PENN FOSTER PHARMACOLOGY EXAM QUESTIONS WITH
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS LATEST UPDATE 2024/2025
Adverse drug event
harm to a patient caused by a therapeutic or preventive intervention. It could be due to a
medication error or adverse drug reaction
Adverse drug reaction
an undesirable response to a drug by a patient. It may vary in severity from mild to fatal
Agonist
a drug that brings about a specific action by binding with the appropriate receptor
antagonist
a drug that inhibits a specific action by binding with a particular receptor
compounding
any medication preformed to produce a dosage-form drug, other than the manipulation
described in the directions for use on the labeling of an approved drug product
drug
a substance used to diagnose, prevent, or treat disease
efficacy
the extent to which a drug causes the intended effects in a patient
extralabel use
the use of a drug that is not specifically listed on the US Food and Drug Administration
approved label
half-life
the amount of time that it takes for the quantity of a drug in the body to be reduced by
50%
manufacturing
the bulk production of drugs for resale outside of the veterinarian-client-patient
relationship
metabolism
,the biochemical process that alters a drug from an active form to a form that is inactive
or that can be eliminated from the body
parenteral
the route of administration of injectable drugs
partition coefficient
the ration of the solubility of substances between two states in which they may be found
prescription (legend) drug
a drug that is limited to use under the supervision of a veterinarian because of potential
danger, difficulty of administration, or other considerations
regimen
a program for administration of a drug that includes the route, the dose, the frequency,
and the duration of administration
residue
an amount of a drug still present in animal tissue or products at a particular point
veterinarian-client-patient relationship
the set of circumstances that must exist between the veterinarian, the client, and the
patient before the dispensing of prescription drugs is appropriate
withdrawal time
the length of time it takes for a drug to be eliminated from animal tissue or products after
it is no longer used
indications
the reasons for using drugs
contraindications
reasons for not using drugs
pharmacokinetics
plasma or tissue levels of a drug are altered by the presence of another
pharmacodynamics
the action or effect of one drug is altered by another
list common sources of drugs used in veterinary medicine
plants, materials, animals, laboratories
diagnostic method
,involves assessment of a patient, including a history, physical examination, laboratory
test, and other diagnostic procedures to arrive at a specific diagnosis
empirical method
calls on the use of practical experience and common sense when the drug choice is
made
for veterinarian-client-patient relationship to occur conditions must be met
the vet has assumed responsibility for making clinical judgments about the health of the
animal and the need for treatment, and the client has agreed to follow the vet's
instructions; the vet has sufficient knowledge of the animal to issue a diagnosis, the vet
must have seen the animal recently; the vet must be available for follow up evaluation
technician important responsibilities in caring out written orders to administer
drugs
correct drug, correct route, correct time, observing animal's response to the drug,
questioning any medication orders that are not clear, creating and affixing labels to
medication containers accurately, expaining administration instructions to clients,
recording appropriate information in the record
over the counter drugs
drugs that do not have enough potential to be toxic or that do not require administration
in special ways that do not require the supervision of a vet
describe the events that occur after a drug is administered
it is available for absorption into the bloodstream where the drug may bind with plasma
protein or stay in the free state. The blood then distributes it to the capillary level where
the drug goes into the interstitial fluid. the interstitial fluid coats the cell or binds with
surface receptors. The drug then exits the cell and moves back to the interstitial fluid
where it reenters circulation and is metabolized in the liver and sent to the kidneys to be
excreted
List and describe the routes used for administration of drugs
intravenous (IV)- IV produces most rapid onset accompanied by the shortest duration
Intramuscular (IM)- IM produces slower onset of action but longer duration of action
Subcutaneous (SC)- SQ produces slower onset of action but slightly longer duration
than IM
, Intradermal (ID)- primarily for testing for tuberculosis and allergies
Intraperitoneal (IP) -> abdominal cavity; used to administer fluids, blood, and other
medications when normal routes are not available
Intaarterial (IA) -> artery; seldom used
Intraarticular -> joint; used primarily to treat inflammatory conditions of the joint
Intacardiac -> chest wall directly into chambers of heart- provides immediate access to
the bloodstream and ensures that the drug is delivered quickly to all tissues
Intramedullary -> directly into bone marrow; bones most used are femur and humerus;
used to provide blood or fluids to animals with very small or damaged veins or for
treatment of animals with very low blood pressure
Epidural/subdural -> epidural: outside the dura mater but inside the spinal canal
Subdural-> inside the dura mater (also called intrathecal route)
biotransformation
the body's ability to change a drug from the form in which it was administered into a
form that can be eliminated from the body
list common chemical reactions involved in biotransformation
Oxidation- loss of electrons
Reduction- gain of electrons
Hydrolysis- splitting of the drug molecule and addition of a water molecule to each of the
split portions
Conjugation- the addition of glucuronic acid or similar compounds to the drug molecule
factors that alter drug metabolism
species, age, nutritional status, tissue storage, health status
kidneys excrete drugs by
Glomerular filtration: glomerulus acts like a sieve to filter drug metabolites from the
blood into the glomerular filtrate, which is eliminated as urine
Tubular secretion- kidney tubule cells secrete metabolites from the capillaries
surrounding the tubule and into the glomerular filtrate, which becomes urine
list routes of drug excretion
kidneys, liver(bile->small intestines->fecal), lungs(gas goes through blood-> alveoli->
expired air),
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS LATEST UPDATE 2024/2025
Adverse drug event
harm to a patient caused by a therapeutic or preventive intervention. It could be due to a
medication error or adverse drug reaction
Adverse drug reaction
an undesirable response to a drug by a patient. It may vary in severity from mild to fatal
Agonist
a drug that brings about a specific action by binding with the appropriate receptor
antagonist
a drug that inhibits a specific action by binding with a particular receptor
compounding
any medication preformed to produce a dosage-form drug, other than the manipulation
described in the directions for use on the labeling of an approved drug product
drug
a substance used to diagnose, prevent, or treat disease
efficacy
the extent to which a drug causes the intended effects in a patient
extralabel use
the use of a drug that is not specifically listed on the US Food and Drug Administration
approved label
half-life
the amount of time that it takes for the quantity of a drug in the body to be reduced by
50%
manufacturing
the bulk production of drugs for resale outside of the veterinarian-client-patient
relationship
metabolism
,the biochemical process that alters a drug from an active form to a form that is inactive
or that can be eliminated from the body
parenteral
the route of administration of injectable drugs
partition coefficient
the ration of the solubility of substances between two states in which they may be found
prescription (legend) drug
a drug that is limited to use under the supervision of a veterinarian because of potential
danger, difficulty of administration, or other considerations
regimen
a program for administration of a drug that includes the route, the dose, the frequency,
and the duration of administration
residue
an amount of a drug still present in animal tissue or products at a particular point
veterinarian-client-patient relationship
the set of circumstances that must exist between the veterinarian, the client, and the
patient before the dispensing of prescription drugs is appropriate
withdrawal time
the length of time it takes for a drug to be eliminated from animal tissue or products after
it is no longer used
indications
the reasons for using drugs
contraindications
reasons for not using drugs
pharmacokinetics
plasma or tissue levels of a drug are altered by the presence of another
pharmacodynamics
the action or effect of one drug is altered by another
list common sources of drugs used in veterinary medicine
plants, materials, animals, laboratories
diagnostic method
,involves assessment of a patient, including a history, physical examination, laboratory
test, and other diagnostic procedures to arrive at a specific diagnosis
empirical method
calls on the use of practical experience and common sense when the drug choice is
made
for veterinarian-client-patient relationship to occur conditions must be met
the vet has assumed responsibility for making clinical judgments about the health of the
animal and the need for treatment, and the client has agreed to follow the vet's
instructions; the vet has sufficient knowledge of the animal to issue a diagnosis, the vet
must have seen the animal recently; the vet must be available for follow up evaluation
technician important responsibilities in caring out written orders to administer
drugs
correct drug, correct route, correct time, observing animal's response to the drug,
questioning any medication orders that are not clear, creating and affixing labels to
medication containers accurately, expaining administration instructions to clients,
recording appropriate information in the record
over the counter drugs
drugs that do not have enough potential to be toxic or that do not require administration
in special ways that do not require the supervision of a vet
describe the events that occur after a drug is administered
it is available for absorption into the bloodstream where the drug may bind with plasma
protein or stay in the free state. The blood then distributes it to the capillary level where
the drug goes into the interstitial fluid. the interstitial fluid coats the cell or binds with
surface receptors. The drug then exits the cell and moves back to the interstitial fluid
where it reenters circulation and is metabolized in the liver and sent to the kidneys to be
excreted
List and describe the routes used for administration of drugs
intravenous (IV)- IV produces most rapid onset accompanied by the shortest duration
Intramuscular (IM)- IM produces slower onset of action but longer duration of action
Subcutaneous (SC)- SQ produces slower onset of action but slightly longer duration
than IM
, Intradermal (ID)- primarily for testing for tuberculosis and allergies
Intraperitoneal (IP) -> abdominal cavity; used to administer fluids, blood, and other
medications when normal routes are not available
Intaarterial (IA) -> artery; seldom used
Intraarticular -> joint; used primarily to treat inflammatory conditions of the joint
Intacardiac -> chest wall directly into chambers of heart- provides immediate access to
the bloodstream and ensures that the drug is delivered quickly to all tissues
Intramedullary -> directly into bone marrow; bones most used are femur and humerus;
used to provide blood or fluids to animals with very small or damaged veins or for
treatment of animals with very low blood pressure
Epidural/subdural -> epidural: outside the dura mater but inside the spinal canal
Subdural-> inside the dura mater (also called intrathecal route)
biotransformation
the body's ability to change a drug from the form in which it was administered into a
form that can be eliminated from the body
list common chemical reactions involved in biotransformation
Oxidation- loss of electrons
Reduction- gain of electrons
Hydrolysis- splitting of the drug molecule and addition of a water molecule to each of the
split portions
Conjugation- the addition of glucuronic acid or similar compounds to the drug molecule
factors that alter drug metabolism
species, age, nutritional status, tissue storage, health status
kidneys excrete drugs by
Glomerular filtration: glomerulus acts like a sieve to filter drug metabolites from the
blood into the glomerular filtrate, which is eliminated as urine
Tubular secretion- kidney tubule cells secrete metabolites from the capillaries
surrounding the tubule and into the glomerular filtrate, which becomes urine
list routes of drug excretion
kidneys, liver(bile->small intestines->fecal), lungs(gas goes through blood-> alveoli->
expired air),
