Penn Foster Veterinary
Pharmacology Final Exam
Study Guide — 100 Questions
& Answers (Correct Answers
Marked ✔️✔️)
1. What is pharmacokinetics?
Pharmacokinetics is the study of how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and excretes
drugs.
Correct Answer: How the body handles a drug over time
2. What is pharmacodynamics?
Pharmacodynamics refers to how drugs interact with receptors and produce biological effects.
Correct Answer: How the drug affects the body
3. What is the main purpose of the Controlled Substances Act?
To regulate drugs with abuse potential and categorize them into schedules.
Correct Answer: To control and classify drugs based on abuse potential
4. What is a Schedule II controlled substance?
,It has accepted medical use but high abuse potential.
Correct Answer: Medical use + high abuse potential (e.g., morphine)
5. What is the first-pass effect?
The liver metabolizes drugs before they reach systemic circulation.
Correct Answer: Hepatic metabolism before systemic absorption
6. Which route has the fastest onset?
IV administration.
Correct Answer: Intravenous (IV)
7. Which route has the slowest onset?
Oral route.
Correct Answer: Oral administration
8. What is the therapeutic index?
Ratio between toxic dose and effective dose.
Correct Answer: Margin of safety of a drug
9. What does a low therapeutic index indicate?
Narrow safety margin; monitoring required.
Correct Answer: High toxicity risk
10. What is bioavailability?
Percentage of drug that reaches systemic circulation unchanged.
Correct Answer: Amount absorbed into bloodstream
11. What is the main role of the FDA in veterinary pharmacology?
,Approves drugs for safety and efficacy.
Correct Answer: Drug approval and regulation
12. What does extra-label drug use mean?
Using an approved drug in a way not listed on the label.
Correct Answer: Use outside approved label directions
13. Who legally permits extra-label use in animals?
A valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR).
Correct Answer: A VCPR must exist
14. What organ is primarily responsible for drug metabolism?
The liver.
Correct Answer: Liver
15. What organ mainly excretes drugs?
Kidneys.
Correct Answer: Kidneys
16. What does “agonist” mean?
A drug that binds and activates receptors.
Correct Answer: Stimulates receptor activity
17. What does “antagonist” mean?
Blocks receptor activity.
Correct Answer: Inhibits receptor activation
18. What does half-life measure?
, Time for plasma concentration to decrease by 50%.
Correct Answer: Time to reduce concentration by half
19. What is meant by drug withdrawal time?
Time required before animal products are safe for consumption.
Correct Answer: Period to avoid drug residues
20. What is the main hazard of using NSAIDs in dogs?
Gastrointestinal ulceration.
Correct Answer: GI ulceration
21. What is the major NSAID risk in cats?
Renal toxicity.
Correct Answer: Kidney damage
22. What NSAID is approved for use in cats?
Onsior (robenacoxib).
Correct Answer: Robenacoxib (Onsior)
23. Which opioid is a full mu-agonist?
Morphine.
Correct Answer: Morphine
24. Which opioid is used most commonly in vet clinics for mild pain?
Butorphanol.
Correct Answer: Butorphanol
25. What drug reverses opioid overdose?
Pharmacology Final Exam
Study Guide — 100 Questions
& Answers (Correct Answers
Marked ✔️✔️)
1. What is pharmacokinetics?
Pharmacokinetics is the study of how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and excretes
drugs.
Correct Answer: How the body handles a drug over time
2. What is pharmacodynamics?
Pharmacodynamics refers to how drugs interact with receptors and produce biological effects.
Correct Answer: How the drug affects the body
3. What is the main purpose of the Controlled Substances Act?
To regulate drugs with abuse potential and categorize them into schedules.
Correct Answer: To control and classify drugs based on abuse potential
4. What is a Schedule II controlled substance?
,It has accepted medical use but high abuse potential.
Correct Answer: Medical use + high abuse potential (e.g., morphine)
5. What is the first-pass effect?
The liver metabolizes drugs before they reach systemic circulation.
Correct Answer: Hepatic metabolism before systemic absorption
6. Which route has the fastest onset?
IV administration.
Correct Answer: Intravenous (IV)
7. Which route has the slowest onset?
Oral route.
Correct Answer: Oral administration
8. What is the therapeutic index?
Ratio between toxic dose and effective dose.
Correct Answer: Margin of safety of a drug
9. What does a low therapeutic index indicate?
Narrow safety margin; monitoring required.
Correct Answer: High toxicity risk
10. What is bioavailability?
Percentage of drug that reaches systemic circulation unchanged.
Correct Answer: Amount absorbed into bloodstream
11. What is the main role of the FDA in veterinary pharmacology?
,Approves drugs for safety and efficacy.
Correct Answer: Drug approval and regulation
12. What does extra-label drug use mean?
Using an approved drug in a way not listed on the label.
Correct Answer: Use outside approved label directions
13. Who legally permits extra-label use in animals?
A valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR).
Correct Answer: A VCPR must exist
14. What organ is primarily responsible for drug metabolism?
The liver.
Correct Answer: Liver
15. What organ mainly excretes drugs?
Kidneys.
Correct Answer: Kidneys
16. What does “agonist” mean?
A drug that binds and activates receptors.
Correct Answer: Stimulates receptor activity
17. What does “antagonist” mean?
Blocks receptor activity.
Correct Answer: Inhibits receptor activation
18. What does half-life measure?
, Time for plasma concentration to decrease by 50%.
Correct Answer: Time to reduce concentration by half
19. What is meant by drug withdrawal time?
Time required before animal products are safe for consumption.
Correct Answer: Period to avoid drug residues
20. What is the main hazard of using NSAIDs in dogs?
Gastrointestinal ulceration.
Correct Answer: GI ulceration
21. What is the major NSAID risk in cats?
Renal toxicity.
Correct Answer: Kidney damage
22. What NSAID is approved for use in cats?
Onsior (robenacoxib).
Correct Answer: Robenacoxib (Onsior)
23. Which opioid is a full mu-agonist?
Morphine.
Correct Answer: Morphine
24. Which opioid is used most commonly in vet clinics for mild pain?
Butorphanol.
Correct Answer: Butorphanol
25. What drug reverses opioid overdose?
