NURSE PHARMACOLOGY EXAM 1 PRACTICE QUESTIONS WITH
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
1) The healthcare provider writes a medication order that the nurse cannot read.
What should the nurse do?
A) Consult with the charge nurse to verify the order.
B) Discuss the order with the pharmacist.
C) Check with the patient to determine the correct medication.
D) Contact the prescriber to clarify the order. -- Correct Answer ✔✔ D
Rationale: The nurse should contact the prescriber to clarify the order.
2) Digoxin has a half-life of 36 to 48 hours. Because of the length of the half-life, the
nurse expects dosing to occur how often?
A) 4 times per day
B) 3 times per day
C) 2 times per day
D) Once a day -- Correct Answer ✔✔ D
Rationale: The concept of the half-life tells us that, no matter what the amount of
drug in the body may be, half (50%) will leave during a specified period of time
(i.e., the half-life). The actual amount of drug that is lost during one half-life
depends on just how much drug is present: The more drug that is in the body,
the larger the amount lost during one half-life. If a long dosing interval were used,
drug levels would fall below the minimum effective concentration between doses,
and therapeutic effects would be lost. Conversely, if a drug has a long half-life, a
long time can separate doses without a loss of benefits.
3) When teaching a patient who has a gastric ulcer about cimetidine (a histamine H2
antagonist) therapy, the nurse should include which information about antagonists?
, A) An antagonist causes a chemical reaction in the stomach.
B) An antagonist activates receptors in the stomach lining.
C) An antagonist prevents receptor activation in the stomach.
D) An antagonist improves receptor sensitivity in the stomach. -- Correct
Answer ✔✔ C
Rationale: Antagonists produce their effects by preventing receptor activation by
endogenous regulatory molecules and drugs. Antagonists have virtually no effects
of their own on receptor function.
4) Which statement about drug agonists does the nurse identify as being true?
A) An agonist makes physiologic processes go faster.
B) An agonist exerts effects by causing receptor activation.
C) An agonist has moderate intrinsic activity.
D) An agonist is a dynamic component. -- Correct Answer ✔✔ B
Rationale: It is important to note that agonists do not necessarily make
physiologic processes go faster; receptor activation by these compounds can also
make a process go slower. Receptors are dynamic components of the cell. A
partial agonist is an agonist that has moderate intrinsic activity.
5) A patient is taking two prescription medications that both cause bradycardia. The
nurse should monitor the patient for which type of effect?
A) An increased therapeutic effect
B) An increased adverse effect
C) A reduced therapeutic effect
D) A reduced adverse effect -- Correct Answer ✔✔ B
Rationale: Both of the drugs have an adverse effect of bradycardia.
6) Which individual is at the highest risk for a drug-drug interaction?
A) A toddler who is prescribed two antibiotics for a serious infection
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
1) The healthcare provider writes a medication order that the nurse cannot read.
What should the nurse do?
A) Consult with the charge nurse to verify the order.
B) Discuss the order with the pharmacist.
C) Check with the patient to determine the correct medication.
D) Contact the prescriber to clarify the order. -- Correct Answer ✔✔ D
Rationale: The nurse should contact the prescriber to clarify the order.
2) Digoxin has a half-life of 36 to 48 hours. Because of the length of the half-life, the
nurse expects dosing to occur how often?
A) 4 times per day
B) 3 times per day
C) 2 times per day
D) Once a day -- Correct Answer ✔✔ D
Rationale: The concept of the half-life tells us that, no matter what the amount of
drug in the body may be, half (50%) will leave during a specified period of time
(i.e., the half-life). The actual amount of drug that is lost during one half-life
depends on just how much drug is present: The more drug that is in the body,
the larger the amount lost during one half-life. If a long dosing interval were used,
drug levels would fall below the minimum effective concentration between doses,
and therapeutic effects would be lost. Conversely, if a drug has a long half-life, a
long time can separate doses without a loss of benefits.
3) When teaching a patient who has a gastric ulcer about cimetidine (a histamine H2
antagonist) therapy, the nurse should include which information about antagonists?
, A) An antagonist causes a chemical reaction in the stomach.
B) An antagonist activates receptors in the stomach lining.
C) An antagonist prevents receptor activation in the stomach.
D) An antagonist improves receptor sensitivity in the stomach. -- Correct
Answer ✔✔ C
Rationale: Antagonists produce their effects by preventing receptor activation by
endogenous regulatory molecules and drugs. Antagonists have virtually no effects
of their own on receptor function.
4) Which statement about drug agonists does the nurse identify as being true?
A) An agonist makes physiologic processes go faster.
B) An agonist exerts effects by causing receptor activation.
C) An agonist has moderate intrinsic activity.
D) An agonist is a dynamic component. -- Correct Answer ✔✔ B
Rationale: It is important to note that agonists do not necessarily make
physiologic processes go faster; receptor activation by these compounds can also
make a process go slower. Receptors are dynamic components of the cell. A
partial agonist is an agonist that has moderate intrinsic activity.
5) A patient is taking two prescription medications that both cause bradycardia. The
nurse should monitor the patient for which type of effect?
A) An increased therapeutic effect
B) An increased adverse effect
C) A reduced therapeutic effect
D) A reduced adverse effect -- Correct Answer ✔✔ B
Rationale: Both of the drugs have an adverse effect of bradycardia.
6) Which individual is at the highest risk for a drug-drug interaction?
A) A toddler who is prescribed two antibiotics for a serious infection
