CAC Pharmacology and Substance Knowledge

Question 1

Which FDA-approved medication for alcohol use disorder works by causing an unpleasant reaction when alcohol is consumed?

Accepted Answer

Disulfiram (Antabuse)

Answer

Disulfiram inhibits aldehyde dehydrogenase, causing a toxic accumulation of acetaldehyde when alcohol is consumed, producing nausea, flushing, and discomfort.

Question 2

Methadone maintenance treatment for opioid use disorder is dispensed through:

Accepted Answer

SAMHSA-certified Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs)

Answer

Federal law requires that methadone for opioid use disorder be dispensed only through federally certified opioid treatment programs (OTPs), not standard pharmacies.

Question 3

Which class of substances produces withdrawal symptoms that can be life-threatening without medical management?

Accepted Answer

Alcohol and benzodiazepines

Answer

Alcohol and benzodiazepine withdrawal both involve CNS hyperexcitability that can progress to seizures and death without medical supervision.

Question 4

Buprenorphine (Suboxone) is a partial opioid agonist. What is the clinical significance of the 'ceiling effect'?

Accepted Answer

At higher doses, the euphoric and respiratory depression effects plateau, reducing overdose risk

Answer

The ceiling effect means that buprenorphine's opioid effects (including dangerous respiratory depression) do not increase proportionally with higher doses, making it safer than full agonists.

Question 5

Which neurotransmitter is MOST centrally involved in the reward pathway dysregulation that underlies addiction?

Accepted Answer

Dopamine

Answer

Dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens (the brain's reward center) is the primary neurochemical mechanism through which addictive substances produce euphoria and reinforce use.

CAC - Certified Addiction Counselor Practice Test

CAC - Certified Addiction Counselor Practice Test

CAC Pharmacology and Substance Knowledge