BHS Pharmacology and Medication Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which enzyme system in the liver is primarily responsible for the metabolism of most pharmaceutical drugs?
- Monoamine oxidase (MAO)
- Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) (Correct answer)
- Acetylcholinesterase
- Xanthine oxidase
Correct answer: Cytochrome P450 (CYP450)
The cytochrome P450 enzyme family metabolizes approximately 70–80% of drugs, and drug interactions often occur when two drugs compete for the same CYP enzyme.
Question 2: What is the difference between a drug's brand name and its generic name?
- Generic drugs contain different active ingredients than brand-name drugs
- The generic name is the standardized chemical name; the brand name is the proprietary trade name assigned by the manufacturer (Correct answer)
- Brand-name drugs are always more effective than generic versions
- Generic drugs are only available over-the-counter
Correct answer: The generic name is the standardized chemical name; the brand name is the proprietary trade name assigned by the manufacturer
The generic (nonproprietary) name identifies the active ingredient; the brand name is the trademark given by the manufacturer to their specific formulation.
Question 3: Which Schedule classification under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) includes drugs with high abuse potential and no currently accepted medical use in the US?
- Schedule II
- Schedule III
- Schedule IV
- Schedule I (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Schedule I
Schedule I substances (e.g., heroin, LSD) have the highest abuse potential and no accepted medical use, making them illegal to prescribe.
Question 4: A patient develops a sudden drop in blood pressure when combining two antihypertensive medications. This is an example of:
- An allergic reaction
- A synergistic drug-drug interaction causing additive hypotension (Correct answer)
- A pharmacogenomic response
- An idiosyncratic reaction
Correct answer: A synergistic drug-drug interaction causing additive hypotension
Synergistic drug interactions occur when two drugs with similar effects combine to produce a response greater than expected from either drug alone.
Question 5: What does 'bioavailability' mean in pharmacology?
- The ability of a drug to cross the blood-brain barrier
- The fraction of an administered dose that reaches systemic circulation in unchanged form (Correct answer)
- The total amount of drug stored in body tissues
- The speed at which a drug is eliminated from the body
Correct answer: The fraction of an administered dose that reaches systemic circulation in unchanged form
Bioavailability indicates what proportion of a drug dose actually reaches the bloodstream; intravenous administration has 100% bioavailability.
Question 6: Medication reconciliation is a patient safety process designed to:
- Bill patients accurately for medications dispensed
- Ensure a complete and accurate medication list is communicated at every care transition (Correct answer)
- Substitute brand drugs with generics to reduce cost
- Document allergy histories in EHR systems
Correct answer: Ensure a complete and accurate medication list is communicated at every care transition
Medication reconciliation compares a patient's medication orders to all current medications to avoid omissions, duplications, or dosing errors during care transitions.
BHS Pharmacology and Medication Management 2
Which enzyme system in the liver is primarily responsible for the metabolism of most pharmaceutical drugs?