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DEA Pharmacology and Drug Effects 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 DEA Pharmacology and Drug Effects flashcards as text

  1. Based on its pharmacological effects on the central nervous system, methamphetamine is classified as which type of drug?

    Answer: CNS stimulant

    Methamphetamine is a potent CNS stimulant that causes massive release of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, producing increased alertness and euphoria.

  2. THC, the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis, produces its effects by binding primarily to which receptors?

    Answer: Cannabinoid CB1 receptors

    THC primarily binds to CB1 cannabinoid receptors in the brain, which are part of the endocannabinoid system regulating mood, memory, appetite, and pain.

  3. In pharmacology, what does the term 'half-life' of a drug refer to?

    Answer: The time required for the body to eliminate 50% of the drug

    Half-life refers to the time required for the concentration of a drug in the body to decrease by 50%, which determines dosing frequency and time to elimination.

  4. PCP (phencyclidine) produces its effects by primarily blocking which receptor type?

    Answer: NMDA glutamate receptors

    PCP produces dissociative anesthetic effects by blocking NMDA receptors, disrupting glutamate neurotransmission and causing detachment from reality.

  5. What is the primary life-threatening risk of combining opioids with benzodiazepines or other CNS depressants?

    Answer: Synergistic respiratory depression leading to fatal overdose

    Combining opioids with benzodiazepines causes synergistic CNS and respiratory depression, dramatically increasing the risk of fatal respiratory failure.

  6. Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol), a Schedule IV controlled substance, is particularly notorious because it:

    Answer: Has been used as a date rape drug due to sedation and amnesia

    Flunitrazepam causes profound sedation, muscle relaxation, and anterograde amnesia, making victims unable to resist assault or recall events, hence its misuse as a date rape drug.

  7. What pharmacological term describes when one drug increases the effects of another drug beyond what either would produce alone?

    Answer: Synergism or potentiation

    Synergism or potentiation occurs when the combined effect of two drugs exceeds the sum of their individual effects, which can dramatically increase both desired and toxic outcomes.