Calculating Oral Dosage Unit 44 Calculating Oral Dosage

Interpreting Drug Labels Health care professionals must use extreme caution while preparing medications ordered by a physician. Correct interpretation of drug labels is essential.

Interpreting Drug Labels Information shown on the label includes: Drug name Dosage or strength with a unit of measurement Manufacturer name Quantity of medication the container holds Special instructions for care National Drug Code (NDC), which is a universal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) product identifier for human drugs

Interpreting Drug Labels Health care professionals must read the label carefully before administering any medication. It is essential to check the name of the drug, the dosage per unit, and any special precautions that must be followed.

Basic Principles of Calculating Oral Dosage An oral medication is a medication taken by mouth. It is the most common route for administration of medications. Oral medications are available in solid forms such as tablets, capsules, powders, and lozenges, or liquid forms such as solutions, elixirs, suspensions, and syrups.

Proportional Method of Calculating Oral Dosage To use the proportional method, all units of measurement must be the same. When the units of measurement are the same, a proportion is created to represent the information:

Formula Method of Calculating Oral Dosage To use the formula method, all units of measurement must be the same. Numbers are then inserted into the formula to find the correct amount of medication:

Calculating Oral Liquid Dosages To calculate oral liquid amounts, the same procedures are used, but the liquid amount is used in place of the capsule.

Calculating Oral Dosage Example: A doctor orders 300 milligrams (mg) of Terramycin suspension, an antibiotic. The dosage available contains 0.1 g per 5 milliliters (mL). Known fact: 1 g = 1,000 mg Therefore 0.1 g = 100 mg Use the formula:

Calculating Oral Dosage Set up a proportion: 100 mg x X mL = 5 mL x 300 mg 100X = 1,500 X = 15 The correct dose is 15 mL.

Practical Problem A physician orders Klonopin 1 mg for a patient with hypertension (high blood pressure). How many tablets should be given?

Practical Problem Create a proportion and solve: The patient should be given 2 tablets of Klonopin.