NSG 313 - Pharm Final Exam
Questions with All Correct Answers
2025-2026 Updated.
What is Pharmacokinetics? - Answer The impact of the body on drugs
Four major pharmacokinetic processes:
1. Drug absorption
2. Drug distribution
3. Drug metabolism
4. Drug excretion
What is Half life? - Answer This is the period of time required for the concentration or
amount of drug in the body to be reduced by one-half. We usually consider the half life of a
drug in relation to the amount of the drug in plasma. A drug's plasma half-life depends on how
quickly the drug is eliminated from the plasma.
-after 4 half lives a drug is no longer therapeutic and is considered "gone"
Illustrative Example:
Taking a 100 mg dose of an intravenous drug with a half-life of 15 minutes as an example, the
following is true:
15 minutes after the drug administration, 50 mg of the drug remains in the body.
30 minutes after the drug administration, 25 mg of the drug remains in the body.
45 minutes after the drug administration, 12.5 mg of the drug remains in the body.
1 hour after the drug administration, 6.25 mg of the drug remains in the body.
2 hours after the drug administration, 0.39 mg of the drug remains in the body.
What is Pharmacodynamics? - Answer The impact of drugs on the body.
What is Peak and Trough? - Answer trough is MEC and pack is maximum before toxicity
-A trough level is drawn immediately before the next dose of the drug is administered.
-A peak level is drawn 1 to several hours after the drug is administered (depending on the drug).
,CYP450 Metabolism (Grapefruit Juice) - Answer Grapefruit and grapefruit juice interrupt the
enzymes CYP450 when metabolizing drugs, such as:
-Calcium Channel Blockers (HTN)
-Statin drugs (cholesterol)
-transplant drugs
-SSRIs (depression)
-Versed (anesthesia for procedures)
Grapefruit slows down the metabolism of these drugs and therefore can cause toxicity of the
drug in an individual
p.59
Drug tolerance - Answer Three types of drug tolerance:
1. Pharmacodynamic tolerance: minimum effective concentration of a drug becomes
abnormally high
2.Metobolic tolerance: tolerance resulting from accelerated drug metabolism
3. Tachyphylaxis: a reduction in drug responsiveness brought on by repeated dosing over a short
time
p. 74, 75
Blood Brain Barrier - Answer -unique system of capillaries in the central nervous system
-tight junctions prevent drugs from passing through the barrier
-only LIPID SOLUBLE drugs or drugs that have a transport system can pass the BBB
-The BBB is not fully developed at birth and therefore newborns have tightened sensitivity to
medicines that act on the brain
p.32,33,89
Drug-Drug interaction types - Answer Additive
1+1= 2
, Potentiate
a+ b= B
Synergism
1+1= 5
Antagonism
1+ 1= 0
Idiosyncratic
1+ 1= 437 or -3 or 65 or -298
Inhibitory
1+ 1= 0.5
Agonist-Antagonist - Answer Agonist-antagonist opioids usually have a ceiling effect - over
particular dose they don't increase their potency. Hence agonist-antagonist opioids have a lower
addiction potential but also lower analgesic efficacy and are more likely to produce
psychotomimetic effects
Should not be used for any patient that is physically dependent on opioids Precipitate
Withdrawal.
Ex: Pentazocine (Talwin)
Butorphanol (Stadol)
Narrow & Wide Therapeutic Index - Answer Therapeutic Range - levels falling between the
minimum effective concentration (MEC) and toxic concentrations
Wide = safer
Narrow = difficult to administer safely
LD = lethal dose
---- = Therepeutic index
ED = average effective dose
p.53
When to crush and when not to crush a medication - Answer do not crush enteric coated
tablets, capsulated, or extended release tabs.
can crush tablets that are not enteric coated or capsulated
When to aspirate and when not to aspirate with injections - Answer Aspirate for:
Questions with All Correct Answers
2025-2026 Updated.
What is Pharmacokinetics? - Answer The impact of the body on drugs
Four major pharmacokinetic processes:
1. Drug absorption
2. Drug distribution
3. Drug metabolism
4. Drug excretion
What is Half life? - Answer This is the period of time required for the concentration or
amount of drug in the body to be reduced by one-half. We usually consider the half life of a
drug in relation to the amount of the drug in plasma. A drug's plasma half-life depends on how
quickly the drug is eliminated from the plasma.
-after 4 half lives a drug is no longer therapeutic and is considered "gone"
Illustrative Example:
Taking a 100 mg dose of an intravenous drug with a half-life of 15 minutes as an example, the
following is true:
15 minutes after the drug administration, 50 mg of the drug remains in the body.
30 minutes after the drug administration, 25 mg of the drug remains in the body.
45 minutes after the drug administration, 12.5 mg of the drug remains in the body.
1 hour after the drug administration, 6.25 mg of the drug remains in the body.
2 hours after the drug administration, 0.39 mg of the drug remains in the body.
What is Pharmacodynamics? - Answer The impact of drugs on the body.
What is Peak and Trough? - Answer trough is MEC and pack is maximum before toxicity
-A trough level is drawn immediately before the next dose of the drug is administered.
-A peak level is drawn 1 to several hours after the drug is administered (depending on the drug).
,CYP450 Metabolism (Grapefruit Juice) - Answer Grapefruit and grapefruit juice interrupt the
enzymes CYP450 when metabolizing drugs, such as:
-Calcium Channel Blockers (HTN)
-Statin drugs (cholesterol)
-transplant drugs
-SSRIs (depression)
-Versed (anesthesia for procedures)
Grapefruit slows down the metabolism of these drugs and therefore can cause toxicity of the
drug in an individual
p.59
Drug tolerance - Answer Three types of drug tolerance:
1. Pharmacodynamic tolerance: minimum effective concentration of a drug becomes
abnormally high
2.Metobolic tolerance: tolerance resulting from accelerated drug metabolism
3. Tachyphylaxis: a reduction in drug responsiveness brought on by repeated dosing over a short
time
p. 74, 75
Blood Brain Barrier - Answer -unique system of capillaries in the central nervous system
-tight junctions prevent drugs from passing through the barrier
-only LIPID SOLUBLE drugs or drugs that have a transport system can pass the BBB
-The BBB is not fully developed at birth and therefore newborns have tightened sensitivity to
medicines that act on the brain
p.32,33,89
Drug-Drug interaction types - Answer Additive
1+1= 2
, Potentiate
a+ b= B
Synergism
1+1= 5
Antagonism
1+ 1= 0
Idiosyncratic
1+ 1= 437 or -3 or 65 or -298
Inhibitory
1+ 1= 0.5
Agonist-Antagonist - Answer Agonist-antagonist opioids usually have a ceiling effect - over
particular dose they don't increase their potency. Hence agonist-antagonist opioids have a lower
addiction potential but also lower analgesic efficacy and are more likely to produce
psychotomimetic effects
Should not be used for any patient that is physically dependent on opioids Precipitate
Withdrawal.
Ex: Pentazocine (Talwin)
Butorphanol (Stadol)
Narrow & Wide Therapeutic Index - Answer Therapeutic Range - levels falling between the
minimum effective concentration (MEC) and toxic concentrations
Wide = safer
Narrow = difficult to administer safely
LD = lethal dose
---- = Therepeutic index
ED = average effective dose
p.53
When to crush and when not to crush a medication - Answer do not crush enteric coated
tablets, capsulated, or extended release tabs.
can crush tablets that are not enteric coated or capsulated
When to aspirate and when not to aspirate with injections - Answer Aspirate for:
