Essentials: Pharmacy Practice Conversions & Abbreviations

What are the three key steps for approaching a problem requiring pharmacy calculations?

1) understanding goal/purpose of the problem

2) understanding the math required to reach that goal

3) implementing the math correctly

What is the main system of units used in pharmacy?

the international system of units (SI) aka the metric system

What are the three measurements of weight in the apothecaries system?

grain, scruple, dram

What is the conversion of inch to cm?

1 inch = 2.54 cm

What is the conversion of mL to cm³?

1 mL = 1 cm³

What is the conversion of fl oz to mL (and what is it commonly rounded to)?

1 fl oz = 29.57 mL (30)

What is the conversion of pt to mL (and what is it commonly rounded to)?

1 pt = 473 mL

What is the conversion of tsp to mL?

1 tsp = 5 mL

What is the conversion of tbsp to mL?

1 tbsp = 15 mL

What is the conversion of qt to mL?

1 at = 946 mL

What is the conversion of mL of WATER to g?

1 mL = 1 g

What is the conversion of kg to lbs?

1 kg = 2.2 lbs

What is the conversion of oz to g?

1 oz = 28.35

Dose

quantity of medication taken by a patient for an intended therapeutic effect

Single Dose

quantity of medication taken at one time

Daily Dose

the quantity of medication taken in one 24-hour period

Total Dose

the quantity of medication taken during the entire course of therapy

Loading Dose

a larger than usual initial amount of medication intended to rapidly raise the blood drug level to a therapeutic

Dosage Regimen

the schedule on which the patient is intended to take prescribed medication

Usual Dosage Range

the quantity of medication that may be prescribed within the guidelines of usual medical practice

What are usual dosage ranges broken down into?

specific patient populations (ex: adults, peds, renal disease patients, etc.)

Oral

by mouth

What should be used to measure and administer oral liquids?

pharmaceutical-grade medication administration tools (oral syringes, medication cups, etc.)

What is wrong with using household utensils for medication measuring?

no standard size

What are droppers used for?

eye drops + liquid medicine for peds patients

What is the standard accepted volume of one drop (gtt)?

15 - 20 mL

Sublingual

under the tounge

Parenteral

injection

Topical

on the skin

Conjunctival

in the eye

Inhaled

into the lungs

Intranasal

into the nose

Rectal

rectum

Body Surface Area (BSA)

another way to dose meds as opposed to traditional weight-based dosing (mg/kg)

Prescription

an order for medication issued by a medical provider with appropriate licensure + authority in the state they are practicing; usually outpatient

Medication Order

similar to prescription but in hospital/institutional setting; timing is written in military time

What are the five rights for ordering, verifying, + administering medications to patients?

patient, drug, dose, time, + route of administration

aa

of each

disp

dispense

ft

make

qs

sufficient quantity

qs.ad.

significant quantity to make

sig. (signa)

write (directions for label)

ac

before meals

am

morning

ATC

around the clock

BID

twice daily

c

with

d

day

h

hour

HS

at bedtime

NPO

nothing by mouth

Q

every

QAM

every morning

Q8H

every 8 hours

QID

four times daily

ut dict

as directed

wk

week

mEq

milliequivalent

mOsm

milliosmoles

ss

one-half

amp

ampule

cap

capsule

DSW

dextrose 5% in water

inj

injection

NS

normal saline

½ NS

one-half normal saline

oint/ungt

ointment

LR

lactated rangers

sol

solution

supp

suppositories

susp

suspension

syr

syrup

tab

tablet

ad

right ear

as

left ear

au

both ears

ID

intradermal

IM

intramuscular

IT

intrathecal

IV

intravenous

IVP

intravenous push

NGT

nasogastric tube

od

right eye

os

left eye

ou

both eyes

PO

by mouth

rect

rectally

SL

sublingually

Sub-Q/SC

subcutaneously

Top

topically

PV

vaginally

Why did the Joint Commission state that “unit” should be written instead of just “u”?

might look like a zero, four, or cc

Why did the Joint Commission state that international unit should be written out instead of just “IU”?

might look like IV or 10

Why did the Joint Commission state you should write out “daily” or “every other day” instead of QD/QOD?

they might get mistaken for each other

Why did the Joint Commission state that you should not include a trailing zero but should include a leading zero?

might miss a decimal point

Why did the Joint Commission state that you have to write out morphine sulfate or magnesium instead of its abbreviation?

might get confused wth one another

What are the formulas for ideal body weight (IBW)?

For males: IBW = 50 kg + 2.3 kg for every inch > 5 ft

For females: IBW = 45.5 kg + 2.3 kg for every inch > 5ft

What are the conversion equations between F and C?

C = (F - 32)*(5/9)

F = (9/5) * (C + 32)

What is a DEA number?

alphanumeric with two letters & seven numbers, first letter is the type of provider second letter the first letter of their last name