Nursing Pharmacology
Questions and Answers for Revision
(2025/2026)
What is pharmacology?
✓✓ Pharmacology is the study of drugs and their effects on the human body.
What is a drug?
✓✓ A drug is any substance that changes the body's normal functions when administered.
What is the difference between a generic name and a brand name?
✓✓ A generic name is the official name of a drug, while a brand name is the trade name given
by the manufacturer.
What is the main purpose of administering medication?
✓✓ To prevent, diagnose, treat, or relieve disease and symptoms.
What is pharmacokinetics?
✓✓ Pharmacokinetics is the study of how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and
excretes drugs.
What is pharmacodynamics?
✓✓ Pharmacodynamics is the study of how drugs produce their effects in the body.
What is drug absorption?
✓✓ Drug absorption is the movement of a drug from the site of administration into the
bloodstream.
Which organ is primarily responsible for drug metabolism?
✓✓ The liver is the primary organ responsible for drug metabolism.
Which organ removes most drugs from the body?
✓✓ The kidneys remove most drugs through urine.
What is the therapeutic effect of a drug?
✓✓ The intended beneficial effect produced by the medication.
What is an adverse drug reaction?
✓✓ An unwanted or harmful response that occurs when a drug is used correctly.
What is a side effect?
✓✓ A predictable secondary effect that may occur alongside the desired effect.
1
, What is a contraindication?
✓✓ A condition that makes the use of a particular drug unsafe.
What is drug tolerance?
✓✓ Drug tolerance is when repeated use reduces a drug's effectiveness, requiring higher doses.
What is drug dependence?
✓✓ Drug dependence is a physical or psychological need for a drug.
What is an allergic drug reaction?
✓✓ An immune response to a medication that may range from mild to severe.
What is the first action when a patient develops signs of anaphylaxis after receiving medication?
✓✓ Stop the medication immediately and initiate emergency treatment.
What is the safest way to identify a patient before administering medication?
✓✓ Use at least two approved patient identifiers.
What are the rights of medication administration?
✓✓ Right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, right time, right documentation, right
reason, right response, and right to refuse.
Why should nurses check the expiry date before administering drugs?
✓✓ Expired drugs may lose effectiveness or become unsafe.
What is the oral route of drug administration?
✓✓ Giving medication by mouth to be swallowed.
What is the sublingual route?
✓✓ Placing medication under the tongue for rapid absorption.
What is the topical route?
✓✓ Applying medication directly onto the skin.
What is the intravenous route?
✓✓ Delivering medication directly into a vein.
Why is the intravenous route considered the fastest?
✓✓ Because the drug enters the bloodstream immediately.
What is the intramuscular route?
✓✓ Injecting medication into muscle tissue.
2
Questions and Answers for Revision
(2025/2026)
What is pharmacology?
✓✓ Pharmacology is the study of drugs and their effects on the human body.
What is a drug?
✓✓ A drug is any substance that changes the body's normal functions when administered.
What is the difference between a generic name and a brand name?
✓✓ A generic name is the official name of a drug, while a brand name is the trade name given
by the manufacturer.
What is the main purpose of administering medication?
✓✓ To prevent, diagnose, treat, or relieve disease and symptoms.
What is pharmacokinetics?
✓✓ Pharmacokinetics is the study of how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and
excretes drugs.
What is pharmacodynamics?
✓✓ Pharmacodynamics is the study of how drugs produce their effects in the body.
What is drug absorption?
✓✓ Drug absorption is the movement of a drug from the site of administration into the
bloodstream.
Which organ is primarily responsible for drug metabolism?
✓✓ The liver is the primary organ responsible for drug metabolism.
Which organ removes most drugs from the body?
✓✓ The kidneys remove most drugs through urine.
What is the therapeutic effect of a drug?
✓✓ The intended beneficial effect produced by the medication.
What is an adverse drug reaction?
✓✓ An unwanted or harmful response that occurs when a drug is used correctly.
What is a side effect?
✓✓ A predictable secondary effect that may occur alongside the desired effect.
1
, What is a contraindication?
✓✓ A condition that makes the use of a particular drug unsafe.
What is drug tolerance?
✓✓ Drug tolerance is when repeated use reduces a drug's effectiveness, requiring higher doses.
What is drug dependence?
✓✓ Drug dependence is a physical or psychological need for a drug.
What is an allergic drug reaction?
✓✓ An immune response to a medication that may range from mild to severe.
What is the first action when a patient develops signs of anaphylaxis after receiving medication?
✓✓ Stop the medication immediately and initiate emergency treatment.
What is the safest way to identify a patient before administering medication?
✓✓ Use at least two approved patient identifiers.
What are the rights of medication administration?
✓✓ Right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, right time, right documentation, right
reason, right response, and right to refuse.
Why should nurses check the expiry date before administering drugs?
✓✓ Expired drugs may lose effectiveness or become unsafe.
What is the oral route of drug administration?
✓✓ Giving medication by mouth to be swallowed.
What is the sublingual route?
✓✓ Placing medication under the tongue for rapid absorption.
What is the topical route?
✓✓ Applying medication directly onto the skin.
What is the intravenous route?
✓✓ Delivering medication directly into a vein.
Why is the intravenous route considered the fastest?
✓✓ Because the drug enters the bloodstream immediately.
What is the intramuscular route?
✓✓ Injecting medication into muscle tissue.
2
