NUR 210: Principles of Pharmacology
Exam 1 Professional Practice Examination
Galen College of Nursing — 2026
Instructions: Select the one best answer for each question unless otherwise indicated. Read
each question carefully and apply principles of pharmacology and nursing practice.
1. Which statement best describes pharmacokinetics?
A. The study of how drugs produce therapeutic effects
B. The study of how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and excretes drugs
C. The study of how drugs interact with receptors
D. The study of adverse medication reactions
Answer: B
2. Which pharmacokinetic process involves movement of a medication from the
site of administration into the bloodstream?
A. Distribution
B. Metabolism
C. Absorption
D. Excretion
Answer: C
3. The nurse understands that the liver plays a major role in which
pharmacokinetic process?
A. Absorption
B. Distribution
C. Metabolism
D. Excretion
Answer: C
4. Which organ is primarily responsible for eliminating many medications from
the body?
, A. Heart
B. Kidneys
C. Pancreas
D. Spleen
Answer: B
5. What is pharmacodynamics?
A. How the body absorbs medications
B. How the body eliminates medications
C. How drugs affect the body
D. How medications are stored
Answer: C
6. A medication binds to a receptor and produces a physiological response. The
medication is acting as a:
A. Antagonist
B. Agonist
C. Inhibitor
D. Metabolite
Answer: B
7. Which term refers to the amount of a drug required to produce a desired
therapeutic effect?
A. Potency
B. Efficacy
C. Toxicity
D. Half-life
Answer: B
8. A medication has a half-life of 8 hours. Approximately how long will it take for
the drug concentration to decrease by 50%?
A. 2 hours
B. 4 hours
C. 8 hours
D. 16 hours
Answer: C
Exam 1 Professional Practice Examination
Galen College of Nursing — 2026
Instructions: Select the one best answer for each question unless otherwise indicated. Read
each question carefully and apply principles of pharmacology and nursing practice.
1. Which statement best describes pharmacokinetics?
A. The study of how drugs produce therapeutic effects
B. The study of how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and excretes drugs
C. The study of how drugs interact with receptors
D. The study of adverse medication reactions
Answer: B
2. Which pharmacokinetic process involves movement of a medication from the
site of administration into the bloodstream?
A. Distribution
B. Metabolism
C. Absorption
D. Excretion
Answer: C
3. The nurse understands that the liver plays a major role in which
pharmacokinetic process?
A. Absorption
B. Distribution
C. Metabolism
D. Excretion
Answer: C
4. Which organ is primarily responsible for eliminating many medications from
the body?
, A. Heart
B. Kidneys
C. Pancreas
D. Spleen
Answer: B
5. What is pharmacodynamics?
A. How the body absorbs medications
B. How the body eliminates medications
C. How drugs affect the body
D. How medications are stored
Answer: C
6. A medication binds to a receptor and produces a physiological response. The
medication is acting as a:
A. Antagonist
B. Agonist
C. Inhibitor
D. Metabolite
Answer: B
7. Which term refers to the amount of a drug required to produce a desired
therapeutic effect?
A. Potency
B. Efficacy
C. Toxicity
D. Half-life
Answer: B
8. A medication has a half-life of 8 hours. Approximately how long will it take for
the drug concentration to decrease by 50%?
A. 2 hours
B. 4 hours
C. 8 hours
D. 16 hours
Answer: C
