NURS 676 ADVANCED PHARMACOLOGY
COMPREHENSIVE EXAM 2026 STUDY
GUIDE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS TESTED
SOLUTIONS
●● Pharmacokinetics.
Answer: Relationship between the dose and the concentration of that
drug in body fluids and tissues over time
"what the body does with drug" --> study of the time course of a drug
-Absorption
-Distribution
-Metabolism/biotransformation
-Excretion/elimination
●● Pharmacodynamics.
Answer: The relationship between drug concentration at the site of
action and the resulting effect --> "what the drug does to the body/result
you see in the pt at a predefined dosage regimen"
Pharmacological effect is due to the alteration of an intrinsic physiologic
process and not the creation of a new process.
,Looks at mechanism of drug action, efficacy, and safety profile.
-Receptor interaction
-Signal transduction
-Physiologic effect
-Pt's functional status
●● Important Drug Characteristics.
Answer: -Effectiveness*
-Safety*
-Selectivity --> don't want the drug to do more than it has to
●● Categories of Drug Products.
Answer: -Prescription medications
-Controlled substances
-OTC
-Dietary supplements/herbals
●● Classifications of Drugs.
Answer: -Chemical class (e.g. beta-lactam antibiotic)
-Pharmacological action (e.g., Ca channel blocker)
,-Therapeutic indication (e.g., antihypertensive)
●● Drug Nomenclature.
Answer: -Chemical name (e.g., acetylsalicylic acid/ASA)
-Generic name (e.g., acetaminophen) --> most appropriate for health
care workers to use!!!
-Brand/trade name (e.g., Tylenol)
●● FDA Package Insert.
Answer: Drug monograph
Desribes the drug, outlines its FDA-approved uses, dosing, and duration
of therapy, summarizes its possible beneficial and harmful effects on pt
and gives the prescriber directions for its safe & effective use.
Must accompany all rx drug packages to the pharmacy as well as ads,
promo materials, and company-provided medical info requests.
●● FDA Pregnancy Categories.
Answer: A = controlled studies show no risk (e.g., insulin,
levothyroxine)
B = no evidence of risk in humans (e.g., penicillin, azithromycin,
diphenhydramine)
, C = risk cannot be ruled out (e.g., sulfonyureas, codeine, cipro, aspirin)
D = positive evidence of risk (e.g., carbamazepine, phenytoin,
tetracyclines)
X = contraindicated in pregnancy (e.g., warfarin, triazolam, flurazepam,
methotrexate)
**Important to weigh the risks and benefits to mother and fetus!
●● Prescription Medications.
Answer: Require direct medical supervision for use
Have potential to cause serious harm if housed or monitored
inappropriately
Require a prescription from an authorized prescriber
●● Controlled Substances.
Answer: Subdivision of rx medications
Chemical substances deemed dangerous because of potential for abuse
COMPREHENSIVE EXAM 2026 STUDY
GUIDE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS TESTED
SOLUTIONS
●● Pharmacokinetics.
Answer: Relationship between the dose and the concentration of that
drug in body fluids and tissues over time
"what the body does with drug" --> study of the time course of a drug
-Absorption
-Distribution
-Metabolism/biotransformation
-Excretion/elimination
●● Pharmacodynamics.
Answer: The relationship between drug concentration at the site of
action and the resulting effect --> "what the drug does to the body/result
you see in the pt at a predefined dosage regimen"
Pharmacological effect is due to the alteration of an intrinsic physiologic
process and not the creation of a new process.
,Looks at mechanism of drug action, efficacy, and safety profile.
-Receptor interaction
-Signal transduction
-Physiologic effect
-Pt's functional status
●● Important Drug Characteristics.
Answer: -Effectiveness*
-Safety*
-Selectivity --> don't want the drug to do more than it has to
●● Categories of Drug Products.
Answer: -Prescription medications
-Controlled substances
-OTC
-Dietary supplements/herbals
●● Classifications of Drugs.
Answer: -Chemical class (e.g. beta-lactam antibiotic)
-Pharmacological action (e.g., Ca channel blocker)
,-Therapeutic indication (e.g., antihypertensive)
●● Drug Nomenclature.
Answer: -Chemical name (e.g., acetylsalicylic acid/ASA)
-Generic name (e.g., acetaminophen) --> most appropriate for health
care workers to use!!!
-Brand/trade name (e.g., Tylenol)
●● FDA Package Insert.
Answer: Drug monograph
Desribes the drug, outlines its FDA-approved uses, dosing, and duration
of therapy, summarizes its possible beneficial and harmful effects on pt
and gives the prescriber directions for its safe & effective use.
Must accompany all rx drug packages to the pharmacy as well as ads,
promo materials, and company-provided medical info requests.
●● FDA Pregnancy Categories.
Answer: A = controlled studies show no risk (e.g., insulin,
levothyroxine)
B = no evidence of risk in humans (e.g., penicillin, azithromycin,
diphenhydramine)
, C = risk cannot be ruled out (e.g., sulfonyureas, codeine, cipro, aspirin)
D = positive evidence of risk (e.g., carbamazepine, phenytoin,
tetracyclines)
X = contraindicated in pregnancy (e.g., warfarin, triazolam, flurazepam,
methotrexate)
**Important to weigh the risks and benefits to mother and fetus!
●● Prescription Medications.
Answer: Require direct medical supervision for use
Have potential to cause serious harm if housed or monitored
inappropriately
Require a prescription from an authorized prescriber
●● Controlled Substances.
Answer: Subdivision of rx medications
Chemical substances deemed dangerous because of potential for abuse
