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Pharmacology for Midwifery Students (NZ) Exam Questions and Answers
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Pharmacology for Midwifery Students (NZ) Exam Questions and Answers
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Pharmacology for Midwifery Students(NZ) Exam Questions and Answers
1.Define Pharmacodynamics - Answers -The effect of the drug on the body, including
the mechanism of action, effect, side effects.
2.What is a ligand? - Answers -A molecule that binds to a receptor - can be an agonist
or antagonist.
3.What is the difference between an agonist and an antagonist? - Answers -Agonists
bind to receptors causing cellular effects/actions. Can be partial or full agonist. Partial
agonists can only ellicit a portion of the effect/action of the receptor it binds to.
Antagonists block the effects of agonists. Competitive antagonists bind to the same
sites as agonists preventing agonists from binding there and having their effect. Non-
competitive antagonists act in some other way to block agonist effects.
4.Give 2 examples of an agonist, its receptor and its antagonist. - Answers -Pethidine:
Mu opioid receptors (G-protein coupled receptors), Naloxone is its competitive
antagonist.
Adrenaline: Beta 1 adrenergic receptors (G-protein coupled receptors), Beta blockers
e.g. Metoprolol.
Syntocinon: Oxytocin receptors (G-protein coupled receptors on myometrium), Atosiban
is its competitive antagonist.
5.Name and briefly define the four types of protein molecules that can be acted on by
drugs to exert a pharmacological effect? Give an example of each of these types of
protein molecule and a drug that acts upon each of them. - Answers -Receptors are any
functional macromolecule in a cell to which a ligand binds to produce its effect.
Ion channels: ligand cause membrane to morph/change shape to open an ion channel
e.g. local anaesthetic blocks Na+/Sodium channels so action potentials cannot be sent.
Steroid receptors: actication regulates gene expression altering protein synthesis, e.g.
sex hormones like oestrogen in pill.
Enzyme-linked receptors: a ligand triggers production of enzymes that have an effect,
e.g. NSAIDS are inhibitors of cyclooxygenase (COX).
G-protein coupled receptors: a 2 part receptor - receptor, G-protein and effector.
Receptor switches on intracellular enzymes that make 2nd messengers that have
cellular effects, e.g. Adrenaline acts on B1 G-protein coupled receptors, makes second
messenger cAMP and send it out via effector on cell surface.
, 6.What is the difference between efficacy and affinity? How are these terms related but
different to potency? - Answers -Efficacy = how strong the effect/response to the drug
is.
Affinity = how well a drug binds to receptors.
Potency = amount of drug required to produce half the desired effect. Potency is
increased by higher affinity and higher efficacy - the are both factors in potency.
7.Explain the concept of de-sensitisation and tolerance. What is the difference between
the two terms? - Answers -Both refer to a decrease in a drug's effect over time. De-
sensitisation happens rapidly - over minutes. Tolerance happens over long-term e.g. by
down- regulation - reducing the number of receptors on the surface of target cells.
8.Define the term Pharmacokinetics. What is the difference to Pharmacodynamics? -
Answers -The drugs movement throughout the body including how it reaches and
leaves its site of action and at what concentration.
9.Name commonly used routes of administration. Think about barriers to absorption,
absorption pattern, advantages and disadvantages for each way of administration. -
Answers -Oral or enteral
Parenteral
Inhalation
Topical (e.g. local therapy of the skin, eyes, ears, nose, mouth or vagina)
Rectal
Vaginal
10.What are the 4 processes that a drug must undergo as part of pharmacokinetics? -
Answers -Absorption
Distribution
Metabolism
Excretion
11.What is Bioavailability, how is it defined and why is it important? - Answers -
Bioavailability = how much of the original concentration is available to the body after
absorption and first pass metabolism
12.What is half-life and why is it important? - Answers -The time it takes for the plasma
concentration of the drug to halve. Important for predicting when next dose is due.
Administering too soon will allow drug to accumulate in the body building to toxic levels.
13.What is the volume of distribution and why is it important? - Answers -A theoretical
volume of plasma that would hold a given concentration of the drug if it were evenly
distributed around the body. Important for calculating loading dose, clearance and half-
life.
14.What does "first pass metabolism" refer to? - Answers -The metabolism of a drug
BEFORE it reaches the systemic circulation
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