NU 150 Exam 1 Pharmacology Tested Questions
(2026/2027) PDF | Nursing | Galen College
1. What is the definition of Pharmacology?
a) The study of the human body's structure.
b) The study of drugs and their interactions with living
systems.
c) The art of preparing and dispensing medications.
d) The study of poisons and their antidotes.
Answer: b) The study of drugs and their interactions with
living systems.
Rationale: Pharmacology is the broad scientific discipline
that examines how drugs affect biological systems and
how the body responds to drugs. This encompasses
everything from the drug's mechanism of action to its
therapeutic and adverse effects.
2. A drug that binds to a receptor and produces a
therapeutic response is known as a(n):
a) Antagonist
1
,b) Agonist
c) Partial antagonist
d) Placebo
Answer: b) Agonist
Rationale: An agonist has both affinity for a receptor and
intrinsic efficacy, meaning it binds to the receptor and
activates it to produce a response. An antagonist also
binds to the receptor (affinity) but does not activate it,
instead blocking the action of agonists.
3. During the pharmacodynamic phase, the nurse is
assessing what process?
a) How the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and
excretes a drug.
b) What the drug does to the body.
c) The dissolution of the drug in the GI tract.
d) The study of the drug's chemical structure.
Answer: b) What the drug does to the body.
Rationale: Pharmacodynamics is the study of the
2
,biochemical and physiologic effects of drugs on the body
(drug-induced responses). In contrast, pharmacokinetics is
what the body does to the drug (absorption, distribution,
metabolism, excretion).
4. The nurse understands that the half-life of a drug is the
time required for the body to eliminate _____ of the
drug.
a) 25%
b) 50%
c) 75%
d) 100%
Answer: b) 50%
Rationale: The half-life (t½) is the time it takes for the
concentration of a drug in the body to be reduced by
50%. This concept is crucial for determining dosing
frequency. A short half-life means the drug is eliminated
quickly, requiring more frequent doses to maintain a
therapeutic level.
3
, 5. A patient with severe liver disease is prescribed a
medication with a long half-life. What is the nurse's
primary concern?
a) The drug will be absorbed too quickly.
b) The patient will have an anaphylactic reaction.
c) The drug may accumulate to toxic levels.
d) The drug will be ineffective.
Answer: c) The drug may accumulate to toxic levels.
Rationale: The liver is the primary site for drug
metabolism. If the liver is diseased, its ability to
metabolize drugs is impaired. This will prolong the drug's
half-life, leading to accumulation and an increased risk of
toxicity. The nurse should advocate for dosage
adjustments.
6. A nurse is administering a medication that dissolves in
the stomach. This process is part of which phase of drug
action?
a) Pharmacokinetic
4
(2026/2027) PDF | Nursing | Galen College
1. What is the definition of Pharmacology?
a) The study of the human body's structure.
b) The study of drugs and their interactions with living
systems.
c) The art of preparing and dispensing medications.
d) The study of poisons and their antidotes.
Answer: b) The study of drugs and their interactions with
living systems.
Rationale: Pharmacology is the broad scientific discipline
that examines how drugs affect biological systems and
how the body responds to drugs. This encompasses
everything from the drug's mechanism of action to its
therapeutic and adverse effects.
2. A drug that binds to a receptor and produces a
therapeutic response is known as a(n):
a) Antagonist
1
,b) Agonist
c) Partial antagonist
d) Placebo
Answer: b) Agonist
Rationale: An agonist has both affinity for a receptor and
intrinsic efficacy, meaning it binds to the receptor and
activates it to produce a response. An antagonist also
binds to the receptor (affinity) but does not activate it,
instead blocking the action of agonists.
3. During the pharmacodynamic phase, the nurse is
assessing what process?
a) How the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and
excretes a drug.
b) What the drug does to the body.
c) The dissolution of the drug in the GI tract.
d) The study of the drug's chemical structure.
Answer: b) What the drug does to the body.
Rationale: Pharmacodynamics is the study of the
2
,biochemical and physiologic effects of drugs on the body
(drug-induced responses). In contrast, pharmacokinetics is
what the body does to the drug (absorption, distribution,
metabolism, excretion).
4. The nurse understands that the half-life of a drug is the
time required for the body to eliminate _____ of the
drug.
a) 25%
b) 50%
c) 75%
d) 100%
Answer: b) 50%
Rationale: The half-life (t½) is the time it takes for the
concentration of a drug in the body to be reduced by
50%. This concept is crucial for determining dosing
frequency. A short half-life means the drug is eliminated
quickly, requiring more frequent doses to maintain a
therapeutic level.
3
, 5. A patient with severe liver disease is prescribed a
medication with a long half-life. What is the nurse's
primary concern?
a) The drug will be absorbed too quickly.
b) The patient will have an anaphylactic reaction.
c) The drug may accumulate to toxic levels.
d) The drug will be ineffective.
Answer: c) The drug may accumulate to toxic levels.
Rationale: The liver is the primary site for drug
metabolism. If the liver is diseased, its ability to
metabolize drugs is impaired. This will prolong the drug's
half-life, leading to accumulation and an increased risk of
toxicity. The nurse should advocate for dosage
adjustments.
6. A nurse is administering a medication that dissolves in
the stomach. This process is part of which phase of drug
action?
a) Pharmacokinetic
4
