pharmacology math + abbreviations

what is pharmacology math

specialized area of math that focuses on the calculations necessary for safe medicine administration.

understanding dosages, conversions, and the interpretation of drug labels

what do drug labels provide

essential info about medication including drugs name, strength, dosage, instructions and expiration date

what do drug labels contain

name, strength and total amount which helps you determine correct dose

what is the purpose of fractions, decimals and percentages in pharmacology

they’re used in dosage calculations

what is pediatric dosing based on ?

child’s weight and age

who is the brand name or trade name chosen by

the manufacturer it’s the manufacturer’s name for the drug

what is the generic name

universal scientific name used by the manufacturer

what does the strength tell you

how much drug is in each unit dose

ex milligrams per tablet or per milliliter

what does the total amount/ total volume tell you

tells you how much medication is contained in the entire container

ex: total number of tablets or total ML in a bottle

T/F labels tell you the manufacturer

True

what is the purpose of the directions and storage

instructions on how it should be taken and stored

what is the purpose of the expiration date

tells you when a drug cannot be used

what if the purpose of lot number

indicated batch of drugs that medication came from

(used for recalls)

what if the purpose of NDC

unique 10 digit identifier for each medication

underdosing can do what

make medication ineffective

overdosing can cause

harm to the patient

you should always place a space where

between its number and its unit ex 5 ml not 5ml

you should write fractions of a dose as a

decimal

if the dose is less than 1

place a zero to the left of the decimal point

ex: 0.75, NOT .75

do not place a decimal point and a zero after

a whole number (ex 5 not 5.0)

(5.0) can be misinterpreted as 50

if the number is 4 or below

drop the number(s) to the right of the place value

if the number is 5 or above

add 1 to rounded place value and drop the number(s)to the right of the place value

find the place value…

where you want to end up

ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, one hundred thousand

exNumber: 4,362

1. Find the hundreds place → 3

2. Look to the right → 6

3. 6 is above 5, so round up → 3 + 1 = 4

4. Drop the rest → 4,400 ✅

what are roman numerals 1-10

1 = I

2 = II

3 = III

4 = IV

5 = V

6 = VI

7 = VII

8 = VIII

9 = IX

10 = X​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

what is the preferred system in healthcare?

metric system

T/F the household measurement system is more accurate than the metric system

False, but it’s the one most pts are familiar with

why is the metric system more precise

it’s based on powers of 10

for weight 2.2 lbs =

1kg

lbs → kg = divide by 2.2

kg → lbs = multiply by 2.2

16oz =

1 lb

3 tsp (teaspoon) =

1 TBS ( one tablespoon)

1 oz =

30 mL

1 tsp (teaspoon)

5 mL

1 Tbs

15 mL

1 oz

2 Tbs

1 oz

6 tsp

what is the most reliable method for

converting between household and metric equivalent

Proportion method

what is an example of the proportion method

lbs to kg: lbs ÷ 2.2 = kg

kg to lbs: kg × 2.2 = lbs

Converting to lbs

→ multiply by 2.2

Converting to kg

→ divide by 2.2

in pharmacology grams g measures

weight

liters L measures

Volume

what does M meters measure

length

what are the two temperature units of measuring healthcare?

Fahrenheit in Celsius

how to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius

subtract 32 from Fahrenheit temperature divided by 1.8 in round to the nearest 10th

ex: Converting °F to °C

Formula: (°F - 32) ÷ 1.8 = °C

how to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit

Multiply Celsius temperature by 1.8

Add 32 to the answer

(°C × 1.8) + 32 = °F

what does the medication order include

name of medication along with tablet size

How many tablets to take?

How many times to take medication during the day?

Route

How long to take the medication

when the provider gives medication order without a tablet amount medical assistance must

figure out how many tablets to give the patient and figure out number of milligrams in each tablet

ex: provider order 70 mg each tablet contains 20 mg you need 3.5

when preparing liquid medication you’ll see two different

Units of measurement on the bottle

Weight of powdered medication (g, mg, mcg)

volume of liquid (cc mL)

ex: bottle says 50mg/2mL means there’s 50 mg of powdered medication per every 2 mL of liquid

If the unit label of order medication is the same as the stock medication, then the units are considered to

Match

what do you do when the stock medication measures do not match directly with the order unit of measure?

identify if there is a shared base unit between order in stock medication

change one of the shared unit labels so it matches other labels.

ex if the label says 125 mg/ mL and the dr wants g you need to convert G to mL which means g… = mL moving the decimal over 3 times

if you need to calculate a dose of medication using a stock solution vile

first change the percentage into a fraction

ex 5% of solution is equal to 5g of drug per 100 ml which can be expressed as 50 Mg ml

pediatric dosing is usually based on

Weight

it is recommended that two people calculate what

Pediatric dose for accuracy

how to calculate pediatric dose for accuracy

Convert patients lbs to kilograms

Calculate number of milligrams of medication a child needs based on the ordered mgkg dose

Calculate liquid medication dose or the number of milliliters you will give using the stock bottles concentration

ex: Step 1: Convert weight to kg

lbs ÷ 2.2 = kg

Step 2: Calculate mg of medication needed

kg × dose ordered per kg = total mg needed

Step 3: Calculate mL to give

total mg ÷ mg per mL = mL to give

what kind of markings do syringes use?

Calibration markings

what do calibration marks include?

Longer or darker lines = larger measurements

shorter lines= smaller increments

when using a syringe, what determines the measured dose?

The rubber stopper

True or false not all states allow medical assistance to calculate medication dosages

True

A minim is an apothecary unit of measurement for

Liquid

A minim is an apothecary unit of measurement for liquid its approximately equal to

one drop

1 tsp is equivalent to

5 mL

drug labels provide essential details such as

Brand-name

Generic name

Strength

expiration date

Prescription: XYZ medication 400 mg, 6 tabs tid × 16 days. How many tablets will be dispensed from the pharmacy? (round the answer to the nearest tenth)

288

52.1 kg = ____ lb (round the answer to the nearest tenth).

114.6

34.6°C = _____°F (round the answer to the nearest tenth).

94.3

Order: ABC 150 mg po. Stock: ABC 600 mg po scored tablets. How many tablets will the patient take per dose? (do not round your answers)

0.25 tab

Order: ABC 750 mg. Stock: ABC 1.8 g/4 mL. How many mL(s) will you give? (round the answer to the nearest tenth)

1.7 mL

This indicates the batch of drug the medication came from:

lot number.

What is the correct way to write numbers for medications?

2 mL

0.72 lb = ____ oz (round the answer to the nearest tenth).

11.5

66.5°C = _____°F (round the answer to the nearest tenth).

151.7

4 oz = _____ tsp.

24

7.3 m = ______ mm.

7300

Order: ABC 230 mg. Stock: ABC 600 mg/3 mL. How many mL(s) will you give? (round the answer to the nearest tenth)

1.2 mL

26.6°C = _____°F (round the answer to the nearest tenth).

79.9

64 kg = ____ g.

64000

Order: ABC 800 mg. Stock: ABC 1500 mg/mL. How many mL(s) will you give? (round the answer to the nearest tenth)

0.5 mL

48.4°F = _____°C (round the answer to the nearest tenth).

9.1

74.4°F = _____°C (round the answer to the nearest tenth).

23.6

4 oz = _____ Tbs.

8

9 tsp = _____ mL.

45

Order: ABC 175 mg po. Stock: ABC 700 mg po scored tablets. How many tablets will the patient take per dose? (do not round your answers)

0.25 tab

Order: ABC 450 mg. Stock: ABC 780 mg/2 mL. How many mL(s) will you give? (round the answer to the nearest tenth)

1.2 mL

16 Tbs = ____

8 oz and 48 tsp

The sole right to market an approved medication granted by the FDA is:

exclusivity.

53.5 lb = ____ kg (round the answer to the nearest tenth).

24.3

Patient’s weight: 38 lb. Medication order: 1.2 mg/kg. Stock medication: 30 mg/2 mL. How many mL(s) will you give? (round the answer to the nearest tenth)

1.4 mL

0.8 lb = ____ oz (round the answer to the nearest tenth).

12.8

76.3 lb = ____ kg (round the answer to the nearest tenth).

34.7

52.4°F = _____°C (round the answer to the nearest tenth).

11.3

57.2 kg = ____ lb (round the answer to the nearest tenth).

125.8

Patient’s weight: 23 lb. Medication order: 2.2 mg/kg. Stock medication: 50 mg/3 mL. How many mL(s) will you give? (round the answer to the nearest tenth)

1.4 mL

99.4°F = ____°C (round the answer to the nearest tenth).

37.4. Calculation: $(99.4 - 32) \div 1.8 = 37.44$

Order: ABC 800 mg. Stock: ABC 1500 mg/mL. How many mL(s) will you give? (round the answer to the nearest tenth)

0.5 mL. Calculation: $800 \div 1500 = 0.533$

1236 mcg = ____

0.001236 g and 1.236 mg.

4 oz = ____ Tbs.

8. Conversion: $1\text{ oz} = 2\text{ Tbs}$

Order: ABC 150 mg po. Stock: ABC 600 mg po scored tablets. How many tablets will the patient take per dose? (do not round your answers)

0.25 tab.

Prescription: XYZ medication 150 mg, 3 tabs qid × 10 days. How many tablets will be dispensed from the pharmacy? (round the answer to the nearest tenth)

None are correct. Calculation: $3\text{ tabs} \times 4\text{ times/day} \times 10\text{ days} = 120\text{ tablets}$

Order: ABC 225 mg po. Stock: ABC 450 mg po scored tablets. How many tablets will the patient take per dose? (do not round your answers)

0.5 tab.

What is the correct way to write numbers for medications?

2 mL.