Drug Pharmacology & Identification Flashcards

Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is classified as which schedule under the CSA when used illicitly (outside of FDA-approved use)?

Answer: Schedule I

Illicit GHB is Schedule I; however, the FDA-approved formulation (sodium oxybate/Xyrem) for narcolepsy is Schedule III when dispensed by a licensed pharmacy.

Which of the following is NOT a recognized sign of opioid intoxication during a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) evaluation?

Answer: Dilated pupils (mydriasis)

Opioids cause miosis (pupil constriction), not mydriasis (dilation); dilated pupils are associated with stimulants, hallucinogens, or cannabis.

Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) produces opioid-like effects through which mechanism?

Answer: Active alkaloids (mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine) that bind to mu-opioid receptors

Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine are the primary active alkaloids in kratom that bind to mu-opioid receptors, producing pain relief and at high doses, euphoria.

Which route of drug administration produces the fastest onset of effects and highest peak plasma concentration?

Answer: Intravenous injection

Intravenous injection delivers drug directly into the bloodstream with 100% bioavailability and near-instantaneous distribution to the brain, producing the fastest and most intense effects.

Carfentanil is significant in drug enforcement because it is:

Answer: A veterinary anesthetic approximately 10,000 times more potent than morphine

Carfentanil is an ultra-potent fentanyl analog used as a large animal sedative; it is approximately 10,000 times more potent than morphine and poses extreme hazards to first responders.

The 'crack lung' syndrome associated with smoking crack cocaine is characterized by:

Answer: Acute pulmonary hemorrhage, hemoptysis, and respiratory failure

Crack lung is an acute syndrome involving alveolar hemorrhage, hemoptysis, hypoxia, and potentially fatal respiratory failure occurring shortly after smoking crack cocaine.

Which of the following correctly describes the pharmacological difference between morphine and heroin (diacetylmorphine)?

Answer: Heroin is more lipid-soluble, crosses the blood-brain barrier faster, and is converted to morphine in the brain

Heroin's two acetyl groups make it more lipophilic than morphine, allowing faster BBB penetration; it is then rapidly deacetylated to 6-monoacetylmorphine and morphine.