4

SECTION I

PHARMACEUTICAL PRACTICE

PROPORTIONS
A proportion represents the equality between two ratios.
A proportion is an equation with a ratio on each side. It is
a statement that two ratios are equal. This mathematical
concept is often used in community pharmacy.

Example:
If 5 tablets contain 1625 mg of acetaminophen, how many
tablets should contain 2925 mg?

Solution:

5 tablets 1625 milligrams

X tablets 2925 milligrams
X 9 tablets; answer
5 tablets X tablets

1625 mg
2925 mg

X 9 tablets

Relevant measurements and conversions

1 in
2.54 cm
1m
39.37 in
1 kg 2.2 lb
1g
15.4324 gr (round to 15.4 gr)
1 fl oz. 29.5729 mL (round to 29.6 or 30 mL)

DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS
Dimensional analysis is a method of manipulating units to
solve mathematical equations. The process allows you to
cancel out unwanted units leaving only those units you
want your answer to be expressed as.

Example:
A pharmacist wants to know how many inhalers should
be dispensed to a patient to provide a 60-day
supply of fluticasone. The recommended daily dose
is 250 mcg twice daily. The commercial inhaler delivers
220 mcg per metered dose and contains 60 metered
inhalations.

Solution:

220 mcg  2 (twice daily) 440 mcg/day

440 mcg
day

1 inhalation
220 mcg

1 inhaler

 60 days 2 inhalers
60 inhalations

The pharmacist should dispense 2 inhalers for a 60-day

supply.

INTERPRETATION OF MEDICATION ORDERS

Example 1:
A prescription for prednisone 5 mg should be taken as
follows:
2 tablets three times daily the first day; 1 tablet three
times daily on the second day; 1 tablet twice daily for
7 days; and 1 tablet daily thereafter.
How many tablets should be dispensed for a 30-day supply?

Solution: Dispense 44 tablets in total

Example 2:
A prescription is to be taken as follows: 1 tablespoon ac
and hs for 7 days. What is the minimum volume that
should be dispensed?

Solution:

achs before meals and at bedtime

1 tablespoon 15 mL
Patient needs to receive four doses per day for 7 days.
15 mL  4 doses  7 days 420 mL

DOSAGE BASED ON DROPS

Certain medications that are administered or dispensed to
a patient come in the form of liquids and are administered
as drops. This section provides practice for calculations
for these types of prescriptions.
If a pharmacist counted 30 drops of a drug in filling a
graduated cylinder to the 1.5 mL mark, how many drops
per milliliter did the dropper deliver?

Solution:
30 drops gtt 1:5 mL

X gtts
1 mL
X 20 drops per mL; answer

PERCENTAGE AND RATIO STRENGTH CALCULATIONS

EXPRESSED AS V/V, W/W, AND W/V
Certain prescriptions are expressed in weight/weight
(w/w), volume/volume (v/v), and weight/volume (w/v)
percentages. To properly process prescription orders of
this nature, the pharmacist must be able to make
conversions and calculations with these units.
Concentration quantity of solute divided by the
quantity of preparation.
V/V: If the solute and the preparation are expressed in
the same units, then concentration is dimensionless.
For example, 10 mL of alcohol dissolved in a sufficient
quantity of water to make 40 mL of solution is
dimensionless: 10 mL/40 mL 0.250 (or 25% v/v).
W/W: If the quantity of solute and of the preparation are
expressed in the same units of weight, the concentration
is dimensionless. If 10 g of charcoal are mixed with 65 g
of another powder to make a total of 75 g, the charcoal
concentration is 10 g/75 g 0.133 by weight (or 13.3% w/w).
W/V: When a solute is measured by weight and the
solution by volume, concentration is not dimensionless.
If 1.25 g of NaCl is dissolved in sufficient water to make
55 mL of solution, the concentration is 1.25 g/55 mL
0.0227 g/mL (w/v). The % w/v is expressed as #g/100 mL
(e.g., 2.27% or 2.27 g/100 mL).

Example 1:
How many grams of drug should be used to prepare 120
grams of a 2% w/w solution in water?

Solution:
2 grams drug
100 grams drug
2:4 grams, answer

120 grams mixture