Drug Dosage Calculations Practice Flashcards

Flashcards covering common medical abbreviations, symbols used in dosage formulas, and calculation rules based on lecture materials.

D

Dosage ordered or desired dose; the amount of medication that the physician prescribed.

H

Dosage strength or supply on hand; the amount of drug in a specific unit of measure (what is available; in stock).

Q

Unit of measure or quantity of unit for the specific dosage strength or supply on hand (e.g., per 2 milliliters, per capsule, or per tablet).

X

Unknown Dosage; the dosage you are trying to calculate.

po

By mouth (or orally).

susp

Suspension.

pm

As needed.

tab

Tablet.

cap

Capsule.

q

Every.

bid

Twice a day.

tid

Three times a day.

qid

Four times a day.

Basic Drug Dosage Formula

$$\frac{D}{H} \times Q = X$$

General Unit Conversion Tip

Convert a larger unit to smaller units (e.g. grams to milligrams) to keep the calculation in whole numbers using multiplication.

Reasonableness Check

Evaluate if a dosage size makes sense; note that amounts less than half a tablet or greater than $3$ tablets are not common.

Quantity (Q) for tablets or capsules

The value is always $1$ because the supply dosage is per tablet or per capsule.