Drug Calculations

Enteral and Parenteral Drug

Dosages
Interpreting Drug Labels
Precautions when reading drug labels

• Be aware of drug names that sound or look alike.

• To decrease medication errors.

• The nurse administering the drug should perform a minimum of three drug
label checks with the patients MAR.
 Practice Problems
1. What is the generic name?
2. What is the trade name?
3. How many tablets are in the package?
 Methods of Drug Calculation

1. Basic Formula
2. Ratio and proportion/fractional equation
3. Dimensional analysis
 Basic Formula

D/H x V = A

D = the desired dose

H = the drug on hand
V = the vehicle or volume of a drug form
A = the amount calculated to be given to the patient
 Example

1. The doctor has ordered Phenobarbital tablet 30 mg PO

STAT
2. The label above is the available drug.
3. How many tablets you will give per dose?
 

The physician orders Ampicillin 500mg q6h orally
(PO). Ampicillin is available: 250mg capsule (cap).
How many capsules would you administer q6h? How
many capsules a day will the patient need?


ANSWER?
 

The physician orders Theophylline 160mg q6h
orally (PO). Theophylline is available:

80mg per 15 ml. How much Theophylline
would you administer q6h? How many ml of
drug per day will the patient consumed?

ANSWER?
Ratio and Proportion/Fractional Method

D = the desired dose

H = the drug on hand
V = the vehicle or volume of a drug
x = the unknown amount to be given
The double colon (: ) stands for “as” or “equal to”
 The ratio–proportion method is easily learned and
very useful when dealing with measurements that
are alike. Conversion from one unit of measurement
to another requires a separate step. The idea used in
ratio-proportion is to put what you have on hand on
one side of the formula 

 Doctor’s Order: 750 mg 

Dose On Hand: 500 mg/3 ml 

Now solve the problem which is how many ml for 750 mg.
Make sure that the units of measure are written in the same
order on both sides of the equation. The resulting equation
should look like this: 

500 mg : 3 ml = 750 mg : X ml 

To find the value of X, multiply the numbers in the middle
(the MEANS being 3 and 750) and then multiply the
numbers on either end (the EXTREMES being 500 and X).
The rule is that the product of the MEANS is equal to the
product of the EXTREMES. 



 3 x 750 = 2250

2250 = 500x

2250/500 = x

x= 4.5ml

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 Example

 The doctor ordered lorazepam 4 mg IV Push for a patient in

severe alcohol withdrawal. On hand, the nurse has 2 mg/mL
vials. How many milliliters should they draw up in a syringe to
deliver the desired dose? 


 







Dose ordered (4 mg) x quantity (1 mL)/have (2 mg) =
amount you want to give ___ml






2 ml
 Compute the dosage

Order : Amoxicillin 125mg

PO q8hr
How many ml of the drug
you will give?

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 Order: Augmentin 500 mg PO
BID
How many tablet you will give
per dose? per day?

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 DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS METHOD
- It is a calculation method known as units and conversions.
- The advantage of this method is that all steps for calculating drug
dosages are conducted in one equation without having to
remember various formulas.

Steps:
1. Identify the unit/form of the drug to be calculated. Place
it to one side of the equal sign.
2. Determine the known dose and unit/form from the drug
label that matches the unit/form of the desired dosage.
Place this on the other side of the equal sign
3. Continue with additional fractions using a multiplication
operation between each fraction until all but one unit you
want is eliminated.
4. Multiply the numerators and multiply the denominators.
5. Solve for x ( the unknown)
 Example
Order: Amoxicillin 500 mg PO q8h
Available: 250 mg per capsule
How many capsule you will
administer per dose?

1. cap = 1 cap/250 mg (H = on hand)

2. cap = 1 cap x 500 mg
250 mg x cap

3. 500 : then x = 2 caps

250x

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Order: acetaminophen 650 mg PO q4h PRN

? tablet = 1 tablet
325 mg
= 1 tablet x 650 mg
325 mg
= 650
325
= 2 tablets