Pharmacology & Drug Classifications Flashcards
7 cards from real Chemical Dependency Counselor CCDC Exam practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Pharmacology & Drug Classifications flashcards as text
Which neurotransmitter is most directly involved in the reward pathway that reinforces most substances of abuse?
Answer: Dopamine
Dopamine in the mesolimbic reward pathway is the primary neurotransmitter involved in the reinforcing effects of most abused substances, producing the 'high' that drives continued use.
What is the primary danger of combining opioids with benzodiazepines?
Answer: Synergistic CNS depression leading to fatal respiratory failure
Both opioids and benzodiazepines are CNS depressants; their combination produces synergistic respiratory depression that dramatically increases the risk of fatal overdose.
Stimulant withdrawal (from cocaine or amphetamines) is primarily characterized by:
Answer: Depression, fatigue, hypersomnia, and dysphoria
Stimulant withdrawal causes a 'crash' characterized by dysphoria, depression, extreme fatigue, increased sleep, and increased appetite as dopamine levels drop sharply.
Which of the following is NOT classified as a DEA Schedule II controlled substance?
Answer: Alprazolam (Xanax)
Alprazolam (Xanax) is a Schedule IV controlled substance because benzodiazepines carry lower abuse potential than Schedule II drugs like morphine, cocaine, and methamphetamine.
Naloxone (Narcan) reverses opioid overdose because it:
Answer: Rapidly displaces opioids from receptors as a competitive antagonist
Naloxone is a competitive opioid antagonist that rapidly displaces opioids from their receptors, reversing respiratory depression, sedation, and other overdose symptoms within minutes.
The term 'physiological dependence' in substance use refers to:
Answer: The body's adaptation requiring the substance for normal functioning, evidenced by tolerance and withdrawal
Physiological dependence occurs when the body neuroadapts to chronic substance exposure, resulting in tolerance and withdrawal symptoms upon cessation or dose reduction.
In pharmacology, 'tolerance' to a substance specifically means:
Answer: Needing progressively higher doses to achieve the same effect previously obtained at lower doses
Pharmacological tolerance is defined as the need for increasing doses of a substance to achieve the same effect that was previously produced at lower doses, reflecting neuroadaptation.
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