Nursing Pharmacology Practice Questions
Pharmacology is an important part of nursing education because nurses must understand medications, recognize potential problems, monitor patients, and provide appropriate education. These questions focus on general pharmacology concepts rather than specific treatment instructions.
1. What should the nurse verify before administering a medication?
- A. Patient identity
- B. Medication information
- C. Relevant allergies and clinical information
- D. All of the above
- Answer: D
2. What is an adverse effect?
- A. An unwanted response associated with a medication
- B. The desired therapeutic response
- C. A medication's color
- D. A patient's diagnosis
- Answer: A
3. Which medication class is primarily used to relieve pain?
- A. Analgesics
- B. Antibiotics
- C. Antacids
- D. Antifungals
- Answer: A
4. What should the nurse do if the medication label cannot be read?
- A. Clarify it before administration
- B. Guess the medication
- C. Ask the patient to guess
- D. Administer half the dose
- Answer: A
5. Why is medication reconciliation important?
- A. It can identify discrepancies between medication lists
- B. It eliminates adverse effects
- C. It replaces assessment
- D. It prevents every medication error
- Answer: A
6. What does “therapeutic effect” mean?
- A. The intended effect of a medication
- B. An allergic reaction
- C. An overdose
- D. A medication error
- Answer: A
7. Which route involves medication administration into a vein?
- A. Intravenous
- B. Oral
- C. Topical
- D. Sublingual
- Answer: A
8. Why should medication allergies be verified?
- A. To reduce the risk of allergic reactions
- B. To determine the patient's favorite drug
- C. To eliminate documentation
- D. To shorten every hospital stay
- Answer: A
9. What should the nurse do if a patient reports a serious new symptom after receiving medication?
- A. Assess the patient and follow appropriate clinical procedures
- B. Ignore it
- C. Tell the patient it is always normal
- D. Automatically give another medication
- Answer: A
10. Which term describes a medication that reduces pain?
- A. Analgesic
- B. Antipyretic only
- C. Antibiotic
- D. Antacid
- Answer: A
11. Which medication class is commonly associated with treating bacterial infections?
- A. Antibiotics
- B. Analgesics
- C. Antacids
- D. Antihistamines
- Answer: A
12. Why is patient education important?
- A. It helps patients understand safe medication use
- B. It replaces clinical monitoring
- C. It eliminates follow-up
- D. It means patients never need healthcare providers
- Answer: A
13. What is a contraindication?
- A. A condition or situation in which a medication may be inappropriate or unsafe
- B. A desired therapeutic effect
- C. A medication color
- D. A normal vital sign
- Answer: A
14. What does the term “oral” indicate?
- A. The medication is administered through the mouth
- B. The medication is injected into muscle
- C. The medication is placed on the skin
- D. The medication is injected into a vein
- Answer: A
15. Which factor can affect medication response?
- A. Age
- B. Clinical condition
- C. Other medications
- D. All of the above
- Answer: D
16. Why should nurses monitor patients after medication administration when indicated?
- A. To evaluate effects and identify possible adverse reactions
- B. To increase every dose
- C. To eliminate documentation
- D. To avoid patient communication
- Answer: A
- 17. What should a nurse do when a patient asks a medication question the nurse cannot safely answer?
- A. Obtain appropriate information or consult the appropriate professional/resource
- B. Guess
- C. Ignore the question
- D. Invent an answer
- Answer: A
18. Which action is unsafe?
- A. Verifying the medication
- B. Checking patient identity
- C. Guessing an unclear order
- D. Reviewing relevant information
- Answer: C
19. What is medication adherence?
- A. Taking medications according to the prescribed plan
- B. Taking medications randomly
- C. Stopping all medications
- D. Sharing medication
- Answer: A
20. Why should patients avoid sharing prescription medications?
- A. A medication may not be appropriate or safe for another person
- B. Sharing always causes an allergy
- C. It changes the medication color
- D. It makes medication stronger
- Answer: A
21. Which finding may suggest an allergic reaction?
- A. Difficulty breathing
- B. Normal appetite
- C. Improved sleep
- D. Normal temperature
- Answer: A
22. What should a nurse do when a medication order appears inconsistent with available patient information?
- A. Clarify the order before administration
- B. Ignore the discrepancy
- C. Guess the intended order
- D. Change the order independently
- Answer: A
23. Why should medication documentation be accurate?
- A. It provides a reliable record of medication administration and patient care
- B. It replaces assessment
- C. It eliminates errors completely
- D. It prevents all adverse effects
- Answer: A
24. Which action demonstrates medication safety?
- A. Following established medication-administration procedures
- B. Skipping identification
- C. Guessing unclear information
- D. Sharing medications
- Answer: A
25. What is the best general approach to pharmacology questions?
- A. Combine medication knowledge with patient-safety principles
- B. Memorize drug names without understanding them
- C. Always choose the longest answer
- D. Ignore assessment findings
- Answer: A
