NURS 5334 Advanced Pharmacology
Final Exam 2025–2026 – Verified
Questions and Answers – Pharmacology
SECTION 1: PHARMACOKINETICS & PHARMACODYNAMICS
(Questions 1-20)
Question 1
Which of the following best defines pharmacokinetics?
A. What the drug does to the body
B. What the body does to the drug
C. The study of drug receptors
D. The study of drug toxicity
Correct ,,,ANSWER,,,: B
Rationale:
• Option A is incorrect – This describes pharmacodynamics .
• Option B is CORRECT – Pharmacokinetics refers to the study of drug
movement through the body, specifically what the body does to the drug,
encompassing the four processes of absorption, distribution, metabolism,
and excretion .
• Option C is incorrect – Receptor study is part of pharmacodynamics.
, • Option D is incorrect – Toxicity is a component of pharmacodynamics or
adverse drug reactions.
Question 2
The four phases of pharmacokinetics are:
A. Absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion
B. Administration, distribution, metabolism, elimination
C. Absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination
D. Administration, absorption, distribution, excretion
Correct ,,,ANSWER,,,: A
Rationale:
• Option A is CORRECT – The four phases of pharmacokinetics are
absorption (movement from administration site to blood), distribution
(movement from blood to tissues), metabolism (biotransformation, primarily
in liver), and excretion (elimination from body, primarily via kidneys) .
• Option B is incorrect – "Administration" and "elimination" are not the
standard four phases.
• Option C is incorrect – "Elimination" is sometimes used interchangeably
with "excretion," but absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion
(ADME) are the classic four.
• Option D is incorrect – "Administration" is not a pharmacokinetic phase.
Question 3
Bioavailability refers to:
,A. The rate at which a drug is absorbed
B. The extent to which a drug becomes available to the body after absorption
C. The amount of drug bound to plasma proteins
D. The time required for a drug to reach peak concentration
Correct ,,,ANSWER,,,: B
Rationale:
• Option A is incorrect – This describes rate of absorption, not
bioavailability.
• Option B is CORRECT – Bioavailability is the extent (fraction) of an
administered dose of unchanged drug that reaches systemic circulation .
• Option C is incorrect – This describes protein binding.
• Option D is incorrect – This describes Tmax, not bioavailability.
Question 4
A drug with a narrow therapeutic index requires:
A. No special monitoring
B. Lower initial doses only
C. Monitoring of serum drug levels
D. Administration only in a hospital setting
Correct ,,,ANSWER,,,: C
Rationale:
• Option A is incorrect – Narrow therapeutic index drugs require careful
monitoring.
, • Option B is incorrect – While lower doses may be appropriate, the key
requirement is monitoring.
• Option C is CORRECT – A narrow therapeutic index means the difference
between the minimum effective concentration and the toxic concentration is
small, so serum drug levels must be monitored .
• Option D is incorrect – Many narrow therapeutic index drugs can be used
in outpatient settings with monitoring.
Question 5
Which drug characteristic would result in a longer duration of action?
A. High hepatic extraction ratio
B. Extensive protein binding
C. Short half-life
D. Low volume of distribution
Correct ,,,ANSWER,,,: B
Rationale:
• Option A is incorrect – High hepatic extraction means rapid metabolism,
shorter duration.
• Option B is CORRECT – Extensive protein binding creates a reservoir of
bound drug that can be released as free drug is eliminated, prolonging
duration of action .
• Option C is incorrect – Short half-life means the drug is eliminated
quickly, resulting in shorter duration.
• Option D is incorrect – Volume of distribution's relationship to duration is
complex; low Vd alone does not predict longer duration.
Final Exam 2025–2026 – Verified
Questions and Answers – Pharmacology
SECTION 1: PHARMACOKINETICS & PHARMACODYNAMICS
(Questions 1-20)
Question 1
Which of the following best defines pharmacokinetics?
A. What the drug does to the body
B. What the body does to the drug
C. The study of drug receptors
D. The study of drug toxicity
Correct ,,,ANSWER,,,: B
Rationale:
• Option A is incorrect – This describes pharmacodynamics .
• Option B is CORRECT – Pharmacokinetics refers to the study of drug
movement through the body, specifically what the body does to the drug,
encompassing the four processes of absorption, distribution, metabolism,
and excretion .
• Option C is incorrect – Receptor study is part of pharmacodynamics.
, • Option D is incorrect – Toxicity is a component of pharmacodynamics or
adverse drug reactions.
Question 2
The four phases of pharmacokinetics are:
A. Absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion
B. Administration, distribution, metabolism, elimination
C. Absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination
D. Administration, absorption, distribution, excretion
Correct ,,,ANSWER,,,: A
Rationale:
• Option A is CORRECT – The four phases of pharmacokinetics are
absorption (movement from administration site to blood), distribution
(movement from blood to tissues), metabolism (biotransformation, primarily
in liver), and excretion (elimination from body, primarily via kidneys) .
• Option B is incorrect – "Administration" and "elimination" are not the
standard four phases.
• Option C is incorrect – "Elimination" is sometimes used interchangeably
with "excretion," but absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion
(ADME) are the classic four.
• Option D is incorrect – "Administration" is not a pharmacokinetic phase.
Question 3
Bioavailability refers to:
,A. The rate at which a drug is absorbed
B. The extent to which a drug becomes available to the body after absorption
C. The amount of drug bound to plasma proteins
D. The time required for a drug to reach peak concentration
Correct ,,,ANSWER,,,: B
Rationale:
• Option A is incorrect – This describes rate of absorption, not
bioavailability.
• Option B is CORRECT – Bioavailability is the extent (fraction) of an
administered dose of unchanged drug that reaches systemic circulation .
• Option C is incorrect – This describes protein binding.
• Option D is incorrect – This describes Tmax, not bioavailability.
Question 4
A drug with a narrow therapeutic index requires:
A. No special monitoring
B. Lower initial doses only
C. Monitoring of serum drug levels
D. Administration only in a hospital setting
Correct ,,,ANSWER,,,: C
Rationale:
• Option A is incorrect – Narrow therapeutic index drugs require careful
monitoring.
, • Option B is incorrect – While lower doses may be appropriate, the key
requirement is monitoring.
• Option C is CORRECT – A narrow therapeutic index means the difference
between the minimum effective concentration and the toxic concentration is
small, so serum drug levels must be monitored .
• Option D is incorrect – Many narrow therapeutic index drugs can be used
in outpatient settings with monitoring.
Question 5
Which drug characteristic would result in a longer duration of action?
A. High hepatic extraction ratio
B. Extensive protein binding
C. Short half-life
D. Low volume of distribution
Correct ,,,ANSWER,,,: B
Rationale:
• Option A is incorrect – High hepatic extraction means rapid metabolism,
shorter duration.
• Option B is CORRECT – Extensive protein binding creates a reservoir of
bound drug that can be released as free drug is eliminated, prolonging
duration of action .
• Option C is incorrect – Short half-life means the drug is eliminated
quickly, resulting in shorter duration.
• Option D is incorrect – Volume of distribution's relationship to duration is
complex; low Vd alone does not predict longer duration.
