,Chapter 01 - Introduction to Drugs
1. A nurse working in radiology administers iodine to a patient who is having a computed tomography
(CT) scan. The nurse working on the oncology unit administers chemotherapy to patients who have
cancer. At the Public Health Department, a nurse administers a measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine
to a 14-month-old child as a routine immunization. Which branch of pharmacology best describes the
actions of all three nurses?
A. Pharmacoeconomics
B. Pharmacotherapeutics
C. Pharmacodynamics
D. Pharmacokinetics
Ans: B
Feedback:
Pharmacology is the study of the biologic effects of chemicals. Nurses are involved with clinical
pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics, which is a branch of pharmacology that deals with the uses of
drugs to treat, prevent, and diagnose disease. The radiology nurse is administering a drug to help
diagnose a disease. The oncology nurse is administering a drug to help treat a disease.
Pharmacoeconomics includes any costs involved in drug therapy. Pharmacodynamics involves how a
drug affects the body and pharmacokinetics is how the body acts on the body.
2. A physician has ordered intramuscular (IM) injections of morphine, a narcotic, every 4 hours as needed
for pain in a motor vehicle accident victim. The nurse is aware this drug has a high abuse potential.
Under what category would morphine be classified?
A. Schedule I
B. Schedule II
C. Schedule III
D. Schedule IV
Ans: B
Feedback:
Narcotics with a high abuse potential are classified as Schedule II drugs because of severe dependence
, liability. Schedule I drugs have high abuse potential and no accepted medical use. Schedule III drugs
have a lesser abuse potential than II and an accepted medical use. Schedule IV drugs have low abuse
potential and limited dependence liability.
3. When involved in phase III drug evaluation studies, what responsibilities would the nurse
have?
A. Working with animals who are given experimental drugs
B. Choosing appropriate patients to be involved in the drug study
C. Monitoring and observing patients closely for adverse effects
D. Conducting research to determine effectiveness of the drug
Ans: C
Feedback:
Phase III studies involve use of a drug in a vast clinical population in which patients are asked to record
any symptoms they experience while taking the drugs. Nurses may be responsible for helping collect
and analyze the information to be shared with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) but would not
conduct research independently because nurses do not prescribe medications. Use of animals in drug
testing is done in the preclinical trials. Select patients who are involved in phase II studies to participate
in studies where the participants have the disease the drug is intended to treat. These patients are
monitored closely for drug action and adverse effects. Phase I studies involve healthy human volunteers
who are usually paid for their participation. Nurses may observe for adverse effects and toxicity.
4. What concept is considered when generic drugs are substituted for brand name drugs?
A. Bioavailability
B. Critical concentration
C. Distribution
D. Half-life
Ans: A
Feedback:
Bioavailability is the portion of a dose of a drug that reaches the systemic circulation and is available to
act on body cells. Binders used in a generic drug may not be the same as those used in the brand name
drug. Therefore, the way the body breaks down and uses the drug may differ, which may eliminate a
generic drug substitution. Critical concentration is the amount of a drug that is needed to cause a
therapeutic effect and should not differ between generic and brand name medications. Distribution is
the phase of pharmacokinetics, which involves the movement of a drug to the body’s tissues and is the
, same in generic and brand name drugs. A drug’s half-life is the time it takes for the amount of drug to
decrease to half the peak level, which should not change when substituting a generic medication.
5. A nurse is assessing the patient’s home medication use. After listening to the patient list current
medications, the nurse asks what priority question?
A. Do you take any generic medications?
B. Are any of these medications orphan drugs?
C. Are these medications safe to
take during pregnancy?
D. Do you take any over-the-
counter medications?
Ans: D
Feedback:
It is important for the nurse to specifically question use of over-the-counter medications because
patients may not consider them important. The patient is unlikely to know the meaning of orphan drugs
unless they too are health care providers. Safety during pregnancy, use of a generic medication, or
classification of orphan drugs are things the patient would be unable to answer but could be found in
reference books if the nurse wishes to research them.
6. After completing a course on pharmacology for nurses, what will the nurse know?
A. Everything necessary for safe and effective medication administration
B. Current pharmacologic therapy; the nurse will not require ongoing education for 5 years.
C. General drug information; the nurse can consult a drug guide for specific drug information.
D. The drug actions that are associated with each classification of medication
Ans: C
Feedback:
After completing a pharmacology course nurses will have general drug information needed for safe and
effective medication administration but will need to consult a drug guide for specific drug information
before administering any medication. Pharmacology is constantly changing, with new drugs entering
the market and new uses for existing drugs identified. Continuing education in pharmacology is
essential to safe practice. Nurses tend to become familiar with the medications they administer most
often, but there will always be a need to research new drugs and also those the nurse is not familiar with
because no nurse knows all medications.
1. A nurse working in radiology administers iodine to a patient who is having a computed tomography
(CT) scan. The nurse working on the oncology unit administers chemotherapy to patients who have
cancer. At the Public Health Department, a nurse administers a measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine
to a 14-month-old child as a routine immunization. Which branch of pharmacology best describes the
actions of all three nurses?
A. Pharmacoeconomics
B. Pharmacotherapeutics
C. Pharmacodynamics
D. Pharmacokinetics
Ans: B
Feedback:
Pharmacology is the study of the biologic effects of chemicals. Nurses are involved with clinical
pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics, which is a branch of pharmacology that deals with the uses of
drugs to treat, prevent, and diagnose disease. The radiology nurse is administering a drug to help
diagnose a disease. The oncology nurse is administering a drug to help treat a disease.
Pharmacoeconomics includes any costs involved in drug therapy. Pharmacodynamics involves how a
drug affects the body and pharmacokinetics is how the body acts on the body.
2. A physician has ordered intramuscular (IM) injections of morphine, a narcotic, every 4 hours as needed
for pain in a motor vehicle accident victim. The nurse is aware this drug has a high abuse potential.
Under what category would morphine be classified?
A. Schedule I
B. Schedule II
C. Schedule III
D. Schedule IV
Ans: B
Feedback:
Narcotics with a high abuse potential are classified as Schedule II drugs because of severe dependence
, liability. Schedule I drugs have high abuse potential and no accepted medical use. Schedule III drugs
have a lesser abuse potential than II and an accepted medical use. Schedule IV drugs have low abuse
potential and limited dependence liability.
3. When involved in phase III drug evaluation studies, what responsibilities would the nurse
have?
A. Working with animals who are given experimental drugs
B. Choosing appropriate patients to be involved in the drug study
C. Monitoring and observing patients closely for adverse effects
D. Conducting research to determine effectiveness of the drug
Ans: C
Feedback:
Phase III studies involve use of a drug in a vast clinical population in which patients are asked to record
any symptoms they experience while taking the drugs. Nurses may be responsible for helping collect
and analyze the information to be shared with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) but would not
conduct research independently because nurses do not prescribe medications. Use of animals in drug
testing is done in the preclinical trials. Select patients who are involved in phase II studies to participate
in studies where the participants have the disease the drug is intended to treat. These patients are
monitored closely for drug action and adverse effects. Phase I studies involve healthy human volunteers
who are usually paid for their participation. Nurses may observe for adverse effects and toxicity.
4. What concept is considered when generic drugs are substituted for brand name drugs?
A. Bioavailability
B. Critical concentration
C. Distribution
D. Half-life
Ans: A
Feedback:
Bioavailability is the portion of a dose of a drug that reaches the systemic circulation and is available to
act on body cells. Binders used in a generic drug may not be the same as those used in the brand name
drug. Therefore, the way the body breaks down and uses the drug may differ, which may eliminate a
generic drug substitution. Critical concentration is the amount of a drug that is needed to cause a
therapeutic effect and should not differ between generic and brand name medications. Distribution is
the phase of pharmacokinetics, which involves the movement of a drug to the body’s tissues and is the
, same in generic and brand name drugs. A drug’s half-life is the time it takes for the amount of drug to
decrease to half the peak level, which should not change when substituting a generic medication.
5. A nurse is assessing the patient’s home medication use. After listening to the patient list current
medications, the nurse asks what priority question?
A. Do you take any generic medications?
B. Are any of these medications orphan drugs?
C. Are these medications safe to
take during pregnancy?
D. Do you take any over-the-
counter medications?
Ans: D
Feedback:
It is important for the nurse to specifically question use of over-the-counter medications because
patients may not consider them important. The patient is unlikely to know the meaning of orphan drugs
unless they too are health care providers. Safety during pregnancy, use of a generic medication, or
classification of orphan drugs are things the patient would be unable to answer but could be found in
reference books if the nurse wishes to research them.
6. After completing a course on pharmacology for nurses, what will the nurse know?
A. Everything necessary for safe and effective medication administration
B. Current pharmacologic therapy; the nurse will not require ongoing education for 5 years.
C. General drug information; the nurse can consult a drug guide for specific drug information.
D. The drug actions that are associated with each classification of medication
Ans: C
Feedback:
After completing a pharmacology course nurses will have general drug information needed for safe and
effective medication administration but will need to consult a drug guide for specific drug information
before administering any medication. Pharmacology is constantly changing, with new drugs entering
the market and new uses for existing drugs identified. Continuing education in pharmacology is
essential to safe practice. Nurses tend to become familiar with the medications they administer most
often, but there will always be a need to research new drugs and also those the nurse is not familiar with
because no nurse knows all medications.
