Pharmacology Clear and Simple- A Guide to Drug Classifications and Dosage
Calculations 3rd Edition Watkins Test Bank
Chapter 1. History of Pharmacology
1. A nurse working in radiology administers iodine to a patient who is having a
computed tomography (CT) scan. The nurse working on the oncology unit
administers chemotherapy to patients who have cancer. At the Public Health
Department, a nurse administers a measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine
to a 14-month-old child as a routine immunization. Which branch of
pharmacology best describes the actions of all three nurses?
A) Pharmacoeconomics
B) Pharmacotherapeutics
C) Pharmacodynamics
D) Pharmacokinetics
Ans: B
Feedback:
Pharmacology is the study of the biologic effects of chemicals. Nurses are
involved with clinical pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics, which is a
branch of pharmacology that deals with the uses of drugs to treat, prevent,
and diagnose disease. The radiology nurse is administering a drug to help
diagnose a disease. The oncology nurse is administering a drug to help treat
a disease. Pharmacoeconomics includes any costs involved in drug therapy.
Pharmacodynamics involves how a drug affects the body and
pharmacokinetics is how the body acts on the body.
2. A physician has ordered intramuscular (IM) injections of morphine, a
narcotic, every 4 hours as needed for pain in a motor vehicle accident
victim. The nurse is aware this drug has a high abuse potential. Under what
category would morphine be classified?
A) Schedule I
B) Schedule II
C) Schedule III
D) Schedule IV
Ans: B
, Feedback:
Narcotics with a high abuse potential are classified as Schedule II drugs
because of severe dependence liability. Schedule I drugs have high abuse
potential and no accepted medical use. Schedule III drugs have a lesser
abuse potential than II and an accepted medical use. Schedule IV drugs have
low abuse potential and limited dependence liability.
3. When involved in phase III drug evaluation studies, what responsibilities
would the nurse have?
A) Working with animals who are given experimental drugs
B) Choosing appropriate patients to be involved in the drug study
C) Monitoring and observing patients closely for adverse effects
D) Conducting research to determine effectiveness of the drug
Ans: C
Feedback:
Phase III studies involve use of a drug in a vast clinical population in which
patients are asked to record any symptoms they experience while taking the
drugs. Nurses may be responsible for helping collect and analyze the
information to be shared with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) but
would not conduct research independently because nurses do not prescribe
medications. Use of animals in drug testing is done in the preclinical trials.
Select patients who are involved in phase II studies to participate in studies
where the participants have the disease the drug is intended to treat. These
patients are monitored closely for drug action and adverse effects. Phase I
studies involve healthy human volunteers who are usually paid for their
participation. Nurses may observe for adverse effects and toxicity.
4. What concept is considered when generic drugs are substituted for brand
name drugs?
A) Bioavailability
B) Critical concentration
C) Distribution
D) Half-life
Ans: A
Feedback:
, Bioavailability is the portion of a dose of a drug that reaches the systemic
circulation and is available to act on body cells. Binders used in a generic
drug may not be the same as those used in the brand name drug. Therefore,
the way the body breaks down and uses the drug may differ, which may
eliminate a generic drug substitution. Critical concentration is the amount of
a drug that is needed to cause a therapeutic effect and should not differ
between generic and brand name medications. Distribution is the phase of
pharmacokinetics, which involves the movement of a drug to the bodys
tissues and is the same in generic and brand name drugs. A drugs half-life is
the time it takes for the amount of drug to decrease to half the peak level,
which should not change when substituting a generic medication.
5. A nurse is assessing the patients home medication use. After listening to the
patient list current medications, the nurse asks what priority question?
A) Do you take any generic medications?
B) Are any of these medications orphan drugs?
C) Are these medications safe to take during pregnancy?
D) Do you take any over-the-counter medications?
Ans: D
Feedback:
It is important for the nurse to specifically question use of over-the-counter
medications because patients may not consider them important. The patient
is unlikely to know the meaning of orphan drugs unless they too are health
care providers. Safety during pregnancy, use of a generic medication, or
classification of orphan drugs are things the patient would be unable to
answer but could be found in reference books if the nurse wishes to research
them.
6. After completing a course on pharmacology for nurses, what will the nurse
know?
A) Everything necessary for safe and effective medication administration
B) Current pharmacologic therapy; the nurse will not require ongoing
education for 5 years.
C) General drug information; the nurse can consult a drug guide for specific
drug information.
D) The drug actions that are associated with each classification of
medication
Ans: C
Feedback:
, After completing a pharmacology course nurses will have general drug
information needed for safe and effective medication administration but will
need to consult a drug guide for specific drug information before
administering any medication. Pharmacology is constantly changing, with
new drugs entering the market and new uses for existing drugs identified.
Continuing education in pharmacology is essential to safe practice. Nurses
tend to become familiar with the medications they administer most often, but
there will always be a need to research new drugs and also those the nurse is
not familiar with because no nurse knows all medications.
7. A nurse is instructing a pregnant patient concerning the potential risk to her
fetus from a Pregnancy Category B drug. What would the nurse inform the
patient?
A) Adequate studies in pregnant women have demonstrated there is no risk
to the fetus.
B) Animal studies have not demonstrated a risk to the fetus, but there have
been no adequate studies in pregnant women.
C) Animal studies have shown an adverse effect on the fetus, but there are
no adequate studies in pregnant women.
D) There is evidence of human fetal risk, but the potential benefits from use
of the drug may be acceptable despite potential risks.
Ans: B
Feedback:
Category B indicates that animal studies have not demonstrated a risk to the
fetus. However, there have not been adequate studies in pregnant women to
demonstrate risk to a fetus during the first trimester of pregnancy and no
evidence of risk in later trimesters. Category A indicates that adequate
studies in pregnant women have not demonstrated a risk to the fetus in the
first trimester or in later trimesters. Category C indicates that animal studies
have shown an adverse effect on the fetus, but no adequate studies in
humans. Category D reveals evidence of human fetal risk, but the potential
benefits from the use of the drugs in pregnant women may outweigh
potential risks.
8. Discharge planning for patients leaving the hospital should include
instructions on the use of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. Which comment by
the patient would demonstrate a good understanding of OTC drugs?
A) OTC drugs are safe and do not cause adverse effects if taken properly.
B) OTC drugs have been around for years and have not been tested by the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Calculations 3rd Edition Watkins Test Bank
Chapter 1. History of Pharmacology
1. A nurse working in radiology administers iodine to a patient who is having a
computed tomography (CT) scan. The nurse working on the oncology unit
administers chemotherapy to patients who have cancer. At the Public Health
Department, a nurse administers a measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine
to a 14-month-old child as a routine immunization. Which branch of
pharmacology best describes the actions of all three nurses?
A) Pharmacoeconomics
B) Pharmacotherapeutics
C) Pharmacodynamics
D) Pharmacokinetics
Ans: B
Feedback:
Pharmacology is the study of the biologic effects of chemicals. Nurses are
involved with clinical pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics, which is a
branch of pharmacology that deals with the uses of drugs to treat, prevent,
and diagnose disease. The radiology nurse is administering a drug to help
diagnose a disease. The oncology nurse is administering a drug to help treat
a disease. Pharmacoeconomics includes any costs involved in drug therapy.
Pharmacodynamics involves how a drug affects the body and
pharmacokinetics is how the body acts on the body.
2. A physician has ordered intramuscular (IM) injections of morphine, a
narcotic, every 4 hours as needed for pain in a motor vehicle accident
victim. The nurse is aware this drug has a high abuse potential. Under what
category would morphine be classified?
A) Schedule I
B) Schedule II
C) Schedule III
D) Schedule IV
Ans: B
, Feedback:
Narcotics with a high abuse potential are classified as Schedule II drugs
because of severe dependence liability. Schedule I drugs have high abuse
potential and no accepted medical use. Schedule III drugs have a lesser
abuse potential than II and an accepted medical use. Schedule IV drugs have
low abuse potential and limited dependence liability.
3. When involved in phase III drug evaluation studies, what responsibilities
would the nurse have?
A) Working with animals who are given experimental drugs
B) Choosing appropriate patients to be involved in the drug study
C) Monitoring and observing patients closely for adverse effects
D) Conducting research to determine effectiveness of the drug
Ans: C
Feedback:
Phase III studies involve use of a drug in a vast clinical population in which
patients are asked to record any symptoms they experience while taking the
drugs. Nurses may be responsible for helping collect and analyze the
information to be shared with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) but
would not conduct research independently because nurses do not prescribe
medications. Use of animals in drug testing is done in the preclinical trials.
Select patients who are involved in phase II studies to participate in studies
where the participants have the disease the drug is intended to treat. These
patients are monitored closely for drug action and adverse effects. Phase I
studies involve healthy human volunteers who are usually paid for their
participation. Nurses may observe for adverse effects and toxicity.
4. What concept is considered when generic drugs are substituted for brand
name drugs?
A) Bioavailability
B) Critical concentration
C) Distribution
D) Half-life
Ans: A
Feedback:
, Bioavailability is the portion of a dose of a drug that reaches the systemic
circulation and is available to act on body cells. Binders used in a generic
drug may not be the same as those used in the brand name drug. Therefore,
the way the body breaks down and uses the drug may differ, which may
eliminate a generic drug substitution. Critical concentration is the amount of
a drug that is needed to cause a therapeutic effect and should not differ
between generic and brand name medications. Distribution is the phase of
pharmacokinetics, which involves the movement of a drug to the bodys
tissues and is the same in generic and brand name drugs. A drugs half-life is
the time it takes for the amount of drug to decrease to half the peak level,
which should not change when substituting a generic medication.
5. A nurse is assessing the patients home medication use. After listening to the
patient list current medications, the nurse asks what priority question?
A) Do you take any generic medications?
B) Are any of these medications orphan drugs?
C) Are these medications safe to take during pregnancy?
D) Do you take any over-the-counter medications?
Ans: D
Feedback:
It is important for the nurse to specifically question use of over-the-counter
medications because patients may not consider them important. The patient
is unlikely to know the meaning of orphan drugs unless they too are health
care providers. Safety during pregnancy, use of a generic medication, or
classification of orphan drugs are things the patient would be unable to
answer but could be found in reference books if the nurse wishes to research
them.
6. After completing a course on pharmacology for nurses, what will the nurse
know?
A) Everything necessary for safe and effective medication administration
B) Current pharmacologic therapy; the nurse will not require ongoing
education for 5 years.
C) General drug information; the nurse can consult a drug guide for specific
drug information.
D) The drug actions that are associated with each classification of
medication
Ans: C
Feedback:
, After completing a pharmacology course nurses will have general drug
information needed for safe and effective medication administration but will
need to consult a drug guide for specific drug information before
administering any medication. Pharmacology is constantly changing, with
new drugs entering the market and new uses for existing drugs identified.
Continuing education in pharmacology is essential to safe practice. Nurses
tend to become familiar with the medications they administer most often, but
there will always be a need to research new drugs and also those the nurse is
not familiar with because no nurse knows all medications.
7. A nurse is instructing a pregnant patient concerning the potential risk to her
fetus from a Pregnancy Category B drug. What would the nurse inform the
patient?
A) Adequate studies in pregnant women have demonstrated there is no risk
to the fetus.
B) Animal studies have not demonstrated a risk to the fetus, but there have
been no adequate studies in pregnant women.
C) Animal studies have shown an adverse effect on the fetus, but there are
no adequate studies in pregnant women.
D) There is evidence of human fetal risk, but the potential benefits from use
of the drug may be acceptable despite potential risks.
Ans: B
Feedback:
Category B indicates that animal studies have not demonstrated a risk to the
fetus. However, there have not been adequate studies in pregnant women to
demonstrate risk to a fetus during the first trimester of pregnancy and no
evidence of risk in later trimesters. Category A indicates that adequate
studies in pregnant women have not demonstrated a risk to the fetus in the
first trimester or in later trimesters. Category C indicates that animal studies
have shown an adverse effect on the fetus, but no adequate studies in
humans. Category D reveals evidence of human fetal risk, but the potential
benefits from the use of the drugs in pregnant women may outweigh
potential risks.
8. Discharge planning for patients leaving the hospital should include
instructions on the use of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. Which comment by
the patient would demonstrate a good understanding of OTC drugs?
A) OTC drugs are safe and do not cause adverse effects if taken properly.
B) OTC drugs have been around for years and have not been tested by the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
