Canadian Pharmacist Qualifying Exam Practice · Question
A 35-year-old female is started on an antidepressant that selectively inhibits the reuptake of serotonin in the brain. Her doctor informs her that it will take approximately 2-4 weeks to experience the full therapeutic effect. This delay is primarily due to:
While steady-state concentrations are usually reached within 4-5 half-lives, the full therapeutic effect of SSRIs typically takes longer (2-4 weeks). This delay
Start free practice for Canadian Pharmacist Qualifying Exam Practice
300 questions · no signup required · 40 free questions per day
Question: A 35-year-old female is started on an antidepressant that selectively inhibits the reuptake of serotonin in the brain. Her doctor informs her that it will take approximately 2-4 weeks to experience the full therapeutic effect. This delay is primarily due to:
Answer options:
- Slow absorption of the drug from the gastrointestinal tract. ✅ The time required for down-regulation or desensitization of postsynaptic serotonin receptors.
- The need for the drug to reach steady-state plasma concentrations.
- Its extensive first-pass metabolism in the liver.
Correct answer: The time required for down-regulation or desensitization of postsynaptic serotonin receptors.
Explanation: While steady-state concentrations are usually reached within 4-5 half-lives, the full therapeutic effect of SSRIs typically takes longer (2-4 weeks). This delay is thought to be due to adaptive changes in receptor sensitivity and intracellular signaling pathways, specifically the desensitization of autoreceptors and increased postsynaptic receptor activity.
Start free practice for Canadian Pharmacist Qualifying Exam Practice
300 questions · no signup required · 40 free questions per day
More about Canadian Pharmacist Qualifying Exam Practice
Related Questions
- Order: 1000 mL D5W over 8 hours. Drop factor 15 gtt/mL. The infusion rate in gtt/min is:
- A pediatric dose is 10 mg/kg q8h for a child weighing 15 kg. Each dose is:
- First-line pharmacotherapy for most patients with type 2 diabetes is:
- First-line treatment of anaphylaxis is:
- A drug has a half-life of 6 hours. If a patient takes a single dose of 100 mg, approximately how much of the d
- Which of the following medications requires genotyping prior to initiation due to pharmacogenomic consideratio
More for Canadian Pharmacist Qualifying Exam Practice candidates
Ready to practice?
Free, no signup required. Build a wrong-question list as you go.
Start Free Canadian Pharmacist Qualifying Exam Practice Practice →Related courses
Other Canadian certifications candidates often prepare for alongside this one.