Adams and Urban, Pharmacology: Connections to Nursing Practice, 3e Test Bank
Chapter 1
Question 1
The nurse is teaching a pharmacology class to a group of student nurses. Which key events does
the nurse include in the history of pharmacology?
Standard Text: Select all that apply.
1. Early researchers used themselves and animals as test subjects.
2. Pharmacologists began to synthesize drugs in the laboratory in the 20th century.
3. Modern pharmacology began in the mid-1600s.
4. The first drugs included morphine, cocaine, and penicillin.
5. The Dark Ages provided much useful information that we still use today.
Correct Answer: 1,2
Global Rationale: The nurse would state that early researchers did use themselves and animals
as test subjects; pharmacologists did begin to synthesize drugs in the laboratory in the 20th
century; and modern pharmacology began in the 1800s, not 1600s. The first drugs included
morphine and cocaine, but not penicillin. Little is known about pharmacology during the Dark
Ages.
Question 2
Although all areas of medicine, including pharmacology, have made great advances in the last
century, the early roots of pharmacology still apply for the nurse and other health professionals.
What were the early roots of pharmacology?
1. Applying products to relieve human suffering
Global Rationale: The early root of pharmacology was to relieve human suffering, not to create
new drugs quickly or to understand how drugs take their effects. Early pharmacology did involve
using plants to relieve symptoms of suffering.
Question 3
Although many substances can be considered drugs, which drug definition is the most
appropriate?
1. Any substance that is found in nature or that normally occurs in the body
2. Any substance that is synthesized and tested in the laboratory setting
3. Any substance that is taken to prevent, cure, or reduce symptoms of a medical condition
,4. Any substance that can be isolated from natural substances in nature
Correct Answer: 3
Global Rationale: A drug is considered to be any substance that is taken to prevent, cure, or
reduce symptoms of a medical condition. A drug is not a substance that is found in nature or that
normally occurs in the human body; it is not any substance that is synthesized and tested in the
laboratory setting, nor is it only a substance isolated from natural substances.
Question 4***
Pharmacotherapy is a critical intervention for many conditions, and a key part of nursing
intervention. Which statement best describes pharmacotherapy?
1. The study of medicine and drug therapy
2. The application of natural substances to cure diseases
3. The application of drugs for the prevention and treatment of disease and human suffering
4. Understanding the difference between trade and generic medications
Correct Answer: 3
Global Rationale: Pharmacotherapy is the application of drugs for the prevention & treatment
of diseases & human suffering. It is not just the study of medicine and drug therapy nor is it the
application of natural substances to cure diseases. Pharmacotherapy comprises more than
understanding the difference between trade and generic drugs.
Question 5****
Which principle best describes what the nurse is expected to understand when administering
medication to a client?
1. The pharmacotherapeutics for all of the medications
2. The most common side effects of the drug’s prototype
3. The trade and generic names for all of the medications
4. The cost of the drug therapy
Correct Answer: 1
Global Rationale: The nurse is expected to understand the pharmacotherapeutics for all
medications that the client is receiving. The nurse should understand much more than the
common side effects of the drug’s prototype and the trade and generic names. The cost of drug
therapy is not a principle of drug administration.
Question 6***
,The Food and Drug Administration classifies drugs by category, and these categories and drugs
are found in the “Orange Book.” To find out which drugs treat hypertension, the nurse would
look under which classification?
1. Cardiac
2. Pharmacologic
3. Disease
4. Therapeutic
Correct Answer: 4
Global Rationale: To find out which drugs treat hypertension, the nurse would look under the
therapeutic category to find out what a drug will treat. The pharmacologic category describes
how the drug works, not what condition the drug treats. However, the nurse could determine
what condition the drug treats by knowing how the drug works. Disease is not a category and
there is no cardiac classification.
Question 7 **
The nurse is creating a teaching plan for a client on the cardiac unit and is researching the
medications the client is currently taking to understand how each drug produces its effects in the
body. To find this information, the nurse looks up which classification for each medication?
1. Therapeutic
2. Cardiac
3. Disease
4. Pharmacologic
Correct Answer: 4
Global Rationale: The nurse researches the pharmacologic classification to discover how a drug
works in the body. The therapeutic classification describes what condition is being treated by a
drug, not how the drug works in the body. There is no cardiac or disease category.
Question 8
A prototype drug is a single drug in a class and can be compared with all other medications in
the class. What are the benefits for the nurse to studying the prototype drug in predicting
characteristics of other drugs in the same class? Standard Text: Select all that apply.
1. Which drugs have the most favorable safety profile
2. Their therapeutic indications
, 3. Their actions and adverse effects
4. Their specific clinical use
5. Contraindications specific to any drug in that group
Correct Answer: 2,3,4
Rationale 1: The prototype drug does not provide a safety profile of other drugs in the same
class.
Rationale 2: Studying the therapeutic indications of a prototype drug may allow the nurse to
predict actions and adverse effects of other drugs in the same group.
Rationale 3: By studying the prototype, the nurse can predict the actions and adverse effects of
other drugs in the same class.
Rationale 4: Studying the prototype drug may allow the nurse to predict the clinical use of
another drug in the same class.
Rationale 5: Contraindications may differ for specific drugs in the same class as the prototype.
Global Rationale: Studying the therapeutic indications of a prototype drug may allow the nurse
to predict actions and adverse effects of other drugs in the same group. The nurse can also
predict the actions, adverse effects, and clinical uses of other drugs in the same class. The
prototype drug does not provide a safety profile of other drugs in the same class.
Contraindications may differ for specific drugs in the same class as the prototype.
Question 9
Chemical names are assigned for each drug. What are the major reasons for why nurses usually
do not use the chemical name of the drugs?
Standard Text: Select all that apply.
1. They are usually not brief or easy to remember.
2. They are often difficult to pronounce.
3. There is no standard for assigning names.
4. They do not explain the nature of the drug.
5. There is only one chemical name for each drug.
Correct Answer: 1,2
Global Rationale: Nurses typically do not use the chemical names of drugs because they are not
brief or easy to remember and they are often difficult to pronounce. Chemical names are
Chapter 1
Question 1
The nurse is teaching a pharmacology class to a group of student nurses. Which key events does
the nurse include in the history of pharmacology?
Standard Text: Select all that apply.
1. Early researchers used themselves and animals as test subjects.
2. Pharmacologists began to synthesize drugs in the laboratory in the 20th century.
3. Modern pharmacology began in the mid-1600s.
4. The first drugs included morphine, cocaine, and penicillin.
5. The Dark Ages provided much useful information that we still use today.
Correct Answer: 1,2
Global Rationale: The nurse would state that early researchers did use themselves and animals
as test subjects; pharmacologists did begin to synthesize drugs in the laboratory in the 20th
century; and modern pharmacology began in the 1800s, not 1600s. The first drugs included
morphine and cocaine, but not penicillin. Little is known about pharmacology during the Dark
Ages.
Question 2
Although all areas of medicine, including pharmacology, have made great advances in the last
century, the early roots of pharmacology still apply for the nurse and other health professionals.
What were the early roots of pharmacology?
1. Applying products to relieve human suffering
Global Rationale: The early root of pharmacology was to relieve human suffering, not to create
new drugs quickly or to understand how drugs take their effects. Early pharmacology did involve
using plants to relieve symptoms of suffering.
Question 3
Although many substances can be considered drugs, which drug definition is the most
appropriate?
1. Any substance that is found in nature or that normally occurs in the body
2. Any substance that is synthesized and tested in the laboratory setting
3. Any substance that is taken to prevent, cure, or reduce symptoms of a medical condition
,4. Any substance that can be isolated from natural substances in nature
Correct Answer: 3
Global Rationale: A drug is considered to be any substance that is taken to prevent, cure, or
reduce symptoms of a medical condition. A drug is not a substance that is found in nature or that
normally occurs in the human body; it is not any substance that is synthesized and tested in the
laboratory setting, nor is it only a substance isolated from natural substances.
Question 4***
Pharmacotherapy is a critical intervention for many conditions, and a key part of nursing
intervention. Which statement best describes pharmacotherapy?
1. The study of medicine and drug therapy
2. The application of natural substances to cure diseases
3. The application of drugs for the prevention and treatment of disease and human suffering
4. Understanding the difference between trade and generic medications
Correct Answer: 3
Global Rationale: Pharmacotherapy is the application of drugs for the prevention & treatment
of diseases & human suffering. It is not just the study of medicine and drug therapy nor is it the
application of natural substances to cure diseases. Pharmacotherapy comprises more than
understanding the difference between trade and generic drugs.
Question 5****
Which principle best describes what the nurse is expected to understand when administering
medication to a client?
1. The pharmacotherapeutics for all of the medications
2. The most common side effects of the drug’s prototype
3. The trade and generic names for all of the medications
4. The cost of the drug therapy
Correct Answer: 1
Global Rationale: The nurse is expected to understand the pharmacotherapeutics for all
medications that the client is receiving. The nurse should understand much more than the
common side effects of the drug’s prototype and the trade and generic names. The cost of drug
therapy is not a principle of drug administration.
Question 6***
,The Food and Drug Administration classifies drugs by category, and these categories and drugs
are found in the “Orange Book.” To find out which drugs treat hypertension, the nurse would
look under which classification?
1. Cardiac
2. Pharmacologic
3. Disease
4. Therapeutic
Correct Answer: 4
Global Rationale: To find out which drugs treat hypertension, the nurse would look under the
therapeutic category to find out what a drug will treat. The pharmacologic category describes
how the drug works, not what condition the drug treats. However, the nurse could determine
what condition the drug treats by knowing how the drug works. Disease is not a category and
there is no cardiac classification.
Question 7 **
The nurse is creating a teaching plan for a client on the cardiac unit and is researching the
medications the client is currently taking to understand how each drug produces its effects in the
body. To find this information, the nurse looks up which classification for each medication?
1. Therapeutic
2. Cardiac
3. Disease
4. Pharmacologic
Correct Answer: 4
Global Rationale: The nurse researches the pharmacologic classification to discover how a drug
works in the body. The therapeutic classification describes what condition is being treated by a
drug, not how the drug works in the body. There is no cardiac or disease category.
Question 8
A prototype drug is a single drug in a class and can be compared with all other medications in
the class. What are the benefits for the nurse to studying the prototype drug in predicting
characteristics of other drugs in the same class? Standard Text: Select all that apply.
1. Which drugs have the most favorable safety profile
2. Their therapeutic indications
, 3. Their actions and adverse effects
4. Their specific clinical use
5. Contraindications specific to any drug in that group
Correct Answer: 2,3,4
Rationale 1: The prototype drug does not provide a safety profile of other drugs in the same
class.
Rationale 2: Studying the therapeutic indications of a prototype drug may allow the nurse to
predict actions and adverse effects of other drugs in the same group.
Rationale 3: By studying the prototype, the nurse can predict the actions and adverse effects of
other drugs in the same class.
Rationale 4: Studying the prototype drug may allow the nurse to predict the clinical use of
another drug in the same class.
Rationale 5: Contraindications may differ for specific drugs in the same class as the prototype.
Global Rationale: Studying the therapeutic indications of a prototype drug may allow the nurse
to predict actions and adverse effects of other drugs in the same group. The nurse can also
predict the actions, adverse effects, and clinical uses of other drugs in the same class. The
prototype drug does not provide a safety profile of other drugs in the same class.
Contraindications may differ for specific drugs in the same class as the prototype.
Question 9
Chemical names are assigned for each drug. What are the major reasons for why nurses usually
do not use the chemical name of the drugs?
Standard Text: Select all that apply.
1. They are usually not brief or easy to remember.
2. They are often difficult to pronounce.
3. There is no standard for assigning names.
4. They do not explain the nature of the drug.
5. There is only one chemical name for each drug.
Correct Answer: 1,2
Global Rationale: Nurses typically do not use the chemical names of drugs because they are not
brief or easy to remember and they are often difficult to pronounce. Chemical names are
