STUVIA 2024/2025
Chapter 3: Pharmacokinetics,
Pharmacodynamics, and Pharmacogenetics
Which drug will go through a disintegration process after it is administered?
a. Intramuscular (IM) cephalosporins
b. Intravenous (IV) vasopressors
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c. Oral analgesics
d. Subcutaneous insulin - ANS: C
When drugs are administered parenterally, there is no disintegration process, which occurs when a
drug becomes a solution that can cross the biologic membrane.
The nurse is preparing to administer an oral medication and wants to ensure a rapid drug action.
Which form of the medication will the nurse prefer to administer?
a. Capsule
b. Enteric-coated pill
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c. Liquid suspension
d. Tablet - ANS: C
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Liquid drugs are already in solution, which is the form necessary for absorption in the gastrointestinal
(GI) tract. The other forms must disintegrate into small particles and then dissolve before being
absorbed.
The nurse is teaching a patient who will be discharged home with a prescription for an enteric-coated
tablet. Which statement by the patient indicates understanding of the teaching?
a. "I may crush the tablet and put it in applesauce to improve absorption."
b. "I should consume acidic foods to enhance absorption of this medication."
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c. "I should expect a delay in onset of the drug's effects after taking the tablet."
d. "I should take this medication with high-fat foods to improve its action." - ANS: C
Enteric-coated tablets resist disintegration in the acidic environment of the stomach and disintegrate
when they reach the small intestine. There is usually some delay in onset of actions after taking these
medications. Enteric-coated tablets should not be crushed or chewed, which would alter the time and
location of absorption. Acidic foods will not enhance the absorption of the medication. The patient
should not eat high-fat food before ingesting an enteric-coated tablet because high-fat foods
decrease the absorption rate.
A patient who is newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus asks why insulin must be given by
subcutaneous injection instead of by mouth. The nurse will explain that this is because
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, STUVIA 2024/2025
a. absorption is diminished by the first-pass effects in the liver.
b. absorption is faster when insulin is given subcutaneously.
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c. digestive enzymes in the GI tract break down the drug and prevent absorption.
d. the oral form is less predictable with more adverse effects. - ANS: C
Insulin, growth hormones, and other protein-based drugs are destroyed in the GI tract by digestive
enzymes and must be given parenterally. Because insulin is destroyed by digestive enzymes, it must
be given parenterally and would not make it to the liver for metabolism with a first-pass effect.
The nurse is preparing to administer an oral medication that is water soluble. The nurse understands
that this drug:
a. must be taken on an empty stomach.
b. requires active transport for absorption.
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c. should be taken with fatty foods.
d. will readily diffuse into the GI tract. - ANS: B
Water-soluble drugs require a carrier enzyme or protein to pass through the GI membrane.
The nurse is preparing an injectable drug and wants to administer it for the most rapid absorption as
possible. How will the nurse give this medication?
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a. IM into the deltoid muscle
b. IM into the gluteal muscle
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c. Subcut into abdominal tissue
d. Subcut into the upper arm - ANS: A
Drugs given IM are absorbed faster in muscles that have the highest blood flow, such as the deltoid,
rather than those with fewer blood vessels, such as the gluteals. Subcutaneous absorption is slower
when compared to IM drug administration.
The nurse is reviewing medication information with a nursing student prior to administering an oral
drug and notes that the drug has extensive first-pass effects. Which statement by the student
indicates an understanding of the first-ass effect?
a. "The first-pass effect means the drug has 100% bioavailability."
b. "The first-pass effect means the drug is absorbed from the GI tract into the portal vein where it is
transported to the liver and metabolized."
c. "The first-pass effect means the drug was given by injection and immediately metabolized."
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d. "The first-pass effect means the drug may be unchanged as it passes through the liver." -
ANS: B
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