RN PHARMACOLOGY FOR NURSING
COMPREHENSIVE EXAM STUDY GUIDE | 200
MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS WITH
DETAILED RATIONALES | NCLEX-RN
PHARMACOLOGY EXAM PREP
SECTION 1: PHARMACOKINETICS AND PHARMACODYNAMICS
Questions 1-40
1. A nurse is teaching a patient about how a medication works to treat an illness. To do this,
the nurse will rely on knowledge of which topic?
A. Clinical pharmacology
B. Drug efficacy
C. Pharmacokinetics
D. Pharmacotherapeutics
Answer: D. Pharmacotherapeutics
2. The nurse understands that the term "pharmacokinetics" refers to which of the
following?
A. The study of drug mechanisms of action
B. The study of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion
C. The study of drug interactions with receptor sites
D. The study of drug toxicity and adverse effects
Answer: B. The study of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion
3. A patient asks the nurse how a medication taken orally reaches the target organ. The
nurse explains that the first-pass effect occurs in which organ?
,A. Kidneys
B. Lungs
C. Liver
D. Heart
Answer: C. Liver
4. A medication has a half-life of 4 hours. After how many half-lives will the drug be
considered essentially eliminated from the body?
A. 2 half-lives
B. 3 half-lives
C. 5 half-lives
D. 10 half-lives
Answer: C. 5 half-lives
5. The nurse is administering a medication that is 99% protein-bound. Which statement
about this medication is correct?
A. It has a rapid onset of action
B. It has a large volume of distribution
C. It has a low potential for drug interactions
D. It has a narrow therapeutic index and displacement by other drugs can increase free
drug levels
Answer: D. It has a narrow therapeutic index and displacement by other drugs can
increase free drug levels
6. A patient with renal impairment is receiving a medication that is primarily excreted by the
kidneys. The nurse anticipates which modification to the medication regimen?
A. Increased dose
B. Decreased dose or prolonged dosing interval
C. No change in dosing
D. Change to intravenous route
Answer: B. Decreased dose or prolonged dosing interval
,7. The nurse explains to a patient that the term "bioavailability" refers to which of the
following?
A. The percentage of drug that reaches systemic circulation unchanged
B. The speed at which a drug is excreted from the body
C. The amount of drug that binds to plasma proteins
D. The time required for a drug to reach peak concentration
Answer: A. The percentage of drug that reaches systemic circulation unchanged
8. A drug that is a weak acid will be absorbed best in which part of the gastrointestinal
tract?
A. Mouth
B. Stomach
C. Small intestine
D. Colon
Answer: B. Stomach
9. The nurse is reviewing the concept of drug half-life with a nursing student. Which
statement by the student indicates understanding?
A. "Half-life is the time required for a drug to reach peak effect"
B. "Half-life is the time required for the body to eliminate 50% of the drug"
C. "Half-life is the time required for the drug to be completely eliminated"
D. "Half-life is the time required for the drug to be absorbed"
Answer: B. "Half-life is the time required for the body to eliminate 50% of the drug"
10. The nurse understands that the therapeutic index of a drug is defined as:
A. The ratio of the lethal dose to the effective dose
B. The ratio of the toxic dose to the therapeutic dose
C. The dose required to produce a therapeutic effect in 50% of patients
D. The dose that causes toxicity in 50% of patients
Answer: B. The ratio of the toxic dose to the therapeutic dose
, 11. A patient is prescribed a medication with a narrow therapeutic index. Which nursing
action is most important?
A. Administer the medication with food
B. Monitor serum drug levels regularly
C. Administer the medication at bedtime
D. Encourage increased fluid intake
Answer: B. Monitor serum drug levels regularly
12. The nurse is teaching a patient about drug metabolism. Which statement correctly
describes drug metabolism?
A. Metabolism occurs primarily in the kidneys
B. Metabolism converts lipophilic drugs to hydrophilic metabolites for excretion
C. Metabolism always results in inactive compounds
D. Metabolism is not affected by liver disease
Answer: B. Metabolism converts lipophilic drugs to hydrophilic metabolites for
excretion
13. A patient is taking a medication that induces hepatic cytochrome P450 enzymes. The
nurse anticipates that this will result in:
A. Increased levels of other medications metabolized by these enzymes
B. Decreased levels of other medications metabolized by these enzymes
C. No change in levels of other medications
D. Increased drug toxicity
Answer: B. Decreased levels of other medications metabolized by these enzymes
14. The nurse administers a drug that is an agonist at a receptor. This means the drug:
A. Blocks the receptor and prevents activation
B. Binds to the receptor and activates it to produce a response
C. Binds to a different receptor site and modifies receptor response
D. Has no effect on the receptor
COMPREHENSIVE EXAM STUDY GUIDE | 200
MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS WITH
DETAILED RATIONALES | NCLEX-RN
PHARMACOLOGY EXAM PREP
SECTION 1: PHARMACOKINETICS AND PHARMACODYNAMICS
Questions 1-40
1. A nurse is teaching a patient about how a medication works to treat an illness. To do this,
the nurse will rely on knowledge of which topic?
A. Clinical pharmacology
B. Drug efficacy
C. Pharmacokinetics
D. Pharmacotherapeutics
Answer: D. Pharmacotherapeutics
2. The nurse understands that the term "pharmacokinetics" refers to which of the
following?
A. The study of drug mechanisms of action
B. The study of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion
C. The study of drug interactions with receptor sites
D. The study of drug toxicity and adverse effects
Answer: B. The study of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion
3. A patient asks the nurse how a medication taken orally reaches the target organ. The
nurse explains that the first-pass effect occurs in which organ?
,A. Kidneys
B. Lungs
C. Liver
D. Heart
Answer: C. Liver
4. A medication has a half-life of 4 hours. After how many half-lives will the drug be
considered essentially eliminated from the body?
A. 2 half-lives
B. 3 half-lives
C. 5 half-lives
D. 10 half-lives
Answer: C. 5 half-lives
5. The nurse is administering a medication that is 99% protein-bound. Which statement
about this medication is correct?
A. It has a rapid onset of action
B. It has a large volume of distribution
C. It has a low potential for drug interactions
D. It has a narrow therapeutic index and displacement by other drugs can increase free
drug levels
Answer: D. It has a narrow therapeutic index and displacement by other drugs can
increase free drug levels
6. A patient with renal impairment is receiving a medication that is primarily excreted by the
kidneys. The nurse anticipates which modification to the medication regimen?
A. Increased dose
B. Decreased dose or prolonged dosing interval
C. No change in dosing
D. Change to intravenous route
Answer: B. Decreased dose or prolonged dosing interval
,7. The nurse explains to a patient that the term "bioavailability" refers to which of the
following?
A. The percentage of drug that reaches systemic circulation unchanged
B. The speed at which a drug is excreted from the body
C. The amount of drug that binds to plasma proteins
D. The time required for a drug to reach peak concentration
Answer: A. The percentage of drug that reaches systemic circulation unchanged
8. A drug that is a weak acid will be absorbed best in which part of the gastrointestinal
tract?
A. Mouth
B. Stomach
C. Small intestine
D. Colon
Answer: B. Stomach
9. The nurse is reviewing the concept of drug half-life with a nursing student. Which
statement by the student indicates understanding?
A. "Half-life is the time required for a drug to reach peak effect"
B. "Half-life is the time required for the body to eliminate 50% of the drug"
C. "Half-life is the time required for the drug to be completely eliminated"
D. "Half-life is the time required for the drug to be absorbed"
Answer: B. "Half-life is the time required for the body to eliminate 50% of the drug"
10. The nurse understands that the therapeutic index of a drug is defined as:
A. The ratio of the lethal dose to the effective dose
B. The ratio of the toxic dose to the therapeutic dose
C. The dose required to produce a therapeutic effect in 50% of patients
D. The dose that causes toxicity in 50% of patients
Answer: B. The ratio of the toxic dose to the therapeutic dose
, 11. A patient is prescribed a medication with a narrow therapeutic index. Which nursing
action is most important?
A. Administer the medication with food
B. Monitor serum drug levels regularly
C. Administer the medication at bedtime
D. Encourage increased fluid intake
Answer: B. Monitor serum drug levels regularly
12. The nurse is teaching a patient about drug metabolism. Which statement correctly
describes drug metabolism?
A. Metabolism occurs primarily in the kidneys
B. Metabolism converts lipophilic drugs to hydrophilic metabolites for excretion
C. Metabolism always results in inactive compounds
D. Metabolism is not affected by liver disease
Answer: B. Metabolism converts lipophilic drugs to hydrophilic metabolites for
excretion
13. A patient is taking a medication that induces hepatic cytochrome P450 enzymes. The
nurse anticipates that this will result in:
A. Increased levels of other medications metabolized by these enzymes
B. Decreased levels of other medications metabolized by these enzymes
C. No change in levels of other medications
D. Increased drug toxicity
Answer: B. Decreased levels of other medications metabolized by these enzymes
14. The nurse administers a drug that is an agonist at a receptor. This means the drug:
A. Blocks the receptor and prevents activation
B. Binds to the receptor and activates it to produce a response
C. Binds to a different receptor site and modifies receptor response
D. Has no effect on the receptor
