,Chapter 1: Orientation to Pharmacology
Test Bank
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The nurse is teaching a patient how a medication works to treat an illness. To do this, the
nurse will rely on knowledge of:
a. clinical pharmacology.
b. drug efficacy.
c. pharmacokinetics.
d. pharmacotherapeutics.
ANS: D
Pharmacotherapeutics is the study of the use of drugs to diagnose, treat, and prevent
conditions. Clinical pharmacology is concerned with all aspects of drug–human interactions.
Drug efficacy measures the extent to which a given drug causes an intended effect.
Pharmacokinetics is the study of the impact of the body on a drug.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: Four Basic Terms
TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies
2. What does it mean when a drug is described as easy to administer?
a. It can be stored indefinitely without need for refrigeration.
b. It does not interact significantly with other medications.
c. It enhances patient adherence to the drug regimen.
d. It is usually relatively inexpensive to produce.
ANS: C
A major benefit of drugs that are easy to administer is that patients taking them are more
likely to comply with the drug regimen. Drugs that are easy to give may have the other
attributes listed, but those properties are independent of ease of administration.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension
, REF: Additional Properties of an Ideal Drug: Ease of Administration
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment
MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies
3. A patient tells the nurse that he was told by the prescriber that the analgesic he is taking is
very effective. Which statement by the patient demonstrates an understanding of the drug’s
effectiveness?
a. “I don’t have to worry about toxicity, since it takes a large amount of this drug to
cause an overdose.”
b. “It has no side effects and doesn’t interact with other drugs.”
c. “I only have to take it every 12 hours.”
d. “It might make me sleepy, and it lessens pain for several hours at a time.”
ANS: D
, A drug is effective if it produces the intended effects, even if it also produces side effects.
Because no drug is completely safe, the level of toxicity does not determine effectiveness. All
drugs have side effects and many react with other substances; these do not affect the drug’s
effectiveness. Ease of administration is independent of a drug’s effectiveness.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: Properties of an Ideal Drug
TOP: Nursing Process: Evaluation
MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies
MULTIPLE RESPONSE
1. What are the properties of an ideal drug? (Select all that apply.)
a. Irreversible action
b. Predictability
c. Ease of administration
d. Chemical stability
e. A simple trade name
ANS: B, C, D
In addition to predictability, ease of administration, and chemical stability, other properties
include a reversible action so that any harm the drug may cause can be undone and a simple
generic name, because generic names are usually complex and difficult to remember and
pronounce.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension
REF: Properties of an Ideal Drug | Additional Properties of an Ideal Drug
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment
MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies
2. Before administering a medication, what does the nurse need to know to evaluate how
individual patient variability might affect the patient’s response to the medication? (Select all
that apply.)
a. Chemical stability of the medication
b. Ease of administration
c. Family medical history
d. Patient’s age
e. Patient’s diagnosis
ANS: C, D, E
The family medical history can indicate genetic factors that may affect a patient’s response to
a medication. Patients of different ages can respond differently to medications. The patient’s
illness can affect how drugs are metabolized. The chemical stability of the medication and the
ease of administration are properties of drugs.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Analysis REF: Sources of Individual Variation
TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential
Test Bank
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The nurse is teaching a patient how a medication works to treat an illness. To do this, the
nurse will rely on knowledge of:
a. clinical pharmacology.
b. drug efficacy.
c. pharmacokinetics.
d. pharmacotherapeutics.
ANS: D
Pharmacotherapeutics is the study of the use of drugs to diagnose, treat, and prevent
conditions. Clinical pharmacology is concerned with all aspects of drug–human interactions.
Drug efficacy measures the extent to which a given drug causes an intended effect.
Pharmacokinetics is the study of the impact of the body on a drug.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: Four Basic Terms
TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies
2. What does it mean when a drug is described as easy to administer?
a. It can be stored indefinitely without need for refrigeration.
b. It does not interact significantly with other medications.
c. It enhances patient adherence to the drug regimen.
d. It is usually relatively inexpensive to produce.
ANS: C
A major benefit of drugs that are easy to administer is that patients taking them are more
likely to comply with the drug regimen. Drugs that are easy to give may have the other
attributes listed, but those properties are independent of ease of administration.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension
, REF: Additional Properties of an Ideal Drug: Ease of Administration
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment
MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies
3. A patient tells the nurse that he was told by the prescriber that the analgesic he is taking is
very effective. Which statement by the patient demonstrates an understanding of the drug’s
effectiveness?
a. “I don’t have to worry about toxicity, since it takes a large amount of this drug to
cause an overdose.”
b. “It has no side effects and doesn’t interact with other drugs.”
c. “I only have to take it every 12 hours.”
d. “It might make me sleepy, and it lessens pain for several hours at a time.”
ANS: D
, A drug is effective if it produces the intended effects, even if it also produces side effects.
Because no drug is completely safe, the level of toxicity does not determine effectiveness. All
drugs have side effects and many react with other substances; these do not affect the drug’s
effectiveness. Ease of administration is independent of a drug’s effectiveness.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: Properties of an Ideal Drug
TOP: Nursing Process: Evaluation
MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies
MULTIPLE RESPONSE
1. What are the properties of an ideal drug? (Select all that apply.)
a. Irreversible action
b. Predictability
c. Ease of administration
d. Chemical stability
e. A simple trade name
ANS: B, C, D
In addition to predictability, ease of administration, and chemical stability, other properties
include a reversible action so that any harm the drug may cause can be undone and a simple
generic name, because generic names are usually complex and difficult to remember and
pronounce.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension
REF: Properties of an Ideal Drug | Additional Properties of an Ideal Drug
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment
MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies
2. Before administering a medication, what does the nurse need to know to evaluate how
individual patient variability might affect the patient’s response to the medication? (Select all
that apply.)
a. Chemical stability of the medication
b. Ease of administration
c. Family medical history
d. Patient’s age
e. Patient’s diagnosis
ANS: C, D, E
The family medical history can indicate genetic factors that may affect a patient’s response to
a medication. Patients of different ages can respond differently to medications. The patient’s
illness can affect how drugs are metabolized. The chemical stability of the medication and the
ease of administration are properties of drugs.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Analysis REF: Sources of Individual Variation
TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential
