of 5
which way is this reaction favored? - ANSWER-
pKa<pH Basic environment
favors reaction to the right
makes the base nonionized
Say we have Dilantin -
weak acid
pKa =
8.3
the pH in the GI tract varies from 1 - 8
How will the reaction be favored throughout the GI tract? -
ANSWER-We know that all across the GI tract the pH<pKa
acidic environment
Use ALAN
Favored to the left throughout
However when you are in the stomach (more acidic) it will be
favored strongly to the left
compared to distally in the GI tract (closer to pH of 8) it will only
sightly be favored to the left
may be 90% nonionized form and 10% ionized form in the
stomach compared to 55% nonionized form and 45% ionized
form in the distal reaches of the gut
, What happens as you have a bigger discrepancy in pH and
pKa, what will
happen? - ANSWER-there will be a bigger difference in
the ionized and
nonionized sides of the
reaction
When is it to our advantage to make drugs less absorbed?
Shifting the fraction of drug from a lipid soluble dominance to a
water soluble dominance? - ANSWER-If someone overdoses!
We want to change the reaction and cause the drug to be more
water soluble so that the kidneys will excrete the drug instead
of reabsorbing it back into the blood
making a drug more water soluble enhances this process
we alter the pH of the blood to alter the pH of the filtrate to favor
the dominance of water solubility
if they OD on an acidic drug we give them a base if they OD on
a basic drug we give them an acid
what rate of IV infusion is needed to maintain a drug plasma
level of 75 ug/mL
in a 70 kg male if the systemic clearance of the drug is 15
mL/minute? -
ANSWER-75 ug/mL x 15
mL/minute
