JOYCE UNIVERSITY BIO280 PHARMACOLOGY EXAM 4 STUDY GUIDE | PRACTICE QUESTIONS &
ANSWERS WITH RATIONALES 2026/2027
Calcium & Vitamin D - ANS ✔✔Indications: Paget's Disease, osteoporosis
Which intranasal supplement is used to treat Paget's Disease? - ANS ✔✔Calcitonin
Which calcium supplement is used to treat hyperkalemia? - ANS ✔✔Calcium gluconate
Calcitonin-salmon - ANS ✔✔Mechanism of action: mimics the hormone calcitonin by helping to
shuffle calcium to the bone
Indication: hyperparathyroid-induced hypercalcemia and bone cancer
Contraindication: fish allergy
Calcium citrate - ANS ✔✔Calcium supplement
A client with rheumatoid arthritis is initiating treatment with sulfasalazine. What education is
important to provide regarding this medication?
A. Visit your opthamologist regularly
B. Avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight
C. Report any changes to your mood
D. Do not consume potassium-rich foods - ANS ✔✔B. Avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight
Which drug classes can be used to treat rheumatoid arthritis? - ANS ✔✔NSAIDS,
corticosteroids, DMARDS
Which drugs are classified as DMARDs? - ANS ✔✔methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine,
sulfasalazine, etanercept (biologic)
,Which DMARDs may cause Steven Johnson Syndrome? - ANS ✔✔hydroxychloroquine,
etanercept
What is another word for bone marrow suppression? - ANS ✔✔myelosuppression
Why should a patient not receive live vaccines while taking a biologic drug? - ANS ✔✔Because
biologic drugs cause increased risk of infection
Which DMARD requires a patient to visit an opthamologist every 6 months due to risk of eye
damage?
A. methotrexate
B. hydroxychloroquine
C. sulfasalazine
D. etanercept - ANS ✔✔B. hydroxychloroquine
What is an example of a corticosteroid used to treat rheumatoid arthritis? - ANS ✔✔prednisone
Which drugs are used to treat osteoporosis? - ANS ✔✔calcium and vitamin-D supplements,
raloxifene, alendronate
A client is taking prednisone regularly for severe rheumatoid arthritis. What adverse effects are
likely to occur while taking this medication? (select all that apply)
A. weight loss
B. bruising
C. edema
D. infections
E. low blood sugar - ANS ✔✔B. bruising, C. edema, D. infections
, Which drugs are classified as corticosteroids? - ANS ✔✔prednisone, betamethasone
Which drugs are indicated for gout? - ANS ✔✔NSAIDs, colchicine, allopurinol
Which drugs are indicated for an acute flare-up of gout? - ANS ✔✔NSAIDs, colchicine
Which drugs are indicated for prophylaxis of gout? - ANS ✔✔allopurinol
Which drugs are indicated for acne? - ANS ✔✔topical retinoids (tretinoin), benzoyl peroxides,
topical antibiotics (clindamycin), oral antibiotics (minocycline), oral birth control (women), oral
retinoin (isotretinoin)
Which drugs are indicated for mild acne? - ANS ✔✔tretinoin, benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin
Which drugs are indicated for moderate acne? - ANS ✔✔minocycline, oral birth control
Which drugs are indicated for severe nodulocystic acne? - ANS ✔✔Isotretinoin
A healthcare provider is considering isotretinoin as a treatment option for a client with severe
nodulocystic acne. What testing should be performed prior to prescribing this medication?
(select all that apply)
A. low density lipoproteins
B. liver function test
C. electrocardiogram
D. pregnancy test
E. fasting blood glucose - ANS ✔✔A. low density lipoproteins, B. liver function test, D.
pregnancy test
ANSWERS WITH RATIONALES 2026/2027
Calcium & Vitamin D - ANS ✔✔Indications: Paget's Disease, osteoporosis
Which intranasal supplement is used to treat Paget's Disease? - ANS ✔✔Calcitonin
Which calcium supplement is used to treat hyperkalemia? - ANS ✔✔Calcium gluconate
Calcitonin-salmon - ANS ✔✔Mechanism of action: mimics the hormone calcitonin by helping to
shuffle calcium to the bone
Indication: hyperparathyroid-induced hypercalcemia and bone cancer
Contraindication: fish allergy
Calcium citrate - ANS ✔✔Calcium supplement
A client with rheumatoid arthritis is initiating treatment with sulfasalazine. What education is
important to provide regarding this medication?
A. Visit your opthamologist regularly
B. Avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight
C. Report any changes to your mood
D. Do not consume potassium-rich foods - ANS ✔✔B. Avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight
Which drug classes can be used to treat rheumatoid arthritis? - ANS ✔✔NSAIDS,
corticosteroids, DMARDS
Which drugs are classified as DMARDs? - ANS ✔✔methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine,
sulfasalazine, etanercept (biologic)
,Which DMARDs may cause Steven Johnson Syndrome? - ANS ✔✔hydroxychloroquine,
etanercept
What is another word for bone marrow suppression? - ANS ✔✔myelosuppression
Why should a patient not receive live vaccines while taking a biologic drug? - ANS ✔✔Because
biologic drugs cause increased risk of infection
Which DMARD requires a patient to visit an opthamologist every 6 months due to risk of eye
damage?
A. methotrexate
B. hydroxychloroquine
C. sulfasalazine
D. etanercept - ANS ✔✔B. hydroxychloroquine
What is an example of a corticosteroid used to treat rheumatoid arthritis? - ANS ✔✔prednisone
Which drugs are used to treat osteoporosis? - ANS ✔✔calcium and vitamin-D supplements,
raloxifene, alendronate
A client is taking prednisone regularly for severe rheumatoid arthritis. What adverse effects are
likely to occur while taking this medication? (select all that apply)
A. weight loss
B. bruising
C. edema
D. infections
E. low blood sugar - ANS ✔✔B. bruising, C. edema, D. infections
, Which drugs are classified as corticosteroids? - ANS ✔✔prednisone, betamethasone
Which drugs are indicated for gout? - ANS ✔✔NSAIDs, colchicine, allopurinol
Which drugs are indicated for an acute flare-up of gout? - ANS ✔✔NSAIDs, colchicine
Which drugs are indicated for prophylaxis of gout? - ANS ✔✔allopurinol
Which drugs are indicated for acne? - ANS ✔✔topical retinoids (tretinoin), benzoyl peroxides,
topical antibiotics (clindamycin), oral antibiotics (minocycline), oral birth control (women), oral
retinoin (isotretinoin)
Which drugs are indicated for mild acne? - ANS ✔✔tretinoin, benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin
Which drugs are indicated for moderate acne? - ANS ✔✔minocycline, oral birth control
Which drugs are indicated for severe nodulocystic acne? - ANS ✔✔Isotretinoin
A healthcare provider is considering isotretinoin as a treatment option for a client with severe
nodulocystic acne. What testing should be performed prior to prescribing this medication?
(select all that apply)
A. low density lipoproteins
B. liver function test
C. electrocardiogram
D. pregnancy test
E. fasting blood glucose - ANS ✔✔A. low density lipoproteins, B. liver function test, D.
pregnancy test
