NURS 212 Unit 1: Introduction to Pharmacology UPDATED
ACTUAL Questions and CORRECT Answers
Primary objective of drug therapy Maximum benefit with minimal harm
Three pillars of an ideal drug Safe, effective, and accessible
Definition of Pharmacokinetics (PK) What the body does to the drug
Four phases of Pharmacokinetics (ADME) Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion
Definition of Pharmacodynamics (PD) What the drug does to the body
Definition of Absorption Movement from administration site to bloodstream
Impact of surface area on absorption Larger surface area increases absorption
Lipid solubility and absorption High lipid solubility increases absorption
Definition of bioavailablity Fraction of drug reaching systemic circulation
Definition of Distribution Transport of drug to the site of action
Primary protein that binds drugs in the blood Albumin
Difference between free drug and bound drug Only free drugs are pharmacologically active
Definition of Metabolism (Biotransformation) Enzymatic alteration of drug structure
Primary organ for drug metabolism Liver
The First-Pass Effect Rapid hepatic inactivation of certain oral drugs
Definition of a Prodrug Inactive compound activated by metabolism
Primary organ for drug excretion Kidneys
Non-renal routes of excretion Bile, sweat, saliva, breast milk, expired air
Impact of kidney failure on pharmacokinetics Decreased excretion leading to toxicity
Mechanism of Action (MOA) How a drug produces its effects
, Definition of an Agonist Binds to and activates a receptor
Definition of an Antagonist Binds to and blocks a receptor
Definition of a Partial Agonist Activates receptor with submaximal effect
Definition of Affinity Strength of attraction between drug and receptor
Definition of Selectivity Drug's ability to act on specific receptors
Intrinsic Activity Ability of drug to activate a receptor
Primary Agonist characteristic High affinity and high intrinsic activity
Primary Antagonist characteristic Affinity but no intrinsic activity
Definition of Therapeutic Index (TI) Ratio of lethal dose to effective dose
Clinical significance of a High TI The drug is relatively safe
Clinical significance of a Low TI The drug is relatively unsafe
Minimum Effective Concentration (MEC) Plasma level below which no effect occurs
Therapeutic Range Level between MEC and toxic concentration
Goal of drug level monitoring Maintain levels within the therapeutic range
Enteral route of administration Via the GI tract (PO, SL, Rectal)
Parenteral route of administration Via injection (IV, IM, SQ)
Advantage of IV administration Rapid onset and precise control
Disadvantage of IV administration Irreversible, expensive, and risk of infection
Advantage of Oral (PO) administration Easy, convenient, and inexpensive
Disadvantage of Oral (PO) administration Slow onset and first-pass metabolism
Intramuscular (IM) absorption speed Faster than PO, slower than IV
Barrier to drugs entering the brain Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB)
Chemical trait required to cross the BBB Lipid solubility
Volume of Distribution (Vd) Drug distribution relative to plasma concentration
Definition of Potency Amount of drug needed for a specific effect
ACTUAL Questions and CORRECT Answers
Primary objective of drug therapy Maximum benefit with minimal harm
Three pillars of an ideal drug Safe, effective, and accessible
Definition of Pharmacokinetics (PK) What the body does to the drug
Four phases of Pharmacokinetics (ADME) Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion
Definition of Pharmacodynamics (PD) What the drug does to the body
Definition of Absorption Movement from administration site to bloodstream
Impact of surface area on absorption Larger surface area increases absorption
Lipid solubility and absorption High lipid solubility increases absorption
Definition of bioavailablity Fraction of drug reaching systemic circulation
Definition of Distribution Transport of drug to the site of action
Primary protein that binds drugs in the blood Albumin
Difference between free drug and bound drug Only free drugs are pharmacologically active
Definition of Metabolism (Biotransformation) Enzymatic alteration of drug structure
Primary organ for drug metabolism Liver
The First-Pass Effect Rapid hepatic inactivation of certain oral drugs
Definition of a Prodrug Inactive compound activated by metabolism
Primary organ for drug excretion Kidneys
Non-renal routes of excretion Bile, sweat, saliva, breast milk, expired air
Impact of kidney failure on pharmacokinetics Decreased excretion leading to toxicity
Mechanism of Action (MOA) How a drug produces its effects
, Definition of an Agonist Binds to and activates a receptor
Definition of an Antagonist Binds to and blocks a receptor
Definition of a Partial Agonist Activates receptor with submaximal effect
Definition of Affinity Strength of attraction between drug and receptor
Definition of Selectivity Drug's ability to act on specific receptors
Intrinsic Activity Ability of drug to activate a receptor
Primary Agonist characteristic High affinity and high intrinsic activity
Primary Antagonist characteristic Affinity but no intrinsic activity
Definition of Therapeutic Index (TI) Ratio of lethal dose to effective dose
Clinical significance of a High TI The drug is relatively safe
Clinical significance of a Low TI The drug is relatively unsafe
Minimum Effective Concentration (MEC) Plasma level below which no effect occurs
Therapeutic Range Level between MEC and toxic concentration
Goal of drug level monitoring Maintain levels within the therapeutic range
Enteral route of administration Via the GI tract (PO, SL, Rectal)
Parenteral route of administration Via injection (IV, IM, SQ)
Advantage of IV administration Rapid onset and precise control
Disadvantage of IV administration Irreversible, expensive, and risk of infection
Advantage of Oral (PO) administration Easy, convenient, and inexpensive
Disadvantage of Oral (PO) administration Slow onset and first-pass metabolism
Intramuscular (IM) absorption speed Faster than PO, slower than IV
Barrier to drugs entering the brain Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB)
Chemical trait required to cross the BBB Lipid solubility
Volume of Distribution (Vd) Drug distribution relative to plasma concentration
Definition of Potency Amount of drug needed for a specific effect
