BASIC PHARMACOLOGY FOR NURSES (19TH
EDITION) – TEST BANK 2025/2026 ACCURATE
QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED CORRECT
ANSWERS WITH DETAILED RATIONALES ||
100% GUARANTEED PASS <RECENT
VERSION>
BASIC PHARMACOLOGY FOR NURSES: TEST BANK
Part 1: Foundational Principles of Pharmacology
1. What is the study of how drugs are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and
excreted by the body?
A) Pharmacodynamics
B) Pharmacotherapeutics
C) Pharmacokinetics
D) Pharmacogenetics
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics is the process of drug movement throughout the
body that is necessary to achieve drug action, encompassing Absorption,
Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion (ADME).
2. The proprietary name given to a drug by its manufacturer is also known as
its:
A) Chemical name
B) Generic name
C) Trade name
D) Official name
Rationale: The trade name (or brand name) is the copyrighted name assigned by
the drug company and is followed by the trademark symbol ®.
3. The first-pass effect primarily affects the bioavailability of drugs
administered via which route?
,A) Intravenous
B) Intramuscular
C) Subcutaneous
D) Oral
Rationale: After oral administration, drugs are absorbed from the GI tract and
travel via the portal vein to the liver, where they may be extensively metabolized
before reaching the systemic circulation. This is the first-pass effect.
4. A drug's half-life is best defined as the time it takes for:
A) The drug to be completely eliminated from the body.
B) The drug to produce its therapeutic effect.
C) The serum concentration of the drug to be reduced by 50%.
D) The drug to be absorbed into the bloodstream.
Rationale: The half-life is a pharmacokinetic parameter that determines the
duration of a drug's action and the time required to reach steady state.
5. The primary organ responsible for drug metabolism (biotransformation) is
the:
A) Kidney
B) Liver
C) Lung
D) Stomach
Rationale: The liver is the major site of drug metabolism, where enzymes (like the
cytochrome P450 system) chemically alter drugs to make them more easily
excreted.
6. The primary organ responsible for the excretion of most drugs and their
metabolites is the:
A) Liver
B) Kidney
C) Large Intestine
D) Skin
Rationale: The kidneys filter drugs and metabolites from the blood into the urine
for elimination from the body.
, 7. What term describes the magnitude of maximal response that a drug can
produce?
A) Potency
B) Efficacy
C) Affinity
D) Synergism
Rationale: Efficacy refers to the maximum therapeutic effect a drug can achieve,
regardless of dose. Potency refers to the amount of drug needed to produce an
effect.
8. When two drugs administered together produce an effect greater than the
sum of their individual effects, it is called:
A) Antagonism
B) Additive effect
C) Synergism
D) Potentiation
Rationale: Synergism is a drug interaction where the combined effect is greater
than the simple sum of their individual effects (e.g., 1 + 1 > 2).
9. A medication order reads "Levothyroxine 100 mcg PO daily." The nurse
understands that "PO" means:
A) By mouth
B) As needed
C) At bedtime
D) By mouth
Rationale: "PO" is the abbreviation for "per os," which is Latin for "by mouth."
10. Before administering any medication, the nurse's most important action is
to:
A) Document the medication.
B) Crush the medication if the patient has difficulty swallowing.
C) Check the patient's identification using two identifiers.
D) Ask the family if the patient has allergies.
Rationale: The "right patient" is the first of the Ten Rights of Medication
EDITION) – TEST BANK 2025/2026 ACCURATE
QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED CORRECT
ANSWERS WITH DETAILED RATIONALES ||
100% GUARANTEED PASS <RECENT
VERSION>
BASIC PHARMACOLOGY FOR NURSES: TEST BANK
Part 1: Foundational Principles of Pharmacology
1. What is the study of how drugs are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and
excreted by the body?
A) Pharmacodynamics
B) Pharmacotherapeutics
C) Pharmacokinetics
D) Pharmacogenetics
Rationale: Pharmacokinetics is the process of drug movement throughout the
body that is necessary to achieve drug action, encompassing Absorption,
Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion (ADME).
2. The proprietary name given to a drug by its manufacturer is also known as
its:
A) Chemical name
B) Generic name
C) Trade name
D) Official name
Rationale: The trade name (or brand name) is the copyrighted name assigned by
the drug company and is followed by the trademark symbol ®.
3. The first-pass effect primarily affects the bioavailability of drugs
administered via which route?
,A) Intravenous
B) Intramuscular
C) Subcutaneous
D) Oral
Rationale: After oral administration, drugs are absorbed from the GI tract and
travel via the portal vein to the liver, where they may be extensively metabolized
before reaching the systemic circulation. This is the first-pass effect.
4. A drug's half-life is best defined as the time it takes for:
A) The drug to be completely eliminated from the body.
B) The drug to produce its therapeutic effect.
C) The serum concentration of the drug to be reduced by 50%.
D) The drug to be absorbed into the bloodstream.
Rationale: The half-life is a pharmacokinetic parameter that determines the
duration of a drug's action and the time required to reach steady state.
5. The primary organ responsible for drug metabolism (biotransformation) is
the:
A) Kidney
B) Liver
C) Lung
D) Stomach
Rationale: The liver is the major site of drug metabolism, where enzymes (like the
cytochrome P450 system) chemically alter drugs to make them more easily
excreted.
6. The primary organ responsible for the excretion of most drugs and their
metabolites is the:
A) Liver
B) Kidney
C) Large Intestine
D) Skin
Rationale: The kidneys filter drugs and metabolites from the blood into the urine
for elimination from the body.
, 7. What term describes the magnitude of maximal response that a drug can
produce?
A) Potency
B) Efficacy
C) Affinity
D) Synergism
Rationale: Efficacy refers to the maximum therapeutic effect a drug can achieve,
regardless of dose. Potency refers to the amount of drug needed to produce an
effect.
8. When two drugs administered together produce an effect greater than the
sum of their individual effects, it is called:
A) Antagonism
B) Additive effect
C) Synergism
D) Potentiation
Rationale: Synergism is a drug interaction where the combined effect is greater
than the simple sum of their individual effects (e.g., 1 + 1 > 2).
9. A medication order reads "Levothyroxine 100 mcg PO daily." The nurse
understands that "PO" means:
A) By mouth
B) As needed
C) At bedtime
D) By mouth
Rationale: "PO" is the abbreviation for "per os," which is Latin for "by mouth."
10. Before administering any medication, the nurse's most important action is
to:
A) Document the medication.
B) Crush the medication if the patient has difficulty swallowing.
C) Check the patient's identification using two identifiers.
D) Ask the family if the patient has allergies.
Rationale: The "right patient" is the first of the Ten Rights of Medication
