Page 1 of 62
“HESI PHARMACOLOGY “ TEST BANK NEWEST 2025 ACTUAL EXAM UPDATED 2025 –
2026 SOLVED QUESTIONS , ANSWERS VERIFIED 100% GRADED A+ (LATEST
VERSION)
Pharmacology
Which of the following physical properties of a drug is most consistent with a
drug that has good oral bioavailability?
A. A drug that has many negative charges (e.g. heparin)
B. A drug that is a quaternary amine
C. A large protein based drug (e.g. infliximab)
D. A lipid soluble drug
E. A weak base in the acidic stomach environment
answer: D. A lipid soluble drug
, Page 2 of 62
Bioavailability= drug quantity that reaches the target organ. This term takes into
account the amount of drug absorbed in the gut and how much is metabolized by the
liver when the drug passes through it.
Most drugs are absorbed through the gut membranes by passive diffusion across the
lipid bilayer. The ease in crossing the lipid barrier depends on Fick's law: Cout-
Cin=(surface area X permeability coefficient)/Thickness. Lipid soluble drugs have a
high permeability coefficient.
Drugs that are weak basis can be absorbed but are limited by the pH. For example,
the weak base formula shows B + H+ = BH+. Therefore, in the acidic environment of
the gut (increased hydrogen ion content) the reaction will be shifted to the right (Le
Chatelier's principle--TF) or the charged lipophobic state.
A 74-year-old woman suffering from a back injury is in severe pain. She is
treated with a transdermal (patch placed on her skin) pain reliever, fentanyl.
Fentanyl is weak base with a tertiary amine. Which of the following parameters
could increase the toxicity of this drug?
A. Increasing the charged state of fentanyl
B. Placing the patch on a body area where the skin is thick relative to a thin
area
C. Treating the skin with a buffer that increases the hydrogen ion
concentration under the patch
D. Using a small patch versus a larger patch
E. Using a warming blanket that produces an increased vascular surface area
answer: E. Using a warming blanket that produces an increased vascular surface
area.
This question refers to Fick's Law: Cout-Cin=(surface area X permeability
coefficient)/Thickness.
Increasing the surface area by with increase the movement of drug into the blood.
A 26-year-old man after overdosing on methamphetamine is treated in the
local emergency room. Methamphetamine is a weak base with a pKa of 10.0.
The urine pH is adjusted to accelerate excretion using parenteral ammonium
chloride. At which pH (listed below) would the ratio of excretable (protonated)
methamphetamine to the lipophilic (unprotonated) form be 100 to 1?
A. 5
B. 6
C. 7
D. 8
E. 9
answer: D. 8
, Page 3 of 62
First write out equation for weak base: B + H+ = BH+
next plug into HH equation log(protonated/uprotonated) = pKa-pH
log p/un = 10-5 = 5 or 100,000 to 1
log p/un = 10-6 = 4 or 10,000 to 1
log p/un = 10-7 = 3 or 1000 to 1
log p/un = 10-8 = 2 or 100 to 1
Which of the following statements is most accurate?
A) Absorption of most drugs requires active transport
B) Drugs generally diffuse more readily across thick lipid membranes
C) Molecular size does not influence passive aqueous drug diffusion
D) The acid gut environment prevents passive diffusion of weak acids
E) Unprotonated weak acids do not readily diffuse across the lipid layers
answer: E) Unprotonated weak acids do not readily diffuse across the lipid layers.
first write out the equation: A- + H+ = HA.
It becomes easier to answer these types of question when the equation is written
out. When weak acids are disassociated from the hydrogen ion (its unprotonated
form) it is charged (lipophobic or hydrophilic) and therefore be less likely to move
across the uncharged environment of the lipid bilayer.
If the excretion of a drug is increased when the pH of the urine is elevated
what must the drug be?
a) non-electrolyte
b) weak acid
c) weak base
answer: weak acid
first write out equations:
A- + H+ = HA.
B + H+ = BH+
Next: increasing the charged form of the drug will prevent it from being reabsorbed
through the lipid bilayer in the body and thus increase drug excretion.
In this case lowering the hydrogen ion concentration in the renal tubule (elevating pH
or making more alkaline) will shift the equation to the left and for a weak acid this will
increase the prevalence of the charged state.
, Page 4 of 62
A drug is added to cultured neuronal cells that express membrane receptors.
When given alone this drug does not alter intracellular cascades. The drug is
most likely which of the following?
a) Full agonist
b) Partial agonist
c) Competitive antagonist
Answer: c) competitive antagonist
By definition agonist cause an intracellular change.
Antagonist lock receptors into a confirmation that is inactive. When given alone the
have no affect on intracellular cascades.
Full agonist bind to and hold receptors in their active state producing a maximal
intracellular response.
Partial agonist bind to a mix of active and inactive receptor states and thus produce
less than a maximal intracellular response. Producing any intracellular response
classifies these drugs as agonist--even though clinically they are used to antagonize
the effects of endogenous neurotransmitters that are full agonist.
Approximately 50% of available drugs have a chiral center resulting in optical
isomers or compounds with mirror images. Which statement is correct?
a) Chirality does not influence toxicity
b) Chirality has no influence on metabolism
c) Most available chiral-drugs are racemic mixtures of both isomers
d) Normally both chiral forms bind to their respective receptors with equal
affinity
e) Only one side of the isomer has biologic effects
answer: c) Most available chiral-drugs are racemic mixtures of both isomers
Which of the following parameters influences the systemic bioavailability of
orally administered drugs?
A. Hepatic extraction ratio
B. Pulmonary clearance
C. Rate of elimination
D. Renal extraction
E. Volume of distribution
A. Hepatic extraction ratio. Bioavailability is influenced by the amount absorbed
through the gut and, as the drug is transported by the hepatic vein to liver, how much
is metabolized (extraction ratio). The formula for bioavailability represents this
concept: F = f x (1-ER). f represents GI absorption and (1-ER) represents the
“HESI PHARMACOLOGY “ TEST BANK NEWEST 2025 ACTUAL EXAM UPDATED 2025 –
2026 SOLVED QUESTIONS , ANSWERS VERIFIED 100% GRADED A+ (LATEST
VERSION)
Pharmacology
Which of the following physical properties of a drug is most consistent with a
drug that has good oral bioavailability?
A. A drug that has many negative charges (e.g. heparin)
B. A drug that is a quaternary amine
C. A large protein based drug (e.g. infliximab)
D. A lipid soluble drug
E. A weak base in the acidic stomach environment
answer: D. A lipid soluble drug
, Page 2 of 62
Bioavailability= drug quantity that reaches the target organ. This term takes into
account the amount of drug absorbed in the gut and how much is metabolized by the
liver when the drug passes through it.
Most drugs are absorbed through the gut membranes by passive diffusion across the
lipid bilayer. The ease in crossing the lipid barrier depends on Fick's law: Cout-
Cin=(surface area X permeability coefficient)/Thickness. Lipid soluble drugs have a
high permeability coefficient.
Drugs that are weak basis can be absorbed but are limited by the pH. For example,
the weak base formula shows B + H+ = BH+. Therefore, in the acidic environment of
the gut (increased hydrogen ion content) the reaction will be shifted to the right (Le
Chatelier's principle--TF) or the charged lipophobic state.
A 74-year-old woman suffering from a back injury is in severe pain. She is
treated with a transdermal (patch placed on her skin) pain reliever, fentanyl.
Fentanyl is weak base with a tertiary amine. Which of the following parameters
could increase the toxicity of this drug?
A. Increasing the charged state of fentanyl
B. Placing the patch on a body area where the skin is thick relative to a thin
area
C. Treating the skin with a buffer that increases the hydrogen ion
concentration under the patch
D. Using a small patch versus a larger patch
E. Using a warming blanket that produces an increased vascular surface area
answer: E. Using a warming blanket that produces an increased vascular surface
area.
This question refers to Fick's Law: Cout-Cin=(surface area X permeability
coefficient)/Thickness.
Increasing the surface area by with increase the movement of drug into the blood.
A 26-year-old man after overdosing on methamphetamine is treated in the
local emergency room. Methamphetamine is a weak base with a pKa of 10.0.
The urine pH is adjusted to accelerate excretion using parenteral ammonium
chloride. At which pH (listed below) would the ratio of excretable (protonated)
methamphetamine to the lipophilic (unprotonated) form be 100 to 1?
A. 5
B. 6
C. 7
D. 8
E. 9
answer: D. 8
, Page 3 of 62
First write out equation for weak base: B + H+ = BH+
next plug into HH equation log(protonated/uprotonated) = pKa-pH
log p/un = 10-5 = 5 or 100,000 to 1
log p/un = 10-6 = 4 or 10,000 to 1
log p/un = 10-7 = 3 or 1000 to 1
log p/un = 10-8 = 2 or 100 to 1
Which of the following statements is most accurate?
A) Absorption of most drugs requires active transport
B) Drugs generally diffuse more readily across thick lipid membranes
C) Molecular size does not influence passive aqueous drug diffusion
D) The acid gut environment prevents passive diffusion of weak acids
E) Unprotonated weak acids do not readily diffuse across the lipid layers
answer: E) Unprotonated weak acids do not readily diffuse across the lipid layers.
first write out the equation: A- + H+ = HA.
It becomes easier to answer these types of question when the equation is written
out. When weak acids are disassociated from the hydrogen ion (its unprotonated
form) it is charged (lipophobic or hydrophilic) and therefore be less likely to move
across the uncharged environment of the lipid bilayer.
If the excretion of a drug is increased when the pH of the urine is elevated
what must the drug be?
a) non-electrolyte
b) weak acid
c) weak base
answer: weak acid
first write out equations:
A- + H+ = HA.
B + H+ = BH+
Next: increasing the charged form of the drug will prevent it from being reabsorbed
through the lipid bilayer in the body and thus increase drug excretion.
In this case lowering the hydrogen ion concentration in the renal tubule (elevating pH
or making more alkaline) will shift the equation to the left and for a weak acid this will
increase the prevalence of the charged state.
, Page 4 of 62
A drug is added to cultured neuronal cells that express membrane receptors.
When given alone this drug does not alter intracellular cascades. The drug is
most likely which of the following?
a) Full agonist
b) Partial agonist
c) Competitive antagonist
Answer: c) competitive antagonist
By definition agonist cause an intracellular change.
Antagonist lock receptors into a confirmation that is inactive. When given alone the
have no affect on intracellular cascades.
Full agonist bind to and hold receptors in their active state producing a maximal
intracellular response.
Partial agonist bind to a mix of active and inactive receptor states and thus produce
less than a maximal intracellular response. Producing any intracellular response
classifies these drugs as agonist--even though clinically they are used to antagonize
the effects of endogenous neurotransmitters that are full agonist.
Approximately 50% of available drugs have a chiral center resulting in optical
isomers or compounds with mirror images. Which statement is correct?
a) Chirality does not influence toxicity
b) Chirality has no influence on metabolism
c) Most available chiral-drugs are racemic mixtures of both isomers
d) Normally both chiral forms bind to their respective receptors with equal
affinity
e) Only one side of the isomer has biologic effects
answer: c) Most available chiral-drugs are racemic mixtures of both isomers
Which of the following parameters influences the systemic bioavailability of
orally administered drugs?
A. Hepatic extraction ratio
B. Pulmonary clearance
C. Rate of elimination
D. Renal extraction
E. Volume of distribution
A. Hepatic extraction ratio. Bioavailability is influenced by the amount absorbed
through the gut and, as the drug is transported by the hepatic vein to liver, how much
is metabolized (extraction ratio). The formula for bioavailability represents this
concept: F = f x (1-ER). f represents GI absorption and (1-ER) represents the
