Drug Pharmacology & Identification Flashcards
7 cards from real DEA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Drug Pharmacology & Identification flashcards as text
Which neurotransmitter system is primarily responsible for the euphoric effects of opioid drugs?
Answer: Dopaminergic system in the nucleus accumbens
Opioids trigger dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens (the brain's reward center), producing the characteristic euphoria and reinforcing addictive behavior.
What is the primary mechanism by which methamphetamine produces its stimulant effects?
Answer: Causing massive release of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin while blocking reuptake
Methamphetamine both reverses transporters to flood the synapse with monoamines AND blocks their reuptake, producing effects far more intense than cocaine.
Which schedule under the Controlled Substances Act contains drugs with accepted medical use but the highest potential for abuse among drugs with accepted medical use?
Answer: Schedule II
Schedule II drugs have high abuse potential with severe psychological or physical dependence liability but do have accepted medical use, unlike Schedule I.
The term 'half-life' in pharmacology refers to:
Answer: The time required for the plasma concentration of a drug to decrease by 50%
Half-life (t½) is the time required for the concentration of a drug in plasma to fall to half its original value, determining dosing intervals and accumulation.
Which of the following is a characteristic 'street' indicator used to identify heroin as opposed to prescription opioids?
Answer: Dark brown or black tar-like substance with a vinegar odor
Black tar heroin, produced primarily in Mexico, is characterized by its dark color, sticky tar-like consistency, and acetic acid (vinegar) odor from incomplete acetylation.
Benzodiazepines produce their sedative-hypnotic effects by:
Answer: Enhancing the effect of GABA at the GABA-A receptor
Benzodiazepines bind to a modulatory site on GABA-A receptors, increasing the frequency of chloride channel opening and enhancing inhibitory neurotransmission.
A drug seized in the field appears as a white powder and tests positive for cocaine. Which presumptive field test would confirm a positive result by turning blue?
Answer: Scott test (cobalt thiocyanate)
The Scott test uses cobalt thiocyanate solution; cocaine causes it to turn blue, which is then extracted into an organic layer, serving as a two-step confirmation.