Master of Pharmacy: Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics Flashcards
7 cards from real MPharm Master of Pharmacy practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Master of Pharmacy: Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics flashcards as text
A drug with a volume of distribution of 700 L in a 70 kg patient is best described as:
Answer: Extensively distributed into tissues
A Vd of 700 L far exceeds total body water (~42 L), indicating extensive tissue distribution and sequestration.
Which pharmacokinetic parameter directly determines the dosing interval needed to maintain steady-state concentrations within a therapeutic window?
Answer: Half-life
The elimination half-life governs how quickly drug levels decline, which directly informs appropriate dosing intervals.
During a constant-rate IV infusion, steady-state is achieved when:
Answer: The rate of infusion equals the rate of elimination
Steady-state occurs when the rate of drug input equals the rate of drug elimination, resulting in constant plasma concentrations.
A competitive antagonist shifts the agonist concentration-response curve:
Answer: To the right with an unchanged maximum response
Competitive antagonists shift the curve to the right (higher EC50) but the maximum effect can still be achieved with enough agonist.
Which of the following best describes the concept of intrinsic efficacy in pharmacodynamics?
Answer: The ability of a drug-receptor complex to produce a biological response
Intrinsic efficacy describes the capacity of the drug-receptor complex to activate the receptor and produce a functional response.
Enterohepatic recirculation of a drug leads to:
Answer: Prolonged drug half-life and sustained plasma levels
Enterohepatic recirculation returns drug from bile back into systemic circulation via intestinal reabsorption, extending its apparent half-life.
The Hill coefficient (n) in the Hill equation greater than 1 indicates:
Answer: Sigmoidal concentration-response with positive cooperativity
A Hill coefficient >1 steepens the sigmoidal concentration-response curve, reflecting positive cooperativity or multiple binding sites.