BHS Pharmacology and Medication Management

Question 1

What term describes the study of how a drug moves through the body, including absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion?

Accepted Answer

Pharmacokinetics

Answer

Pharmacokinetics (ADME) describes what the body does to a drug, whereas pharmacodynamics describes what the drug does to the body.

Question 2

Which phase of clinical drug trials first tests a new medication in human volunteers primarily to assess safety and dosage?

Accepted Answer

Phase I

Answer

Phase I trials enroll a small number of healthy volunteers to evaluate safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and maximum tolerated dose.

Question 3

A drug's 'half-life' refers to:

Accepted Answer

The time for the plasma concentration of a drug to decrease by 50%

Answer

Half-life (t½) is the time it takes for the concentration of a drug in the bloodstream to fall to half its original value.

Question 4

Which federal agency is responsible for approving new drugs for sale in the United States?

Accepted Answer

FDA

Answer

The FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) evaluates new drug applications and approves medications as safe and effective.

Question 5

What is the therapeutic index (TI) of a drug?

Accepted Answer

The ratio between the toxic dose and the effective dose, indicating the drug's safety margin

Answer

The therapeutic index (TI = TD50/ED50) quantifies the safety margin of a drug; a narrow TI means toxicity occurs close to the effective dose.

BHS - Bachelor of Health Science Practice Test