PHARMACOLOGY FINAL EXAM NEWEST 2026 ACTUAL
EXAM COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED
ANSWERS
A patient with which of the following disorders will need a lower dose of most drugs?
a. Infection
b. Cirrhosis
c. Diabetes
d. Colitis - CORRECT ANSWER b. cirrhosis
You are administering a medication to a patient who is in pain. What is the best way to know if
the medication worked?
a. The patient will ask for the same medication again.
b. The patient will tell you that his pain is gone.
c. The doctor will tell you that you have given enough medication.
d. The patient will no longer put on his call light. - CORRECT ANSWER b. The patient will tell you
that his pain is gone.
The nursing process is a way to solve problems. What step do you carry out to determine if the
method you chose to solve the problem was helpful?
a. Evaluation
b. Assessment
c. Diagnosis
d. Implementation - CORRECT ANSWER a. Evaluation
A current concern with elderly patients is the risk of increased adverse reactions and
interactions when many different drugs are taken at once. This is called
a. Synergism
b. Tolerance
c. Interdependence
d. Polypharmacy - CORRECT ANSWER d. Polypharmacy
,A PRN medication order gives the nurse discretion regarding when to give the drug within the
ordered parameters.
Select one:
True
False - CORRECT ANSWER True
What is the usual order of the nursing process?
Select one:
a. Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation
b. Diganosis, Evaluation, Assessment, Implementation, Planning
c. Planning, Implementation, Diagnosis, Evaluation, Assessment
d. Assessment, Evaluation, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation - CORRECT ANSWER a.
Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation
The patient's family has asked the doctor to make the patient comfortable but the patient wants
to stay alert. The doctor has ordered Morphine 15 mg every 3 hours prn for pain. The patient is
refusing to take the drug. How can you respond to the family and demonstrate support for the
patient's autonomy?
Select one:
a. "I appreciate your concern but your father has told me that he does not want the drug."
b. "I can see that your dad is having pain; I will prepare the drug."
c. "I will tell your father that you are requesting that he take his drugs for pain."
d. "Your father probably doesn't know what he is saying; I will get the drug for him." - CORRECT
ANSWER a. "I appreciate your concern but your father has told me that he does not want the
drug."
The nurse is gathering assessment data for a patient's drug history. The patient states "I am not
able to swallow pills." This is an example of which type of data?
Select one:
a. Objective
b. Subjective - CORRECT ANSWER b. Subjective
,Creams and ointments used for skin lesions exert primarily a(an):
Select one:
a. local effect.
b. systemic effect. - CORRECT ANSWER a. local effect
Morphine has a high first pass effect. What are the implications of this for a patient receiving
oral morphine for pain?
Select one:
a. The patient will need a lower dose of oral morphine than IV morphine.
b. The patient will need the same amount of IV or oral morphine.
c. The patient will need a higher dose of oral morphine than IV morphine. - CORRECT ANSWER
c. The patient will need a higher dose of oral morphine than IV morphine
Once a drug is administered, it is distributed throughout the body by the:
Select one:
a. blood.
b. liver.
c. kidneys.
d. GI mucosa - CORRECT ANSWER a. blood
The nurse is preparing to give a patient amlodipine/benazepril (Lotrel) an antihypertensive
medication. The patient's blood pressure has been in the 110/70 range the last 3 days which is
normal. Prior to administering this medication the nurse should do which of the following?
Select one:
a. Check the patient's heart rate.
b. Check the patient's blood pressure.
c. Call the physician and inquire why the medication is being given.
d. Hold the medication for further clarification. - CORRECT ANSWER b. Check the patient's blood
pressure.
Which information is most important to collect when assessing for allergies?
, Select one:
a. The date of the last reaction.
b. Whether or not the physician was contacted after the reaction.
c. If there is a supply of Benadryl in the home.
d. What the allergy is to and what type of reaction was experienced. - CORRECT ANSWER d.
What the allergy is to and what type of reaction was experienced.
Most drugs are excreted by which route?
Select one:
a. Urinary
b. Bowel
c. Respiratory
d. Oral - CORRECT ANSWER a. Urinary
Older adult patients often need lower drug doses. Which of the following statements best
explains why this occurs?
Select one:
a. Older people are at risk for drug tolerance.
b. Older people may have altered GI function and an inability to absorb and distribute
medications.
c. Older people have diminished liver and kidney function, which will slow metabolism and
excretion of medications.
d. Older people are at risk for polypharmacy, which can lead to dependence and addiction. -
CORRECT ANSWER c. Older people have diminished liver and kidney function, which will slow
metabolism and excretion of medications.
A patient has been on bronchodilator inhalers for 10 years. Over the years, he has had to
increase the dose and frequency of the inhalers to achieve the same effect. This is an example
of:
Select one:
a. drug dependence.
EXAM COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED
ANSWERS
A patient with which of the following disorders will need a lower dose of most drugs?
a. Infection
b. Cirrhosis
c. Diabetes
d. Colitis - CORRECT ANSWER b. cirrhosis
You are administering a medication to a patient who is in pain. What is the best way to know if
the medication worked?
a. The patient will ask for the same medication again.
b. The patient will tell you that his pain is gone.
c. The doctor will tell you that you have given enough medication.
d. The patient will no longer put on his call light. - CORRECT ANSWER b. The patient will tell you
that his pain is gone.
The nursing process is a way to solve problems. What step do you carry out to determine if the
method you chose to solve the problem was helpful?
a. Evaluation
b. Assessment
c. Diagnosis
d. Implementation - CORRECT ANSWER a. Evaluation
A current concern with elderly patients is the risk of increased adverse reactions and
interactions when many different drugs are taken at once. This is called
a. Synergism
b. Tolerance
c. Interdependence
d. Polypharmacy - CORRECT ANSWER d. Polypharmacy
,A PRN medication order gives the nurse discretion regarding when to give the drug within the
ordered parameters.
Select one:
True
False - CORRECT ANSWER True
What is the usual order of the nursing process?
Select one:
a. Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation
b. Diganosis, Evaluation, Assessment, Implementation, Planning
c. Planning, Implementation, Diagnosis, Evaluation, Assessment
d. Assessment, Evaluation, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation - CORRECT ANSWER a.
Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation
The patient's family has asked the doctor to make the patient comfortable but the patient wants
to stay alert. The doctor has ordered Morphine 15 mg every 3 hours prn for pain. The patient is
refusing to take the drug. How can you respond to the family and demonstrate support for the
patient's autonomy?
Select one:
a. "I appreciate your concern but your father has told me that he does not want the drug."
b. "I can see that your dad is having pain; I will prepare the drug."
c. "I will tell your father that you are requesting that he take his drugs for pain."
d. "Your father probably doesn't know what he is saying; I will get the drug for him." - CORRECT
ANSWER a. "I appreciate your concern but your father has told me that he does not want the
drug."
The nurse is gathering assessment data for a patient's drug history. The patient states "I am not
able to swallow pills." This is an example of which type of data?
Select one:
a. Objective
b. Subjective - CORRECT ANSWER b. Subjective
,Creams and ointments used for skin lesions exert primarily a(an):
Select one:
a. local effect.
b. systemic effect. - CORRECT ANSWER a. local effect
Morphine has a high first pass effect. What are the implications of this for a patient receiving
oral morphine for pain?
Select one:
a. The patient will need a lower dose of oral morphine than IV morphine.
b. The patient will need the same amount of IV or oral morphine.
c. The patient will need a higher dose of oral morphine than IV morphine. - CORRECT ANSWER
c. The patient will need a higher dose of oral morphine than IV morphine
Once a drug is administered, it is distributed throughout the body by the:
Select one:
a. blood.
b. liver.
c. kidneys.
d. GI mucosa - CORRECT ANSWER a. blood
The nurse is preparing to give a patient amlodipine/benazepril (Lotrel) an antihypertensive
medication. The patient's blood pressure has been in the 110/70 range the last 3 days which is
normal. Prior to administering this medication the nurse should do which of the following?
Select one:
a. Check the patient's heart rate.
b. Check the patient's blood pressure.
c. Call the physician and inquire why the medication is being given.
d. Hold the medication for further clarification. - CORRECT ANSWER b. Check the patient's blood
pressure.
Which information is most important to collect when assessing for allergies?
, Select one:
a. The date of the last reaction.
b. Whether or not the physician was contacted after the reaction.
c. If there is a supply of Benadryl in the home.
d. What the allergy is to and what type of reaction was experienced. - CORRECT ANSWER d.
What the allergy is to and what type of reaction was experienced.
Most drugs are excreted by which route?
Select one:
a. Urinary
b. Bowel
c. Respiratory
d. Oral - CORRECT ANSWER a. Urinary
Older adult patients often need lower drug doses. Which of the following statements best
explains why this occurs?
Select one:
a. Older people are at risk for drug tolerance.
b. Older people may have altered GI function and an inability to absorb and distribute
medications.
c. Older people have diminished liver and kidney function, which will slow metabolism and
excretion of medications.
d. Older people are at risk for polypharmacy, which can lead to dependence and addiction. -
CORRECT ANSWER c. Older people have diminished liver and kidney function, which will slow
metabolism and excretion of medications.
A patient has been on bronchodilator inhalers for 10 years. Over the years, he has had to
increase the dose and frequency of the inhalers to achieve the same effect. This is an example
of:
Select one:
a. drug dependence.
