Pharm Test Bank/ Introduction To Drugs
Test Bank /Pharmacology Test Bank
1. A nurse working in radiology administers iodine to a patient who is having a
computed tomography (CT) scan. The nurse working on the oncology unit administers
chemotherapy to patients who have cancer. At the Public Health Department, a nurse
administers a measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine to a 14-month-old child as a
routine immunization. Which branch of pharmacology best describes the actions of all
three nurses?
a. Pharmacoeconomics
b. Pharmacotherapeutics
c. Pharmacodynamics
d. Pharmacokinetics
b. Pharmacotherapeutics
Pharmacology is the study of the biologic effects of chemicals. Nurses are involved with
clinical pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics, which is a branch of pharmacology that
deals with the uses of drugs to treat, prevent, and diagnose disease. The radiology
nurse is administering a drug to help diagnose a disease. The oncology nurse is
administering a drug to help treat a disease. Pharmacoeconomics includes any costs
involved in drug therapy. Pharmacodynamics involves how a drug affects the body and
pharmacokinetics is how the drug acts on the body.
2.A physician has ordered intramuscular (IM) injections of morphine, a narcotic, every 4
hours as needed for pain in a motor vehicle accident victim. The nurse is aware this
drug has a high abuse potential. Under what category wound morphine be classified?
a. Schedule I
b. Schedule II
c. Schedule III
d. Schedule IV
b. Schedule II
Narcotics with a high abuse potential are classified as Schedule II drugs because of
severe dependence liability. Schedule I drugs have high abuse potential and no
accepted medical use. Schedule III drugs have a lesser abuse potential than II and an
accepted medical use. Schedule IV drugs have low abuse potential and limited
dependence liability.
3.When involved in phase III drug evaluation studies, what responsibilities would the
nurse have?
a. Working with animals who are given experimental drugs.
b. Choosing appropriate patients to be involved in the drug study.
c. Monitoring and observing patients closely for adverse effects.
d. Conducting research to determine effectiveness of the drug.
c. Monitoring and observing patients closely for adverse effects.
Phase III studies involve use of a drug in a vast clinical population in which patients are
asked to record any symptoms they experience while taking the drugs. Nurses may be
responsible for helping collect and analyze the information to be shared with the Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) but would not conduct research independently because
,Pharm Test Bank/ Introduction To Drugs
Test Bank /Pharmacology Test Bank
nurses do not prescribe medications. Use of animals in drug testing is done in the
preclinical trials. Select patients who are involved in phase II studies to participate in
studies where the participants have the disease and drug is intended to treat. These
patients are monitored closely for drug action and adverse effects. Phase I studies
involve healthy human volunteers who are usually paid for their participation. Nurses
may observe for adverse effects and toxicity.
4.What concept is considered when generic drugs are substituted for brand name
drugs?
a. Bioavailability
b. Critical consentration
c. Distribution
d. Half-life
a. Bioavailability
.Bioavailability is the portion of a dose of a drug that reaches the systemic circulation
and is available to act on body cells. Binders used in a generic drug may not be the
same as those used in the brand name drug. Therefore, the way the body breaks down
and uses the drug may differ, which may eliminate a generic drug substitution. Critical
concentration is the amount of a drug that is needed to cause a therapeutic effect and
should not differ between generic and brand name medications. Distribution is the
phase of pharmacokinetics, which involves the movement of a drug to the body's
tissues and is the same in generic and brand name drugs. A drug's half-life is the time it
takes for the amount of drug to decrease to half the peak level, which should not
change when substituting a generic medication.
5.A nurse is assessing the patient's home medication use. After listening to the patient
list current medications, the nurse asks which priority question?
a. Do you take any generic medications?
b. Are any of these medications orphan drugs?
c. Are these medications safe to take during pregnancy?
d. Do you take any over-the-counter medications?
d. Do you take any over-the-counter medications?
.It is important for the nurse to specifically question use of over-the-counter medications
because patients may not consider them important. The patient is unlikely to know the
meaning of orphan drugs unless they too are health care providers. Safety during
pregnancy, use of a generic medication, or classification of orphan drugs are things the
patient would be unable to answer but could be found in reference books if the nurse
wishes to research them.
6.After completing a course on pharmacology for nurses, what will the nurse know?
a. Everything necessary for safe and effective medication administration.
b. Current pharmacologic therapy; the nurse will not require ongoing education for 5
years.
c. General drug information; the nurse can consult a drug guide for specific drug
information.
d. The drug actions that are associated with each classification of medication.
,Pharm Test Bank/ Introduction To Drugs
Test Bank /Pharmacology Test Bank
c. General drug information; the nurse can consult a drug guide for specific drug
information.
.After completing a pharmacology course nurses will have general drug information
needed for safe and effective medication administration but will need to consult a drug
guide for specific drug information before administering any medication. Pharmacology
is constantly changing, with new drugs entering the market and new uses for existing
drugs identified. Continuing education in pharmacology is essential to safe practice.
Nurses tend to become familiar with the medications they administer most often, but
there will always be a need to research new drugs and also those the nurse is not
familiar with because no nurse knows all medications.
7.A nurse is instructing a pregnant patient concerning the potential risk to her fetus from
a Pregnancy Category B drug. What would the nurse inform the patient?
a. Adequate studies in pregnant women have demonstrated there is no risk to the
fetus.
b. Animal studies have not demonstrated a risk to the fetus, but there have been no
adequate studies in pregnant women.
c. Animal studies have shown an adverse effect on the fetus, but there are no adequate
studies in pregnant women.
d. There is evidence of human fetal risk, but the potential benefits from use of the drug
may be acceptable despite potential risks.
b. Animal studies have demonstrated a risk to the fetus, but there have been no
adequate studies in pregnant women.
Category B indicates that animal studies have not demonstrated a risk to the fetus.
However, there have not been adequate studies in pregnant women to demonstrate risk
to a fetus during the first trimester of prenancy and no evidence of risk in later
trimesters. Category A indicates that adequate studies in pregnant women have not
demonstrated a risk to the fetus in the first trimester or in later trimesters. Category C
indicates that animal studies have shown an adverse effect on the fetus, but no
adequate studies in humans. Category D reveals evidence of human fetal risk, but the
potential benefits from the use of the drugs in pregnant women may outweigh potential
risks.
8.Discharge planning for patients leaving the hospital should include instructions on the
use of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. Which comment by the patient would demonstrate
a good understanding of OTC drugs?
a. OTC drugs are safe and do not cause adverse effects if taken properly.
b. OTC drugs have been around for years and have not been tested by the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA).
c. OTC drugs are different from any drugs available by prescription and cost less.
d. OTC drugs could cause serious harm if not taken according to directions.
d. OTC drugs could cause serious harm if not taken according to direction.
, Pharm Test Bank/ Introduction To Drugs
Test Bank /Pharmacology Test Bank
.It is important to follow package directions because OTCs are medications that can
cause serious harm if not taken properly. OTCs are drugs that have been determined to
be safe when taken as directed; however, all drugs can produce adverse effects even
when taken properly. They may have originally been prescription drugs that were tested
by the FDA or they may have been grandfathered in when the FDA laws changed. OTC
education should always be included as a part of the hospital discharge instructions.
9.What would be the best source of drug information for a nurse?
a. Drug Facts and Comparisons
b. A nurse's drug guide
c. A drug package insert
d. The Physicians' Drug Reference (PDR)
b. A nurse's drug guide
10.The nurse is preparing to administer a medication from a multidose bottle. The label
is torn and soiled but the name of the medication is still readable. What is the nurse's
priority action?
a. Discard the entire bottle and contents and obtain a new bottle.
b. Find the drug information and create a new label for the bottle.
c. Ask another nurse to verify the contents of the bottle.
d. Administer the medication if the name of the drug can be clearly read.
a. Discard the entire bottle and contents and obtain a new bottle.
When the drug label is soiled obscuring some information the safest action by the nurse
is to discard the bottle and contents because drug labels contain a great deal of
important information, far more than just the name of the drug. Concentration of the
drug, expiration date, administration directions, and precautions may be missing from
the label and so put the patient at risk. Looking up drug information in a drug handbook
or consulting with another nurse will not supply the expiration date or concentration of
medicine. Be safe and discard the bottle and its contents.
Select all that apply.
11.What aspects of pharmacology does a nurse study?
a. Chemical pharmacology.
b. Molecular pharmacology.
c. Impact of drugs on the body.
d. The body's response toa drug.
e. Adverse and anticipated drug effects.
c. Impact of drugs on the body.
d. The body's response to a drug.
e. Adverse and anticipated drug effects.
Nurses study pharmacology from a pharmacotherapeutic level, which includes the effect
of drugs on the body, the body's response to drugs, and both expected and unexpected
drug effects. Chemical and molecular pharmacology are not included in nursing
pharmacology courses.
Test Bank /Pharmacology Test Bank
1. A nurse working in radiology administers iodine to a patient who is having a
computed tomography (CT) scan. The nurse working on the oncology unit administers
chemotherapy to patients who have cancer. At the Public Health Department, a nurse
administers a measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine to a 14-month-old child as a
routine immunization. Which branch of pharmacology best describes the actions of all
three nurses?
a. Pharmacoeconomics
b. Pharmacotherapeutics
c. Pharmacodynamics
d. Pharmacokinetics
b. Pharmacotherapeutics
Pharmacology is the study of the biologic effects of chemicals. Nurses are involved with
clinical pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics, which is a branch of pharmacology that
deals with the uses of drugs to treat, prevent, and diagnose disease. The radiology
nurse is administering a drug to help diagnose a disease. The oncology nurse is
administering a drug to help treat a disease. Pharmacoeconomics includes any costs
involved in drug therapy. Pharmacodynamics involves how a drug affects the body and
pharmacokinetics is how the drug acts on the body.
2.A physician has ordered intramuscular (IM) injections of morphine, a narcotic, every 4
hours as needed for pain in a motor vehicle accident victim. The nurse is aware this
drug has a high abuse potential. Under what category wound morphine be classified?
a. Schedule I
b. Schedule II
c. Schedule III
d. Schedule IV
b. Schedule II
Narcotics with a high abuse potential are classified as Schedule II drugs because of
severe dependence liability. Schedule I drugs have high abuse potential and no
accepted medical use. Schedule III drugs have a lesser abuse potential than II and an
accepted medical use. Schedule IV drugs have low abuse potential and limited
dependence liability.
3.When involved in phase III drug evaluation studies, what responsibilities would the
nurse have?
a. Working with animals who are given experimental drugs.
b. Choosing appropriate patients to be involved in the drug study.
c. Monitoring and observing patients closely for adverse effects.
d. Conducting research to determine effectiveness of the drug.
c. Monitoring and observing patients closely for adverse effects.
Phase III studies involve use of a drug in a vast clinical population in which patients are
asked to record any symptoms they experience while taking the drugs. Nurses may be
responsible for helping collect and analyze the information to be shared with the Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) but would not conduct research independently because
,Pharm Test Bank/ Introduction To Drugs
Test Bank /Pharmacology Test Bank
nurses do not prescribe medications. Use of animals in drug testing is done in the
preclinical trials. Select patients who are involved in phase II studies to participate in
studies where the participants have the disease and drug is intended to treat. These
patients are monitored closely for drug action and adverse effects. Phase I studies
involve healthy human volunteers who are usually paid for their participation. Nurses
may observe for adverse effects and toxicity.
4.What concept is considered when generic drugs are substituted for brand name
drugs?
a. Bioavailability
b. Critical consentration
c. Distribution
d. Half-life
a. Bioavailability
.Bioavailability is the portion of a dose of a drug that reaches the systemic circulation
and is available to act on body cells. Binders used in a generic drug may not be the
same as those used in the brand name drug. Therefore, the way the body breaks down
and uses the drug may differ, which may eliminate a generic drug substitution. Critical
concentration is the amount of a drug that is needed to cause a therapeutic effect and
should not differ between generic and brand name medications. Distribution is the
phase of pharmacokinetics, which involves the movement of a drug to the body's
tissues and is the same in generic and brand name drugs. A drug's half-life is the time it
takes for the amount of drug to decrease to half the peak level, which should not
change when substituting a generic medication.
5.A nurse is assessing the patient's home medication use. After listening to the patient
list current medications, the nurse asks which priority question?
a. Do you take any generic medications?
b. Are any of these medications orphan drugs?
c. Are these medications safe to take during pregnancy?
d. Do you take any over-the-counter medications?
d. Do you take any over-the-counter medications?
.It is important for the nurse to specifically question use of over-the-counter medications
because patients may not consider them important. The patient is unlikely to know the
meaning of orphan drugs unless they too are health care providers. Safety during
pregnancy, use of a generic medication, or classification of orphan drugs are things the
patient would be unable to answer but could be found in reference books if the nurse
wishes to research them.
6.After completing a course on pharmacology for nurses, what will the nurse know?
a. Everything necessary for safe and effective medication administration.
b. Current pharmacologic therapy; the nurse will not require ongoing education for 5
years.
c. General drug information; the nurse can consult a drug guide for specific drug
information.
d. The drug actions that are associated with each classification of medication.
,Pharm Test Bank/ Introduction To Drugs
Test Bank /Pharmacology Test Bank
c. General drug information; the nurse can consult a drug guide for specific drug
information.
.After completing a pharmacology course nurses will have general drug information
needed for safe and effective medication administration but will need to consult a drug
guide for specific drug information before administering any medication. Pharmacology
is constantly changing, with new drugs entering the market and new uses for existing
drugs identified. Continuing education in pharmacology is essential to safe practice.
Nurses tend to become familiar with the medications they administer most often, but
there will always be a need to research new drugs and also those the nurse is not
familiar with because no nurse knows all medications.
7.A nurse is instructing a pregnant patient concerning the potential risk to her fetus from
a Pregnancy Category B drug. What would the nurse inform the patient?
a. Adequate studies in pregnant women have demonstrated there is no risk to the
fetus.
b. Animal studies have not demonstrated a risk to the fetus, but there have been no
adequate studies in pregnant women.
c. Animal studies have shown an adverse effect on the fetus, but there are no adequate
studies in pregnant women.
d. There is evidence of human fetal risk, but the potential benefits from use of the drug
may be acceptable despite potential risks.
b. Animal studies have demonstrated a risk to the fetus, but there have been no
adequate studies in pregnant women.
Category B indicates that animal studies have not demonstrated a risk to the fetus.
However, there have not been adequate studies in pregnant women to demonstrate risk
to a fetus during the first trimester of prenancy and no evidence of risk in later
trimesters. Category A indicates that adequate studies in pregnant women have not
demonstrated a risk to the fetus in the first trimester or in later trimesters. Category C
indicates that animal studies have shown an adverse effect on the fetus, but no
adequate studies in humans. Category D reveals evidence of human fetal risk, but the
potential benefits from the use of the drugs in pregnant women may outweigh potential
risks.
8.Discharge planning for patients leaving the hospital should include instructions on the
use of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. Which comment by the patient would demonstrate
a good understanding of OTC drugs?
a. OTC drugs are safe and do not cause adverse effects if taken properly.
b. OTC drugs have been around for years and have not been tested by the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA).
c. OTC drugs are different from any drugs available by prescription and cost less.
d. OTC drugs could cause serious harm if not taken according to directions.
d. OTC drugs could cause serious harm if not taken according to direction.
, Pharm Test Bank/ Introduction To Drugs
Test Bank /Pharmacology Test Bank
.It is important to follow package directions because OTCs are medications that can
cause serious harm if not taken properly. OTCs are drugs that have been determined to
be safe when taken as directed; however, all drugs can produce adverse effects even
when taken properly. They may have originally been prescription drugs that were tested
by the FDA or they may have been grandfathered in when the FDA laws changed. OTC
education should always be included as a part of the hospital discharge instructions.
9.What would be the best source of drug information for a nurse?
a. Drug Facts and Comparisons
b. A nurse's drug guide
c. A drug package insert
d. The Physicians' Drug Reference (PDR)
b. A nurse's drug guide
10.The nurse is preparing to administer a medication from a multidose bottle. The label
is torn and soiled but the name of the medication is still readable. What is the nurse's
priority action?
a. Discard the entire bottle and contents and obtain a new bottle.
b. Find the drug information and create a new label for the bottle.
c. Ask another nurse to verify the contents of the bottle.
d. Administer the medication if the name of the drug can be clearly read.
a. Discard the entire bottle and contents and obtain a new bottle.
When the drug label is soiled obscuring some information the safest action by the nurse
is to discard the bottle and contents because drug labels contain a great deal of
important information, far more than just the name of the drug. Concentration of the
drug, expiration date, administration directions, and precautions may be missing from
the label and so put the patient at risk. Looking up drug information in a drug handbook
or consulting with another nurse will not supply the expiration date or concentration of
medicine. Be safe and discard the bottle and its contents.
Select all that apply.
11.What aspects of pharmacology does a nurse study?
a. Chemical pharmacology.
b. Molecular pharmacology.
c. Impact of drugs on the body.
d. The body's response toa drug.
e. Adverse and anticipated drug effects.
c. Impact of drugs on the body.
d. The body's response to a drug.
e. Adverse and anticipated drug effects.
Nurses study pharmacology from a pharmacotherapeutic level, which includes the effect
of drugs on the body, the body's response to drugs, and both expected and unexpected
drug effects. Chemical and molecular pharmacology are not included in nursing
pharmacology courses.
