BIG BEND COMMUNITY COLLEGE – NUR 114: PHARMACOLOGY – COMPREHENSIVE
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS | 2026/2027 LATEST UPDATE
SECTION 1: FOUNDATIONS OF PHARMACOLOGY AND MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION
1. Which principle best describes pharmacology?
A) The study of medications and their effects on living organisms
B) The study of microorganisms responsible for infection
C) The study of surgical procedures
D) The study of nutritional requirements
Correct Answer: The study of medications and their effects on living organisms
Rationale: Pharmacology examines drugs, including their actions, effects, uses, and adverse
responses. Nurses apply pharmacologic knowledge when administering medications and
monitoring patients. Microbiology focuses on microorganisms, surgery concerns operative
treatment, and nutrition concerns nutrients and dietary requirements rather than medication
effects.
2. What term describes the movement of a drug through the body, including
absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion?
A) Pharmacodynamics
B) Pharmacokinetics
C) Toxicology
D) Therapeutics
Correct Answer: Pharmacokinetics
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics describes what the body does to a medication through
absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. Pharmacodynamics describes what the
drug does to the body. Toxicology focuses on harmful effects, while therapeutics concerns the
use of treatments to prevent or manage disease.
3. A medication's therapeutic effect refers to which characteristic?
A) The drug's chemical name
B) The route by which the drug leaves the body
C) The desired beneficial effect produced by the medication
D) The medication's storage temperature
Correct Answer: The desired beneficial effect produced by the medication
,Rationale: The therapeutic effect is the intended beneficial response to a medication. Nurses
evaluate whether this response occurs after administration. Chemical naming, excretion
route, and storage requirements are important medication concepts but do not define the
therapeutic effect.
4. Which nursing action most directly supports safe medication administration?
A) Administering medications whenever the patient requests them
B) Avoiding assessment when the medication is routinely prescribed
C) Relying on the patient's memory of the medication
D) Comparing the medication with the medication order before administration
Correct Answer: Comparing the medication with the medication order before
administration
Rationale: Comparing the medication with the authorized order helps prevent medication
errors. Patient requests cannot replace a valid prescription, and routine medications still
require appropriate assessment. Patients may provide useful information, but medication
safety requires verification against authoritative medication information.
5. Which statement best describes an adverse drug reaction?
A) An unintended and potentially harmful response to a medication
B) The intended therapeutic response
C) A medication's generic name
D) The medication's dosage form
Correct Answer: An unintended and potentially harmful response to a medication
Rationale: An adverse drug reaction is an unintended, harmful response associated with a
medication used at appropriate doses. It differs from the intended therapeutic effect. Generic
names identify drugs, dosage forms describe preparations, and therapeutic effects are
desired rather than harmful responses.
6. Which term refers to the amount of medication administered at one time?
A) Concentration
B) Dose
C) Frequency
D) Route
Correct Answer: Dose
,Rationale: The dose is the amount of medication administered at a particular time.
Concentration describes the amount of drug within a specified volume or unit. Frequency
describes how often a medication is given, while route identifies how the medication enters
the body.
7. Why is medication reconciliation important?
A) It determines a patient's blood type
B) It eliminates the need for medication teaching
C) It helps identify discrepancies among medications the patient is taking and current orders
D) It replaces assessment of allergies
Correct Answer: It helps identify discrepancies among medications the patient is taking
and current orders
Rationale: Medication reconciliation compares medication information across transitions or
changes in care. It can identify omissions, duplications, incorrect doses, and unintended
discrepancies. It does not replace allergy assessment, medication education, or other
components of safe nursing care.
8. Which route generally produces the most rapid systemic drug effect when
appropriately administered?
A) Oral
B) Topical
C) Subcutaneous
D) Intravenous
Correct Answer: Intravenous
Rationale: Intravenous administration delivers medication directly into the bloodstream,
allowing systemic availability without an absorption step. Oral, topical, and subcutaneous
medications generally require additional processes before reaching systemic circulation. The
exact onset still depends on the specific drug and formulation.
9. What is the primary purpose of checking a patient's allergy history before medication
administration?
A) To determine the medication's generic name
B) To identify potential hypersensitivity reactions
C) To calculate the medication dose
D) To determine the medication's expiration date
Correct Answer: To identify potential hypersensitivity reactions
, Rationale: Allergy assessment helps identify medications or related substances that could
cause hypersensitivity reactions. Nurses should verify allergies before administering
medications. Allergy information does not determine drug names, expiration dates, or
mathematical dosage calculations.
10. Which action is most appropriate when a medication order appears incomplete or
unclear?
A) Clarify the order before administering the medication
B) Select the most common dose independently
C) Ask another patient what dose is normally used
D) Administer half the prescribed amount
Correct Answer: Clarify the order before administering the medication
Rationale: An unclear medication order should be clarified before administration to prevent
an avoidable medication error. Nurses should not independently guess, alter, or substitute
doses. Verification with the appropriate prescriber or authorized source is a core medication-
safety practice.
SECTION 2: MEDICATION SAFETY, ROUTES, AND ADMINISTRATION
11. Which medication-administration principle specifically verifies that the medication is
intended for the individual receiving it?
A) Right time
B) Right route
C) Right patient
D) Right documentation
Correct Answer: Right patient
Rationale: The right patient requires verification that the medication is being administered to
the intended individual. Nurses commonly use identifiers according to institutional policy.
Right time, route, and documentation are also important safety principles, but they address
different aspects of medication administration.
12. A medication is prescribed to be administered PO. What does PO indicate?
A) Intravenously
B) Orally
C) Intramuscularly
D) Subcutaneously
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS | 2026/2027 LATEST UPDATE
SECTION 1: FOUNDATIONS OF PHARMACOLOGY AND MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION
1. Which principle best describes pharmacology?
A) The study of medications and their effects on living organisms
B) The study of microorganisms responsible for infection
C) The study of surgical procedures
D) The study of nutritional requirements
Correct Answer: The study of medications and their effects on living organisms
Rationale: Pharmacology examines drugs, including their actions, effects, uses, and adverse
responses. Nurses apply pharmacologic knowledge when administering medications and
monitoring patients. Microbiology focuses on microorganisms, surgery concerns operative
treatment, and nutrition concerns nutrients and dietary requirements rather than medication
effects.
2. What term describes the movement of a drug through the body, including
absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion?
A) Pharmacodynamics
B) Pharmacokinetics
C) Toxicology
D) Therapeutics
Correct Answer: Pharmacokinetics
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics describes what the body does to a medication through
absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. Pharmacodynamics describes what the
drug does to the body. Toxicology focuses on harmful effects, while therapeutics concerns the
use of treatments to prevent or manage disease.
3. A medication's therapeutic effect refers to which characteristic?
A) The drug's chemical name
B) The route by which the drug leaves the body
C) The desired beneficial effect produced by the medication
D) The medication's storage temperature
Correct Answer: The desired beneficial effect produced by the medication
,Rationale: The therapeutic effect is the intended beneficial response to a medication. Nurses
evaluate whether this response occurs after administration. Chemical naming, excretion
route, and storage requirements are important medication concepts but do not define the
therapeutic effect.
4. Which nursing action most directly supports safe medication administration?
A) Administering medications whenever the patient requests them
B) Avoiding assessment when the medication is routinely prescribed
C) Relying on the patient's memory of the medication
D) Comparing the medication with the medication order before administration
Correct Answer: Comparing the medication with the medication order before
administration
Rationale: Comparing the medication with the authorized order helps prevent medication
errors. Patient requests cannot replace a valid prescription, and routine medications still
require appropriate assessment. Patients may provide useful information, but medication
safety requires verification against authoritative medication information.
5. Which statement best describes an adverse drug reaction?
A) An unintended and potentially harmful response to a medication
B) The intended therapeutic response
C) A medication's generic name
D) The medication's dosage form
Correct Answer: An unintended and potentially harmful response to a medication
Rationale: An adverse drug reaction is an unintended, harmful response associated with a
medication used at appropriate doses. It differs from the intended therapeutic effect. Generic
names identify drugs, dosage forms describe preparations, and therapeutic effects are
desired rather than harmful responses.
6. Which term refers to the amount of medication administered at one time?
A) Concentration
B) Dose
C) Frequency
D) Route
Correct Answer: Dose
,Rationale: The dose is the amount of medication administered at a particular time.
Concentration describes the amount of drug within a specified volume or unit. Frequency
describes how often a medication is given, while route identifies how the medication enters
the body.
7. Why is medication reconciliation important?
A) It determines a patient's blood type
B) It eliminates the need for medication teaching
C) It helps identify discrepancies among medications the patient is taking and current orders
D) It replaces assessment of allergies
Correct Answer: It helps identify discrepancies among medications the patient is taking
and current orders
Rationale: Medication reconciliation compares medication information across transitions or
changes in care. It can identify omissions, duplications, incorrect doses, and unintended
discrepancies. It does not replace allergy assessment, medication education, or other
components of safe nursing care.
8. Which route generally produces the most rapid systemic drug effect when
appropriately administered?
A) Oral
B) Topical
C) Subcutaneous
D) Intravenous
Correct Answer: Intravenous
Rationale: Intravenous administration delivers medication directly into the bloodstream,
allowing systemic availability without an absorption step. Oral, topical, and subcutaneous
medications generally require additional processes before reaching systemic circulation. The
exact onset still depends on the specific drug and formulation.
9. What is the primary purpose of checking a patient's allergy history before medication
administration?
A) To determine the medication's generic name
B) To identify potential hypersensitivity reactions
C) To calculate the medication dose
D) To determine the medication's expiration date
Correct Answer: To identify potential hypersensitivity reactions
, Rationale: Allergy assessment helps identify medications or related substances that could
cause hypersensitivity reactions. Nurses should verify allergies before administering
medications. Allergy information does not determine drug names, expiration dates, or
mathematical dosage calculations.
10. Which action is most appropriate when a medication order appears incomplete or
unclear?
A) Clarify the order before administering the medication
B) Select the most common dose independently
C) Ask another patient what dose is normally used
D) Administer half the prescribed amount
Correct Answer: Clarify the order before administering the medication
Rationale: An unclear medication order should be clarified before administration to prevent
an avoidable medication error. Nurses should not independently guess, alter, or substitute
doses. Verification with the appropriate prescriber or authorized source is a core medication-
safety practice.
SECTION 2: MEDICATION SAFETY, ROUTES, AND ADMINISTRATION
11. Which medication-administration principle specifically verifies that the medication is
intended for the individual receiving it?
A) Right time
B) Right route
C) Right patient
D) Right documentation
Correct Answer: Right patient
Rationale: The right patient requires verification that the medication is being administered to
the intended individual. Nurses commonly use identifiers according to institutional policy.
Right time, route, and documentation are also important safety principles, but they address
different aspects of medication administration.
12. A medication is prescribed to be administered PO. What does PO indicate?
A) Intravenously
B) Orally
C) Intramuscularly
D) Subcutaneously
