ATI CMS Pharmacology Exam Questions and
Answers with Detailed Rationales 2026 |
Verified | 100% Accurate
• What are the tests for kidney function? -✓✓Creatinine and GFR levels
• How do medications travel through the body? -✓✓"MADE"
- Metabolism
- Absorption
- Distribution
- Excretion
• What are the 8 routes of medication administration? -✓✓1. Nasal
2. Otic
3. Oral
4. Inhalation
5. Ocular
6. Inhalation
7. Topical/transdermal
8. Rectal/vaginal
• Pharmacokinetics of Absorption -✓✓IV route
- No barrier for absorption
• Pharmacokinetics of Metabolism -✓✓Liver, kidneys, lungs, intestines,
blood
- Can be affected by age, increase in some medication metabolism
enzymes, FIRST-PASS EFFECT, and nutritional status
• Pharmacokinetics of Elimination -✓✓Kidneys, liver, lungs, intestines,
and exocrine glands (ex. breast milk)
,• Pharmacodynamics -✓✓Interaction between medication and target
cells, body systems, and organs to produce effects
- Agonist
- Antagonist
- Partial Agonist
• Things to remember for the oral/enteral route -✓✓- Avoid
administration with interacting foods and beverages (ex. Grapefruit)
- Ensure to swallow enteric-coated or time-release capsules whole
- For sublingual, DO NOT eat or drink till fully dissolved
• Things to remember for NGT and gastrostomy tube routes -✓✓- DO
NOT administer sublingual medications through NG tube
- Administrate medications separately
- Completely dissolve crushed tablets and capsules
- DO NOT crush extended/time-release, fluid-filled, or enteric-coated
• Rapid-Acting Insulins -✓✓Lispro (Humalog), Aspart (Novolog),
Glulisine (Apidra)
- Onset - 15-30 min
- Peak - 0.5-2.5 hr
- Duration - 3-6 hr
• Short-Acting Insulins -✓✓- Regular (Humulin R, Novolin R)
- Onset 30 min-1 hr
- Peak 2-5 hr
- Duration 5-8 hr
*ONLY ONE GIVEN IV*
• Intermediate-Acting Insulins -✓✓NPH (Humulin N, Novolin N)
- Onset - 1-2 hr
- Peak - 4-12 hr
- Duration - 6-10 hr
, *CLOUDY*
• Long-Acting Insulins -✓✓Glargine (Lantus), Detemir (Levemir)
- Onset - 70 min
- Peak - NO PEAK
- Duration - 18-24 hr
Give once daily at bedtime
acts as basal insulin
*DO NOT MIX*
• Rights of Safe Medication Administration -✓✓1. Right client
2. Right medication
3. Right dose
4. Right time
5. Right route
6. Right documentation
Right client education
Right to refuse
Right assessment
Right evaluation
• 1 mg = ___ mcg -✓✓1000 mcg
• 1 L = ___ mL -✓✓1000 mL
• 1 kg = ___ lbs -✓✓2.2 lbs
• 1 g = ___ mg -✓✓1000 mg
• 1 tsp = ___ mL -✓✓5 mL
Answers with Detailed Rationales 2026 |
Verified | 100% Accurate
• What are the tests for kidney function? -✓✓Creatinine and GFR levels
• How do medications travel through the body? -✓✓"MADE"
- Metabolism
- Absorption
- Distribution
- Excretion
• What are the 8 routes of medication administration? -✓✓1. Nasal
2. Otic
3. Oral
4. Inhalation
5. Ocular
6. Inhalation
7. Topical/transdermal
8. Rectal/vaginal
• Pharmacokinetics of Absorption -✓✓IV route
- No barrier for absorption
• Pharmacokinetics of Metabolism -✓✓Liver, kidneys, lungs, intestines,
blood
- Can be affected by age, increase in some medication metabolism
enzymes, FIRST-PASS EFFECT, and nutritional status
• Pharmacokinetics of Elimination -✓✓Kidneys, liver, lungs, intestines,
and exocrine glands (ex. breast milk)
,• Pharmacodynamics -✓✓Interaction between medication and target
cells, body systems, and organs to produce effects
- Agonist
- Antagonist
- Partial Agonist
• Things to remember for the oral/enteral route -✓✓- Avoid
administration with interacting foods and beverages (ex. Grapefruit)
- Ensure to swallow enteric-coated or time-release capsules whole
- For sublingual, DO NOT eat or drink till fully dissolved
• Things to remember for NGT and gastrostomy tube routes -✓✓- DO
NOT administer sublingual medications through NG tube
- Administrate medications separately
- Completely dissolve crushed tablets and capsules
- DO NOT crush extended/time-release, fluid-filled, or enteric-coated
• Rapid-Acting Insulins -✓✓Lispro (Humalog), Aspart (Novolog),
Glulisine (Apidra)
- Onset - 15-30 min
- Peak - 0.5-2.5 hr
- Duration - 3-6 hr
• Short-Acting Insulins -✓✓- Regular (Humulin R, Novolin R)
- Onset 30 min-1 hr
- Peak 2-5 hr
- Duration 5-8 hr
*ONLY ONE GIVEN IV*
• Intermediate-Acting Insulins -✓✓NPH (Humulin N, Novolin N)
- Onset - 1-2 hr
- Peak - 4-12 hr
- Duration - 6-10 hr
, *CLOUDY*
• Long-Acting Insulins -✓✓Glargine (Lantus), Detemir (Levemir)
- Onset - 70 min
- Peak - NO PEAK
- Duration - 18-24 hr
Give once daily at bedtime
acts as basal insulin
*DO NOT MIX*
• Rights of Safe Medication Administration -✓✓1. Right client
2. Right medication
3. Right dose
4. Right time
5. Right route
6. Right documentation
Right client education
Right to refuse
Right assessment
Right evaluation
• 1 mg = ___ mcg -✓✓1000 mcg
• 1 L = ___ mL -✓✓1000 mL
• 1 kg = ___ lbs -✓✓2.2 lbs
• 1 g = ___ mg -✓✓1000 mg
• 1 tsp = ___ mL -✓✓5 mL
