PN PHARMACOLOGY PRACTICE EXAM 2026
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS EXAM REVIEW
GRADED A+
▶ What are medication safety organizations Answer: -the Food & Drug
Administration (FDA)
-the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP)
-the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
(JCAHO)
-the Institute of Medicine (IOM)
-The National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting &
Prevention (NCC MERP)
-the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Safe Use Initiative
▶ What is the FDA REMS program? Answer: assures that the benefits of
hazardous drugs outweigh the risks involved.
▶ What is rational therapeutics Answer: Knowing, understanding, and
implementing general principles and specific facts about classes of drugs
and individual drugs
▶ what is the goal of rational therapeutics Answer: to maximize therapeutic
responses while minimizing therapeutic failures and medical errors that
occur because of "therapeutic wrongs"
(prescribing/dispensing/administering the wrong drug/ wrong dose to the
wrong patient at the wrong time)
▶ The WHOs recommendation for prescribing Answer: -recommends that
any pharmacotherapy plan include the patient in its development.
-Always keep the patient as the focus of the treatment goals, especially
when deciding on a pharmacotherapy plan; medication selection should be
specific for that specific patient (i.e., take into account, the patent's age,
ethnicity, lifestyle, cultural habits, diet, etc.)
When counseling a patient on pharmacotherapy, include a discussion of
possible adverse drug reactions the patient may experience.
,Passive monitoring of medication efficacy is having the patient tell you if the
pharmacotherapy is successful or not.
Active monitoring of medication efficacy involves follow-up measures such
as laboratory tests and/or monitoring the patient to gauge therapeutic
success or failure.
▶ Ways to reduces medication errors Answer: · Avoid abbreviations if at all
possible
· Write out names of drugs
· Generic drug names are not capitalized
· Verbal orders can lead to sound-alike mistakes
*Error of omission: do not use 'as directed' on oral anticoagulants,
antiplatelets, cardiovascular drugs, or antibiotics.
▶ What does off label status mean Answer: means that a drug can be used
for an unapproved indication and is legitimate if there is clinical data
supporting its use for that indication.
▶ What does the word safe mean Answer: The word 'safe' means that the
FDA has determined that the drug's benefits are greater than the possible
risks involved with its use.
▶ Drug reactions in elderly are related to Answer: reduced renal function
due to age.
Adherence to pharmacotherapy is often decreased due to drug costs and
increasing patient out-of-pocket copayments.
▶ Beta adrenergic blocking agents: Answer: propranolol, metoprolol,
esmolol (short-acting), atenolol.
▶ Calcium channel blockers: Answer: amlodipine, nicardipine, verapamil,
felodipine, nifedipine, diltiazem,
▶ Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors: Answer: lisinopril, captopril,
enalapril, ramipril, benazepril, fosinopril.
▶ Important side effects of ACE inhibitors Answer: include cough and
angioedema.
, ▶ Angiotensin II receptor blocking agents: Answer: valsartan, losartan,
candesartan, irbesartan.
▶ Amlodipine is known to cause Answer: most peripheral edema,
especially pedal edema
▶ What is the result of Alpha-1 adrenergic stimulation Answer:
vasoconstriction and increased blood pressure
▶ What is the result of Alpha-1 adrenergic blockade Answer: vasodilation
and reduced blood pressure
▶ What is the result of Beta-1 adrenergic stimulation Answer: increased
heart rate, increased blood pressure and increased cardiac output.
▶ What is the result of Beta-1 adrenergic blockade Answer: reduced heart
rate, reduced blood pressure (by reducing vascular smooth muscle tone)
and reduced cardiac output.
▶ What effect does Beta-1 selective blocking agents on insulin release
Answer: little effect on insulin release from pancreatic beta-islet cells.
▶ Beta blockers and hypoglycemia Answer: Beta blockers can mask the
signs of hypoglycemia except the diaphoresis that accompanies
hypoglycemia.
▶ What medication should be prescribed If left ventricular dysfunction is
present in heart failure Answer: a beta blocker should be prescribed
because of its decrease in disease progression and beneficial effects on
survival.
▶ What should be known about nadolol dosing Answer: requires dosage
interval adjustment if reduced renal function is an issue.
▶ How should beta blockers be discontinued Answer: When stopping beta
blocker therapy, a taper of reducing half the dose every four days is
necessary to prevent a rebound MI.
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS EXAM REVIEW
GRADED A+
▶ What are medication safety organizations Answer: -the Food & Drug
Administration (FDA)
-the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP)
-the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
(JCAHO)
-the Institute of Medicine (IOM)
-The National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting &
Prevention (NCC MERP)
-the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Safe Use Initiative
▶ What is the FDA REMS program? Answer: assures that the benefits of
hazardous drugs outweigh the risks involved.
▶ What is rational therapeutics Answer: Knowing, understanding, and
implementing general principles and specific facts about classes of drugs
and individual drugs
▶ what is the goal of rational therapeutics Answer: to maximize therapeutic
responses while minimizing therapeutic failures and medical errors that
occur because of "therapeutic wrongs"
(prescribing/dispensing/administering the wrong drug/ wrong dose to the
wrong patient at the wrong time)
▶ The WHOs recommendation for prescribing Answer: -recommends that
any pharmacotherapy plan include the patient in its development.
-Always keep the patient as the focus of the treatment goals, especially
when deciding on a pharmacotherapy plan; medication selection should be
specific for that specific patient (i.e., take into account, the patent's age,
ethnicity, lifestyle, cultural habits, diet, etc.)
When counseling a patient on pharmacotherapy, include a discussion of
possible adverse drug reactions the patient may experience.
,Passive monitoring of medication efficacy is having the patient tell you if the
pharmacotherapy is successful or not.
Active monitoring of medication efficacy involves follow-up measures such
as laboratory tests and/or monitoring the patient to gauge therapeutic
success or failure.
▶ Ways to reduces medication errors Answer: · Avoid abbreviations if at all
possible
· Write out names of drugs
· Generic drug names are not capitalized
· Verbal orders can lead to sound-alike mistakes
*Error of omission: do not use 'as directed' on oral anticoagulants,
antiplatelets, cardiovascular drugs, or antibiotics.
▶ What does off label status mean Answer: means that a drug can be used
for an unapproved indication and is legitimate if there is clinical data
supporting its use for that indication.
▶ What does the word safe mean Answer: The word 'safe' means that the
FDA has determined that the drug's benefits are greater than the possible
risks involved with its use.
▶ Drug reactions in elderly are related to Answer: reduced renal function
due to age.
Adherence to pharmacotherapy is often decreased due to drug costs and
increasing patient out-of-pocket copayments.
▶ Beta adrenergic blocking agents: Answer: propranolol, metoprolol,
esmolol (short-acting), atenolol.
▶ Calcium channel blockers: Answer: amlodipine, nicardipine, verapamil,
felodipine, nifedipine, diltiazem,
▶ Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors: Answer: lisinopril, captopril,
enalapril, ramipril, benazepril, fosinopril.
▶ Important side effects of ACE inhibitors Answer: include cough and
angioedema.
, ▶ Angiotensin II receptor blocking agents: Answer: valsartan, losartan,
candesartan, irbesartan.
▶ Amlodipine is known to cause Answer: most peripheral edema,
especially pedal edema
▶ What is the result of Alpha-1 adrenergic stimulation Answer:
vasoconstriction and increased blood pressure
▶ What is the result of Alpha-1 adrenergic blockade Answer: vasodilation
and reduced blood pressure
▶ What is the result of Beta-1 adrenergic stimulation Answer: increased
heart rate, increased blood pressure and increased cardiac output.
▶ What is the result of Beta-1 adrenergic blockade Answer: reduced heart
rate, reduced blood pressure (by reducing vascular smooth muscle tone)
and reduced cardiac output.
▶ What effect does Beta-1 selective blocking agents on insulin release
Answer: little effect on insulin release from pancreatic beta-islet cells.
▶ Beta blockers and hypoglycemia Answer: Beta blockers can mask the
signs of hypoglycemia except the diaphoresis that accompanies
hypoglycemia.
▶ What medication should be prescribed If left ventricular dysfunction is
present in heart failure Answer: a beta blocker should be prescribed
because of its decrease in disease progression and beneficial effects on
survival.
▶ What should be known about nadolol dosing Answer: requires dosage
interval adjustment if reduced renal function is an issue.
▶ How should beta blockers be discontinued Answer: When stopping beta
blocker therapy, a taper of reducing half the dose every four days is
necessary to prevent a rebound MI.
