GALEN NUR 210 STUDY GUIDE 2026
COMPLETE ANSWERS GRADED A+
⩥ What are the 4 phases of pharmacokinetics?.
Answer: absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion
⩥ Absorption.
Answer: happens with drug movement from the GI tract into the
bloodstream. Most meds are taken by mouth.
⩥ Oral absorption.
Answer: Takes awhile to get absorbed because it has to go through the
GI system
Usually takes 2-4 hours
•Enteric coated
aspirin - hard on stomach
can not crush pill
•Extended release
absorbed in the small intestine
⩥ IM absorption.
,Answer: Absorbed 1-2 hours
⩥ IV absorption.
Answer: Absorbed 30-60 minutes
⩥ dissolution.
Answer: Dissolution happens when a po medication breaks down into
particles, disintegrates, and dissolves to combine with liquid so
absorption from the GI tract into the bloodstream occurs.
Liquid medications are absorbed faster than solids. Food can interfere
with the absorption of drugs.
⩥ Drugs that resist dissolution.
Answer: Parenteral medications (SL, eyedrops, inhalants, transdermal)
do not pass through the GI tract.
Enteric coated medications are designed to resist disintegration until the
pill reaches the small intestine. EC and sustained release meds should
not be crushed.
⩥ Factors that affect absorption.
Answer: •Lack of muscle and increased fat changes medicine absorption
•Food consumption - will change medicine potency (delayed)
•Stress - Exercise, medicine goes to muscle
•pH - Medicine is made for acidic environments
,•Antacid changes absorption
•Taken alone so it doesn't change the action
⩥ Excipients.
Answer: Fillers and other substances that make up tablets as a pill is not
100% drug.
Sometimes an excipient enhances the absorption of a drug such as with
PCN, which is not well absorbed from the GI tract.
Adding Na to PCN, which makes it penicillin sodium, will increase the
absorption of PCN
⩥ first pass effect.
Answer: •the oral drugs go to liver via portal vein where some of the
drug becomes inactive
•Only happens with oral medications
⩥ delayed gastric emptying.
Answer: Food doesn't move like it should
⩥ Distribution.
Answer: refers to the movement of the drug from the circulation to body
tissues
, ⩥ Factors affecting distribution.
Answer: -blood flow to tissues
-protein binding
-blood brain barrier
-drug's affinity to the tissue
⩥ protein binding.
Answer: Drugs bind with proteins in blood
Some drugs are highly protein bound and other are weakly protein
bound
⩥ free drugs.
Answer: drugs not bound to protein
⩥ Drug Toxicity.
Answer: -Two highly protein bound drugs compete and one might
accumulate and cause a toxicity
-it is important to know if you are administering highly protein bound
medications and monitor albumin levels in patients with liver or kidney
disease.
-Some drugs that are highly protein bound include: Warfarin
Furosemide
Diazepam
COMPLETE ANSWERS GRADED A+
⩥ What are the 4 phases of pharmacokinetics?.
Answer: absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion
⩥ Absorption.
Answer: happens with drug movement from the GI tract into the
bloodstream. Most meds are taken by mouth.
⩥ Oral absorption.
Answer: Takes awhile to get absorbed because it has to go through the
GI system
Usually takes 2-4 hours
•Enteric coated
aspirin - hard on stomach
can not crush pill
•Extended release
absorbed in the small intestine
⩥ IM absorption.
,Answer: Absorbed 1-2 hours
⩥ IV absorption.
Answer: Absorbed 30-60 minutes
⩥ dissolution.
Answer: Dissolution happens when a po medication breaks down into
particles, disintegrates, and dissolves to combine with liquid so
absorption from the GI tract into the bloodstream occurs.
Liquid medications are absorbed faster than solids. Food can interfere
with the absorption of drugs.
⩥ Drugs that resist dissolution.
Answer: Parenteral medications (SL, eyedrops, inhalants, transdermal)
do not pass through the GI tract.
Enteric coated medications are designed to resist disintegration until the
pill reaches the small intestine. EC and sustained release meds should
not be crushed.
⩥ Factors that affect absorption.
Answer: •Lack of muscle and increased fat changes medicine absorption
•Food consumption - will change medicine potency (delayed)
•Stress - Exercise, medicine goes to muscle
•pH - Medicine is made for acidic environments
,•Antacid changes absorption
•Taken alone so it doesn't change the action
⩥ Excipients.
Answer: Fillers and other substances that make up tablets as a pill is not
100% drug.
Sometimes an excipient enhances the absorption of a drug such as with
PCN, which is not well absorbed from the GI tract.
Adding Na to PCN, which makes it penicillin sodium, will increase the
absorption of PCN
⩥ first pass effect.
Answer: •the oral drugs go to liver via portal vein where some of the
drug becomes inactive
•Only happens with oral medications
⩥ delayed gastric emptying.
Answer: Food doesn't move like it should
⩥ Distribution.
Answer: refers to the movement of the drug from the circulation to body
tissues
, ⩥ Factors affecting distribution.
Answer: -blood flow to tissues
-protein binding
-blood brain barrier
-drug's affinity to the tissue
⩥ protein binding.
Answer: Drugs bind with proteins in blood
Some drugs are highly protein bound and other are weakly protein
bound
⩥ free drugs.
Answer: drugs not bound to protein
⩥ Drug Toxicity.
Answer: -Two highly protein bound drugs compete and one might
accumulate and cause a toxicity
-it is important to know if you are administering highly protein bound
medications and monitor albumin levels in patients with liver or kidney
disease.
-Some drugs that are highly protein bound include: Warfarin
Furosemide
Diazepam
