NAPLEX (North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination) Practice Exam

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Study for the NAPLEX exam with a comprehensive quiz featuring multiple-choice questions and in-depth explanations. Build your pharmacological knowledge and increase your chances of passing the pharmacist licensure examination!

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Which contraceptive option is described as having a lower drug interaction risk due to bypassing first-pass metabolism?

Depo-Provera (Injection)
NuvaRing (Vaginal Ring)
Errin (Progestin-only pill)
Xulane (Patch)

The correct answer is: Depo-Provera (Injection)

Depo-Provera (Injection) is the correct answer because it bypasses first-pass metabolism. First-pass metabolism occurs when a drug is absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and passes through the liver before entering the systemic circulation. During this process, the drug may be metabolized by the liver enzymes, leading to a potential increase or decrease in its efficacy. In the case of Depo-Provera, since it is administered via injection, it bypasses the gastrointestinal tract and therefore the first-pass metabolism in the liver, resulting in a lower risk of drug interactions compared to oral contraceptive options like the progestin-only pill (Errin) and the patch (Xulane) which have to pass through the liver before reaching systemic circulation. The NuvaRing (Vaginal Ring) is not the correct answer even though it does not go through the first-pass metabolism because it is not considered to have a lower drug interaction risk as compared to Depo-Provera.