NURS 3100 Exam 1 Practice

A student nurse asks a nurse about a drug that has been prescribed to decrease the effects of an endogenous chemical. The nurse understands this drug is placed in which category?

1. An agonist-antagonist

2. An antagonist

3. A partial agonist

4. An agonist

The correct answer is: An antagonist

An antagonist is a drug that binds to a receptor and blocks the action of an endogenous chemical or another drug. In this case, the drug prescribed to decrease the effects of an endogenous chemical would be classified as an antagonist. A. An agonist-antagonist is a drug that has both agonist and antagonist properties, meaning it can both activate and block a receptor. C. A partial agonist is a drug that binds to a receptor and produces a smaller response than a full agonist, often used when a full agonist may cause too much of a response. D. An agonist is a drug that binds to and activates a receptor to produce a biological response.