GALEN NUR 210 ACTUAL EXAM PAPER 2026 QUESTIONS
WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
● Pharmacokinetics. Answer: The process in which medications move through the body
● What are the 4 phases of pharmacokinetics?. Answer: absorption, distribution, metabolism,
excretion
● Absorption. Answer: happens with drug movement from the GI tract into the bloodstream.
Most meds are taken by mouth.
● Oral absorption. Answer: Takes awhile to get absorbed because it has to go through the GI
system Usually takes 2-4 hours •Enteric coated aspirin - hard on stomach can not crush pill
•Extended release absorbed in the small intestine
● IM absorption. Answer: Absorbed 1-2 hours
● IV absorption. Answer: Absorbed 30-60 minutes
● dissolution. Answer: Dissolution happens when a po medication breaks down into particles,
disintegrates, and dissolves to combine with liquid so absorption from the GI tract into the
bloodstream occurs. Liquid medications are absorbed faster than solids. Food can interfere
with the absorption of drugs.
● Drugs that resist dissolution. Answer: Parenteral medications (SL, eyedrops, inhalants,
transdermal) do not pass through the GI tract. Enteric coated medications are designed to
resist disintegration until the pill reaches the small intestine. EC and sustained release meds
should not be crushed.
● Factors that affect absorption. Answer: •Lack of muscle and increased fat changes
medicine absorption •Food consumption - will change medicine potency (delayed) •Stress -
Exercise, medicine goes to muscle •pH - Medicine is made for acidic environments •Antacid
changes absorption •Taken alone so it doesn't change the action
● Excipients. Answer: Fillers and other substances that make up tablets as a pill is not 100%
drug. Sometimes an excipient enhances the absorption of a drug such as with PCN, which is
not well absorbed from the GI tract. Adding Na to PCN, which makes it penicillin sodium, will
increase the absorption of PCN
, ● first pass effect. Answer: •the oral drugs go to liver via portal vein where some of the drug
becomes inactive •Only happens with oral medications
● delayed gastric emptying. Answer: Food doesn't move like it should
● Distribution. Answer: refers to the movement of the drug from the circulation to body tissues
● Factors affecting distribution. Answer: -blood flow to tissues -protein binding -blood brain
barrier -drug's affinity to the tissue
● protein binding. Answer: Drugs bind with proteins in blood Some drugs are highly protein
bound and other are weakly protein bound
● free drugs. Answer: drugs not bound to protein
● Drug Toxicity. Answer: -Two highly protein bound drugs compete and one might
accumulate and cause a toxicity -it is important to know if you are administering highly protein
bound medications and monitor albumin levels in patients with liver or kidney disease. -Some
drugs that are highly protein bound include: Warfarin Furosemide Diazepam
● Drug distribution and albumin. Answer: -A decrease in albumin levels decrease the
protein-binding sites, which means more of the free drug is circulated. -This can be fatal with
some meds. -Free drugs are those not bound to protein, which means they are active in the
body and cause a pharmacologic response. -Older adults, malnourished individuals, and
those with liver or kidney disease have low albumin levels.
● Blood Brain Barrier (BBB). Answer: -The BBB protects the brain from most drugs. -Some
meds are able to cross the BBB such as benzodiazepines. -Drugs can cross the placenta and
cause spontaneous abortion or alter fetal growth and development.
● Metabolism. Answer: •Chemically changes drug to a form that can be excreted •Liver
primary site
● half-life. Answer: •the time it takes for the drug in the body to be reduced by half
● Loading dose. Answer: use of a higher dose than what is usually used for treatment to allow
the drug to reach the critical concentration (therapeutic level) sooner •Blood thinner •Antibiotic
● Exceretion. Answer: the removal of waste products from medications which is done mainly
through the kidneys Other routes for include lungs, sweat, saliva, and bile
● Factors effecting excretion. Answer: Disorders in which the blood flow to the kidneys is
reduced will influence drug excretion. Dehydration, CKD, and glomerulonephritis are
WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
● Pharmacokinetics. Answer: The process in which medications move through the body
● What are the 4 phases of pharmacokinetics?. Answer: absorption, distribution, metabolism,
excretion
● Absorption. Answer: happens with drug movement from the GI tract into the bloodstream.
Most meds are taken by mouth.
● Oral absorption. Answer: Takes awhile to get absorbed because it has to go through the GI
system Usually takes 2-4 hours •Enteric coated aspirin - hard on stomach can not crush pill
•Extended release absorbed in the small intestine
● IM absorption. Answer: Absorbed 1-2 hours
● IV absorption. Answer: Absorbed 30-60 minutes
● dissolution. Answer: Dissolution happens when a po medication breaks down into particles,
disintegrates, and dissolves to combine with liquid so absorption from the GI tract into the
bloodstream occurs. Liquid medications are absorbed faster than solids. Food can interfere
with the absorption of drugs.
● Drugs that resist dissolution. Answer: Parenteral medications (SL, eyedrops, inhalants,
transdermal) do not pass through the GI tract. Enteric coated medications are designed to
resist disintegration until the pill reaches the small intestine. EC and sustained release meds
should not be crushed.
● Factors that affect absorption. Answer: •Lack of muscle and increased fat changes
medicine absorption •Food consumption - will change medicine potency (delayed) •Stress -
Exercise, medicine goes to muscle •pH - Medicine is made for acidic environments •Antacid
changes absorption •Taken alone so it doesn't change the action
● Excipients. Answer: Fillers and other substances that make up tablets as a pill is not 100%
drug. Sometimes an excipient enhances the absorption of a drug such as with PCN, which is
not well absorbed from the GI tract. Adding Na to PCN, which makes it penicillin sodium, will
increase the absorption of PCN
, ● first pass effect. Answer: •the oral drugs go to liver via portal vein where some of the drug
becomes inactive •Only happens with oral medications
● delayed gastric emptying. Answer: Food doesn't move like it should
● Distribution. Answer: refers to the movement of the drug from the circulation to body tissues
● Factors affecting distribution. Answer: -blood flow to tissues -protein binding -blood brain
barrier -drug's affinity to the tissue
● protein binding. Answer: Drugs bind with proteins in blood Some drugs are highly protein
bound and other are weakly protein bound
● free drugs. Answer: drugs not bound to protein
● Drug Toxicity. Answer: -Two highly protein bound drugs compete and one might
accumulate and cause a toxicity -it is important to know if you are administering highly protein
bound medications and monitor albumin levels in patients with liver or kidney disease. -Some
drugs that are highly protein bound include: Warfarin Furosemide Diazepam
● Drug distribution and albumin. Answer: -A decrease in albumin levels decrease the
protein-binding sites, which means more of the free drug is circulated. -This can be fatal with
some meds. -Free drugs are those not bound to protein, which means they are active in the
body and cause a pharmacologic response. -Older adults, malnourished individuals, and
those with liver or kidney disease have low albumin levels.
● Blood Brain Barrier (BBB). Answer: -The BBB protects the brain from most drugs. -Some
meds are able to cross the BBB such as benzodiazepines. -Drugs can cross the placenta and
cause spontaneous abortion or alter fetal growth and development.
● Metabolism. Answer: •Chemically changes drug to a form that can be excreted •Liver
primary site
● half-life. Answer: •the time it takes for the drug in the body to be reduced by half
● Loading dose. Answer: use of a higher dose than what is usually used for treatment to allow
the drug to reach the critical concentration (therapeutic level) sooner •Blood thinner •Antibiotic
● Exceretion. Answer: the removal of waste products from medications which is done mainly
through the kidneys Other routes for include lungs, sweat, saliva, and bile
● Factors effecting excretion. Answer: Disorders in which the blood flow to the kidneys is
reduced will influence drug excretion. Dehydration, CKD, and glomerulonephritis are
