Understanding Pharmacology
for Medication Safety —
Essential Concepts Review
Section 1: Core Principles & Pharmacokinetics (Q1-25)
Q1: What is the definition of pharmacology?
A: The study of how drugs are administered and distributed.
B: The study of the biochemical and physiological effects of drugs and their mechanisms of
action.
C: The practice of compounding and dispensing medications.
D: The study of poisonous substances and their treatments.
Q2: The process by which a drug enters the bloodstream from its site of administration is
called:
A: Metabolism
B: Excretion
C: Absorption
D: Distribution
Q3: Which route of administration bypasses first-pass metabolism?
A: Oral
B: Sublingual
C: Enteral
D: All routes undergo first-pass metabolism.
Q4: The primary organ responsible for drug metabolism is the:
A: Kidneys
B: Lungs
C: Liver
D: Stomach
Q5: What does the term "half-life" (t½) of a drug refer to?
A: The time it takes for a drug to become fully effective.
,B: The time required for the plasma concentration of a drug to be reduced by 50%.
C: The duration of a drug's therapeutic action.
D: The time it takes to absorb half of the administered dose.
Q6: Which phase of pharmacokinetics involves the transport of a drug to its site of action?
A: Absorption
B: Distribution
C: Metabolism
D: Excretion
Q7: The primary route of excretion for most drugs and their metabolites is:
A: Bile and feces
B: Lungs (exhalation)
C: Sweat and saliva
D: Renal (kidneys)
Q8: What is a "prodrug"?
A: A drug that is inherently inactive and must be metabolized to become active.
B: A drug that is toxic to the body.
C: The first version of a drug ever developed.
D: A drug that is only used in pediatric populations.
Q9: Which factor is MOST likely to affect drug absorption from an intramuscular (IM) injection
site?
A: Stomach pH
B: Hepatic enzyme activity
C: Blood flow to the muscle
D: Kidney function
Q10: The "First-Pass Effect" primarily occurs with drugs administered via which route?
A: Intravenous (IV)
B: Rectal
C: Transdermal
D: Oral (PO)
Q11: The volume of distribution (Vd) is a theoretical concept that relates:
A: Dose to the concentration of drug in the blood.
B: Half-life to drug potency.
C: Absorption rate to bioavailability.
D: Protein binding to therapeutic effect.
,Q12: Two drugs with similar pharmacological effects are given together, resulting in a
combined effect equal to the sum of their individual effects. This is called:
A: Potentiation
B: Synergism
C: Additive effect
D: Antagonism
Q13: Which protein in the blood is most significant for binding drugs and affecting their
distribution?
A: Hemoglobin
B: Albumin
C: Globulin
D: Fibrinogen
Q14: Pharmacokinetics is best described as:
A: What the drug does to the body.
B: What the body does to the drug.
C: The therapeutic use of the drug.
D: The study of drug interactions at the receptor.
Q15: Enteric-coated tablets are designed to:
A: Dissolve quickly in the stomach.
B: Prevent disintegration in the stomach and dissolve in the intestines.
C: Provide a sustained release over 24 hours.
D: Enhance taste and palatability.
Q16: If Drug A has a half-life of 4 hours, approximately how long will it take for it to be ~97%
eliminated from the body?
A: 4 hours
B: 8 hours
C: 16 hours
D: 20 hours (Approximately 5 half-lives: 5 x 4 = 20 hours)
Q17: A patient with severe liver cirrhosis is likely to experience which primary
pharmacokinetic change?
A: Increased renal excretion
B: Decreased drug metabolism
C: Enhanced drug absorption
D: Decreased volume of distribution
, Q18: Bioavailability is defined as:
A: The percentage of an administered drug that is chemically unchanged.
B: The fraction of an administered dose that reaches the systemic circulation.
C: The time it takes for a drug to reach its peak effect.
D: The total amount of drug absorbed from the gut.
Q19: Which organ is primarily responsible for the excretion of volatile gaseous drugs (like
inhalation anesthetics)?
A: Liver
B: Kidneys
C: Lungs
D: Skin
Q20: What is the primary goal of a "loading dose"?
A: To minimize side effects.
B: To rapidly achieve a therapeutic plasma concentration.
C: To prolong the drug's duration of action.
D: To reduce the cost of therapy.
Q21: The therapeutic index (TI) of a drug is a measure of its:
A: Cost-effectiveness
B: Potency
C: Safety (Ratio of TD50/ED50 or LD50/ED50)
D: Spectrum of activity
Q22: A drug with a narrow therapeutic index (NTI) requires:
A: Less frequent monitoring.
B: More careful dosing and therapeutic drug monitoring.
C: Administration only by the IV route.
D: Higher doses to be effective.
Q23: Pharmacodynamics is the study of:
A: Drug movement through the body.
B: The biochemical and physiological effects of drugs and their mechanisms of action.
C: Genetic factors influencing drug response.
D: Drug preparation and stability.
Q24: An agonist is a drug that:
A: Binds to a receptor and produces a biological response.
B: Binds to a receptor and blocks the action of an agonist.
for Medication Safety —
Essential Concepts Review
Section 1: Core Principles & Pharmacokinetics (Q1-25)
Q1: What is the definition of pharmacology?
A: The study of how drugs are administered and distributed.
B: The study of the biochemical and physiological effects of drugs and their mechanisms of
action.
C: The practice of compounding and dispensing medications.
D: The study of poisonous substances and their treatments.
Q2: The process by which a drug enters the bloodstream from its site of administration is
called:
A: Metabolism
B: Excretion
C: Absorption
D: Distribution
Q3: Which route of administration bypasses first-pass metabolism?
A: Oral
B: Sublingual
C: Enteral
D: All routes undergo first-pass metabolism.
Q4: The primary organ responsible for drug metabolism is the:
A: Kidneys
B: Lungs
C: Liver
D: Stomach
Q5: What does the term "half-life" (t½) of a drug refer to?
A: The time it takes for a drug to become fully effective.
,B: The time required for the plasma concentration of a drug to be reduced by 50%.
C: The duration of a drug's therapeutic action.
D: The time it takes to absorb half of the administered dose.
Q6: Which phase of pharmacokinetics involves the transport of a drug to its site of action?
A: Absorption
B: Distribution
C: Metabolism
D: Excretion
Q7: The primary route of excretion for most drugs and their metabolites is:
A: Bile and feces
B: Lungs (exhalation)
C: Sweat and saliva
D: Renal (kidneys)
Q8: What is a "prodrug"?
A: A drug that is inherently inactive and must be metabolized to become active.
B: A drug that is toxic to the body.
C: The first version of a drug ever developed.
D: A drug that is only used in pediatric populations.
Q9: Which factor is MOST likely to affect drug absorption from an intramuscular (IM) injection
site?
A: Stomach pH
B: Hepatic enzyme activity
C: Blood flow to the muscle
D: Kidney function
Q10: The "First-Pass Effect" primarily occurs with drugs administered via which route?
A: Intravenous (IV)
B: Rectal
C: Transdermal
D: Oral (PO)
Q11: The volume of distribution (Vd) is a theoretical concept that relates:
A: Dose to the concentration of drug in the blood.
B: Half-life to drug potency.
C: Absorption rate to bioavailability.
D: Protein binding to therapeutic effect.
,Q12: Two drugs with similar pharmacological effects are given together, resulting in a
combined effect equal to the sum of their individual effects. This is called:
A: Potentiation
B: Synergism
C: Additive effect
D: Antagonism
Q13: Which protein in the blood is most significant for binding drugs and affecting their
distribution?
A: Hemoglobin
B: Albumin
C: Globulin
D: Fibrinogen
Q14: Pharmacokinetics is best described as:
A: What the drug does to the body.
B: What the body does to the drug.
C: The therapeutic use of the drug.
D: The study of drug interactions at the receptor.
Q15: Enteric-coated tablets are designed to:
A: Dissolve quickly in the stomach.
B: Prevent disintegration in the stomach and dissolve in the intestines.
C: Provide a sustained release over 24 hours.
D: Enhance taste and palatability.
Q16: If Drug A has a half-life of 4 hours, approximately how long will it take for it to be ~97%
eliminated from the body?
A: 4 hours
B: 8 hours
C: 16 hours
D: 20 hours (Approximately 5 half-lives: 5 x 4 = 20 hours)
Q17: A patient with severe liver cirrhosis is likely to experience which primary
pharmacokinetic change?
A: Increased renal excretion
B: Decreased drug metabolism
C: Enhanced drug absorption
D: Decreased volume of distribution
, Q18: Bioavailability is defined as:
A: The percentage of an administered drug that is chemically unchanged.
B: The fraction of an administered dose that reaches the systemic circulation.
C: The time it takes for a drug to reach its peak effect.
D: The total amount of drug absorbed from the gut.
Q19: Which organ is primarily responsible for the excretion of volatile gaseous drugs (like
inhalation anesthetics)?
A: Liver
B: Kidneys
C: Lungs
D: Skin
Q20: What is the primary goal of a "loading dose"?
A: To minimize side effects.
B: To rapidly achieve a therapeutic plasma concentration.
C: To prolong the drug's duration of action.
D: To reduce the cost of therapy.
Q21: The therapeutic index (TI) of a drug is a measure of its:
A: Cost-effectiveness
B: Potency
C: Safety (Ratio of TD50/ED50 or LD50/ED50)
D: Spectrum of activity
Q22: A drug with a narrow therapeutic index (NTI) requires:
A: Less frequent monitoring.
B: More careful dosing and therapeutic drug monitoring.
C: Administration only by the IV route.
D: Higher doses to be effective.
Q23: Pharmacodynamics is the study of:
A: Drug movement through the body.
B: The biochemical and physiological effects of drugs and their mechanisms of action.
C: Genetic factors influencing drug response.
D: Drug preparation and stability.
Q24: An agonist is a drug that:
A: Binds to a receptor and produces a biological response.
B: Binds to a receptor and blocks the action of an agonist.
