NURS 180 Pharmacology Week 1 Comprehensive Quiz 2026 |WCU
1. Which phase of pharmacokinetics is primarily concerned with the movement
of a drug from its site of administration into the bloodstream?
A. Distribution
B. Metabolism
C. Excretion
D. Absorption
Answer: D
Rationale: Absorption is the process by which a drug moves from the site of
administration into the systemic circulation.
2. A drug that is highly protein-bound (e.g., to albumin) will likely have which of
the following characteristics?
A. A longer duration of action due to slower release
B. A higher concentration of free drug in the plasma
C. Immediate excretion via glomerular filtration
D. Rapid onset of therapeutic effects
Answer: A
Rationale: Protein-bound drugs are pharmacologically inactive; only free drug molecules
can exert effects. High binding usually leads to a longer half-life as the drug is released
slowly.
,3. Which concept describes the percentage of an administered drug dose that
reaches the systemic circulation in an unchanged form?
A. Bioavailability
B. Potency
C. First-pass effect
D. Therapeutic index
Answer: A
Rationale: Bioavailability represents the fraction of the drug that reaches the systemic
circulation; IV drugs have 100% bioavailability.
4. The first-pass effect occurs when a drug is metabolized in the liver before
reaching systemic circulation. This effect is most significant for which route?
A. Sublingual
B. Intravenous
C. Transdermal
D. Oral
Answer: D
Rationale: Orally administered drugs are absorbed in the GI tract and carried via the
portal vein to the liver, where significant metabolism can occur before systemic
distribution.
5. If a drug has a half-life of 4 hours, what percentage of the drug will remain in
the body after 12 hours?
A. 12.5%
B. 25%
C. 50%
D. 6.25%
Answer: A
, Rationale: After 4 hours (1 half-life), 50% remains. After 8 hours (2 half-lives), 25%
remains. After 12 hours (3 half-lives), 12.5% remains.
6. A drug with a narrow therapeutic index (TI) requires which nursing
intervention?
A. Administration of the drug only on an as-needed basis
B. Increasing the dose until side effects occur
C. Close monitoring of serum drug levels
D. Double-checking the patient’s blood type
Answer: C
Rationale: A narrow TI indicates that the difference between a therapeutic dose and a
toxic dose is small, necessitating frequent serum level monitoring.
7. A patient is taking a drug that inhibits the Cytochrome P450 enzyme system.
If they take another drug metabolized by that system, what is the likely result?
A. Decreased therapeutic effect of the second drug
B. No change in the second drug’s concentration
C. Rapid excretion of the second drug
D. Increased risk of toxicity for the second drug
Answer: D
Rationale: Enzyme inhibition slows down the metabolism of other drugs using the same
pathway, leading to higher plasma levels and potential toxicity.
8. A drug that binds to a receptor and produces a maximal response is known
as:
A. An antagonist
B. A partial agonist
C. A competitive inhibitor
D. A full agonist
Answer: D
1. Which phase of pharmacokinetics is primarily concerned with the movement
of a drug from its site of administration into the bloodstream?
A. Distribution
B. Metabolism
C. Excretion
D. Absorption
Answer: D
Rationale: Absorption is the process by which a drug moves from the site of
administration into the systemic circulation.
2. A drug that is highly protein-bound (e.g., to albumin) will likely have which of
the following characteristics?
A. A longer duration of action due to slower release
B. A higher concentration of free drug in the plasma
C. Immediate excretion via glomerular filtration
D. Rapid onset of therapeutic effects
Answer: A
Rationale: Protein-bound drugs are pharmacologically inactive; only free drug molecules
can exert effects. High binding usually leads to a longer half-life as the drug is released
slowly.
,3. Which concept describes the percentage of an administered drug dose that
reaches the systemic circulation in an unchanged form?
A. Bioavailability
B. Potency
C. First-pass effect
D. Therapeutic index
Answer: A
Rationale: Bioavailability represents the fraction of the drug that reaches the systemic
circulation; IV drugs have 100% bioavailability.
4. The first-pass effect occurs when a drug is metabolized in the liver before
reaching systemic circulation. This effect is most significant for which route?
A. Sublingual
B. Intravenous
C. Transdermal
D. Oral
Answer: D
Rationale: Orally administered drugs are absorbed in the GI tract and carried via the
portal vein to the liver, where significant metabolism can occur before systemic
distribution.
5. If a drug has a half-life of 4 hours, what percentage of the drug will remain in
the body after 12 hours?
A. 12.5%
B. 25%
C. 50%
D. 6.25%
Answer: A
, Rationale: After 4 hours (1 half-life), 50% remains. After 8 hours (2 half-lives), 25%
remains. After 12 hours (3 half-lives), 12.5% remains.
6. A drug with a narrow therapeutic index (TI) requires which nursing
intervention?
A. Administration of the drug only on an as-needed basis
B. Increasing the dose until side effects occur
C. Close monitoring of serum drug levels
D. Double-checking the patient’s blood type
Answer: C
Rationale: A narrow TI indicates that the difference between a therapeutic dose and a
toxic dose is small, necessitating frequent serum level monitoring.
7. A patient is taking a drug that inhibits the Cytochrome P450 enzyme system.
If they take another drug metabolized by that system, what is the likely result?
A. Decreased therapeutic effect of the second drug
B. No change in the second drug’s concentration
C. Rapid excretion of the second drug
D. Increased risk of toxicity for the second drug
Answer: D
Rationale: Enzyme inhibition slows down the metabolism of other drugs using the same
pathway, leading to higher plasma levels and potential toxicity.
8. A drug that binds to a receptor and produces a maximal response is known
as:
A. An antagonist
B. A partial agonist
C. A competitive inhibitor
D. A full agonist
Answer: D
