Pharmacology for Care of the Family | Questions & Answers
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Section 1: Foundational Pharmacology Principles (10 questions)
Q1: A 68-year-old patient with liver cirrhosis is prescribed a medication metabolized by
CYP3A4. Which factor most significantly affects drug metabolism in this patient?
A. Increased hepatic blood flow
B. Decreased first-pass metabolism and reduced enzyme activity [CORRECT]
C. Enhanced drug absorption
D. Increased renal clearance
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: For the midterm, remember that liver disease impairs both first-pass
metabolism and CYP450 enzyme activity, leading to increased bioavailability and
prolonged drug half-life. That's why dose reductions are often needed in hepatic
impairment.
Q2: A patient asks why their beta-blocker helps with both hypertension and anxiety.
Which pharmacodynamic concept explains this?
A. Receptor selectivity
B. Non-selective receptor blockade affecting multiple organ systems [CORRECT]
C. Partial agonist activity
D. Inverse agonism
Correct Answer: B
,Rationale: The best choice here is non-selective receptor blockade—beta-blockers
antagonize beta-adrenergic receptors throughout the body, reducing both cardiac output
(blood pressure) and peripheral manifestations of anxiety (tremor, palpitations).
Q3: A 55-year-old patient on warfarin starts taking omeprazole. What is the primary
concern?
A. Decreased warfarin absorption
B. CYP2C19 inhibition leading to increased warfarin levels and bleeding risk [CORRECT]
C. Reduced warfarin protein binding
D. Increased warfarin renal clearance
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: That's correct because in family practice, you need to watch CYP450
interactions. Omeprazole inhibits CYP2C19, which metabolizes warfarin—this increases
INR and bleeding risk, requiring closer monitoring.
Q4: A patient with chronic kidney disease (eGFR 25) needs dosing adjustment for a
renally cleared medication. Which principle guides this adjustment?
A. Increase the dose and extend the interval
B. Reduce the dose and/or extend the dosing interval to prevent accumulation
[CORRECT]
C. Maintain standard dosing with increased monitoring
D. Switch to hepatically metabolized alternatives only
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: In renal impairment, drugs cleared by the kidneys accumulate if standard
doses are used. The safest approach is reducing the dose or extending intervals to
maintain therapeutic levels without toxicity.
, Q5: A 7-year-old child requires amoxicillin dosing. Which factor is most critical for
calculating the appropriate dose?
A. Body surface area
B. Weight-based dosing with consideration of developmental pharmacokinetics
[CORRECT]
C. Age-based dosing alone
D. Adult dose with proportional reduction
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: For pediatric patients, weight-based dosing is essential, but you must also
consider that children have different absorption, distribution, and metabolism compared
to adults—developmental pharmacokinetics matter for safety.
Q6: Which characteristic defines a partial agonist?
A. Binds to receptor but produces no effect
B. Binds to receptor and produces submaximal effect even at full receptor occupancy
[CORRECT]
C. Binds to receptor and produces maximal effect
D. Prevents other ligands from binding without activating the receptor
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Partial agonists activate receptors but cannot produce the full response of a
full agonist, even when all receptors are occupied. This is important for drugs like
buprenorphine used in addiction treatment.
Q7: A patient experiences an allergic reaction characterized by hives and bronchospasm
shortly after taking a new medication. This represents which type of adverse drug
reaction?