Pharmaceutical Calculations| 301 questions with complete solutions
Pharmaceutical Calculations Correct Answer: It is defined as the area of study that applies basic
principles of mathematics to the preparation and safe and effective use of pharmaceuticals.
Parts per hundred Correct Answer: The term percent and its corresponding sign, %, mean
Ratio Correct Answer: The relative magnitudes of two quantities is called
Proportion Correct Answer: It is defined as the expression of the equality of two ratios
Dimensional analysis Correct Answer: When performing pharmaceutical calculations, some
students prefer to use a method that involves the logical sequencing and placement of a series
ratios (termed factors) into an equation
Significant figures Correct Answer: These are consecutive figures that express the value of a
denominate number accurately enough for a given purpose
2000 doses Correct Answer: How many 0.000065-gram doses can be made from 0.130 gram of
a drug?
0.40 mL insulin injection Correct Answer: If an insulin injection contains 100 units of insulin in
each milliliter, how milliliters should be injected to receive 40 units of insulin?
0.03 mg digoxin Correct Answer: Digoxin (Lanoxin®) pediatric elixir contains 0.05 mg of
digoxin in each millimeter of elixir. How many milligrams of digoxin would be administered
with a dose of 0.6 mL?
2 patients Correct Answer: In a clinical study, a drug produced drowsiness in 30 of the 1500
patients studied. How many patients of a certain pharmacy could expect similar effects, based on
a patient count of 100?
1.75 g diazepam Correct Answer: A formula for 1250 tablets contains 6.25 grams (g) of
diazepam. How many grams of diazepam should be used in preparing 350 tablets?
240 mg Correct Answer: If 100 capsules contain 500 mg of an active ingredient, how many
milligrams of the ingredient will 48 capsules contain?
4200 mg acetaminophen Correct Answer: Each tablet of Tylenol with Codeine contains 30 mg
of codeine phosphate and 300 mg of acetaminophen. By taking two tablets daily for a week, how
many milligrams of acetaminophen drug would the patient take?
0.25 mg Correct Answer: If an intravenous fluid is adjusted to deliver 15 mg of medication to a
patient per hour, how many milligrams of medication are delivered per minute?
,4.416 grams codeine sulfate Correct Answer: A pharmacist had 5 grams of codeine sulfate. He
used it in preparing the following: 8 capsules each containing 0.0325 gram; 12 capsules each
containing 0.015 gram; 18 capsules each containing 0.008 gram. How many grams of codeine
sulfate were left after he had prepared the capsules?
$10.08 Correct Answer: A prescription drug cost the pharmacist $42.00 for a bottle of 100
tablets. What would be the cost for 24 tablets?
12.5 tablets Correct Answer: How many 0.1-mg tablets will contain the same amount of drug as
50 tablets, each of which contains 0.025 mg of the identical drug?
0.75 mg metaproterenol Correct Answer: A metered dose inhaler contains 225 mg of
metaproterenol sulfate, which is sufficient for 300 inhalations. How many milligrams of
metaproterenol sulfate would be administered in each inhalation?
18,920 mg acyclovir Correct Answer: Acyclovir (Zovirax®) suspension contains 200mg of
acyclovir in each 5mL. How many milligrams of acyclovir are contained in a pint (473 mL) of
suspension?
Minimum toxic concentration Correct Answer: It is the base level of blood serum concentration
that produces dose-related toxic effects
Priming dose & Loading dose Correct Answer: A larger-than-usual initial dose required to
achieve the desired blood drug level is called
Maintenance dose Correct Answer: Similar in amount to usual doses are administered according
to the dosage regimen to sustain the desired drug blood levels or drug effects is known as
Prophylactic dose Correct Answer: Certain dose of biologic or immunologic products, such as
vaccines, may be administered to protect the patient from contracting a specific disease is called
Therapeutic dose Correct Answer: Other products, such as antitoxins, may be administered to
counter a disease after exposure or contraction
Compounding Correct Answer: The fabrication of a pharmaceutical product from individual
ingredients, carefully weighed, measured, and mixed is called
A glassful or cupful measures 250 mL Correct Answer: The following approximate equivalent
of household measures are correct, except
A pint measures 250 mL Correct Answer: The following approximate equivalent of household
measures are correct, except
800 capsules Correct Answer: How many capsules, each containing a 150-mcg dose of a drug
may be prepared from 0.12 g of the drug?
, 35 25-mg tablets and 70 5-mg tablets Correct Answer: The following regimen for oral
prednisone is prescribed for a patient: 50 mg/ day x 10 days; 25 mg/day x 10 days; 12.5 mg/day
x 10 days; 5 mg/day x 10 weeks. How many scored 25-mg tablets and how many 5-mg tablets
should be dispensed to meet the dosing requirements?
5.25 mg conjugated estrogen Correct Answer: A physician reduces a patient's once-daily dose of
conjugated estrogen (Premarin®) from tablets containing 0.625 mg to tablets containing 0.45
mg. What is the total reduction in conjugated estrogens taken, in milligrams, during a 30-day
month?
230 mg amlodipine, 460 mg atorvastatin Correct Answer: A fixed-dose combination product
contains amlodipine besylate and atorvastatin calcium (Caduet®) for the treatment of both
hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. If a physician starts a patient on a 5-mg/10-mg dose for
14 days and then raises the dose to 10 mg /20 mg, how many milligrams of each drug will the
patient take during the first 30 days?
$17.50 Correct Answer: How much money did the patient save on a monthly basis by dosing
with half tablets?
4.2% Correct Answer: What was the percentage error in the weight of the cut tablets compared
with ''exact halves''?
14 mcg cyclosporine Correct Answer: Restasis® Ophthalmic Emulsion contains 0.05% w/v
cyclosporin. If a dose of one drop measures 28 mcL, how many micrograms of cyclosporin are
present?
6 drops Correct Answer: The oral dose of a drug is 2.5 mg. If a solution contains 0.5% w/v of
the drug in a dropper bottle that delivers 12 drops/mL, how many drops would supply the dose?
40 mg simethicone Correct Answer: Mylicon® drops contain 2 g of simethicone in a 30-mL
container. How many milligrams of the drug are contained in each 0.6-mL dose?
25 mg rimantadine Correct Answer: Rimantadine HCl syrup contains 2.4 g of rimantadine HCl
in each 240 mL of syrup. How many milligrams of rimantadine HCl would there be in 2.5 mL
delivered by oral dispenser?
1 tablespoonful Correct Answer: If a liquid medicine is to be taken three times daily, and if 180
mL are to be taken in 4 days, how many tablespoonfuls should be prescribed for each dose?
7.5 mg dextromethorphan Correct Answer: If a cough syrup contains 0.18 g of
dextromethorphan HBr in 120 mL, how many milligrams of the drug are contained in each
teaspoonful dose?
15.2 mg dextromethorphan Correct Answer: A cough syrup contains 0.09 g of
dextromethorphan HBr in each fluidounce. How many milligrams of this agent would be present
in each teaspoonful dose?
Pharmaceutical Calculations Correct Answer: It is defined as the area of study that applies basic
principles of mathematics to the preparation and safe and effective use of pharmaceuticals.
Parts per hundred Correct Answer: The term percent and its corresponding sign, %, mean
Ratio Correct Answer: The relative magnitudes of two quantities is called
Proportion Correct Answer: It is defined as the expression of the equality of two ratios
Dimensional analysis Correct Answer: When performing pharmaceutical calculations, some
students prefer to use a method that involves the logical sequencing and placement of a series
ratios (termed factors) into an equation
Significant figures Correct Answer: These are consecutive figures that express the value of a
denominate number accurately enough for a given purpose
2000 doses Correct Answer: How many 0.000065-gram doses can be made from 0.130 gram of
a drug?
0.40 mL insulin injection Correct Answer: If an insulin injection contains 100 units of insulin in
each milliliter, how milliliters should be injected to receive 40 units of insulin?
0.03 mg digoxin Correct Answer: Digoxin (Lanoxin®) pediatric elixir contains 0.05 mg of
digoxin in each millimeter of elixir. How many milligrams of digoxin would be administered
with a dose of 0.6 mL?
2 patients Correct Answer: In a clinical study, a drug produced drowsiness in 30 of the 1500
patients studied. How many patients of a certain pharmacy could expect similar effects, based on
a patient count of 100?
1.75 g diazepam Correct Answer: A formula for 1250 tablets contains 6.25 grams (g) of
diazepam. How many grams of diazepam should be used in preparing 350 tablets?
240 mg Correct Answer: If 100 capsules contain 500 mg of an active ingredient, how many
milligrams of the ingredient will 48 capsules contain?
4200 mg acetaminophen Correct Answer: Each tablet of Tylenol with Codeine contains 30 mg
of codeine phosphate and 300 mg of acetaminophen. By taking two tablets daily for a week, how
many milligrams of acetaminophen drug would the patient take?
0.25 mg Correct Answer: If an intravenous fluid is adjusted to deliver 15 mg of medication to a
patient per hour, how many milligrams of medication are delivered per minute?
,4.416 grams codeine sulfate Correct Answer: A pharmacist had 5 grams of codeine sulfate. He
used it in preparing the following: 8 capsules each containing 0.0325 gram; 12 capsules each
containing 0.015 gram; 18 capsules each containing 0.008 gram. How many grams of codeine
sulfate were left after he had prepared the capsules?
$10.08 Correct Answer: A prescription drug cost the pharmacist $42.00 for a bottle of 100
tablets. What would be the cost for 24 tablets?
12.5 tablets Correct Answer: How many 0.1-mg tablets will contain the same amount of drug as
50 tablets, each of which contains 0.025 mg of the identical drug?
0.75 mg metaproterenol Correct Answer: A metered dose inhaler contains 225 mg of
metaproterenol sulfate, which is sufficient for 300 inhalations. How many milligrams of
metaproterenol sulfate would be administered in each inhalation?
18,920 mg acyclovir Correct Answer: Acyclovir (Zovirax®) suspension contains 200mg of
acyclovir in each 5mL. How many milligrams of acyclovir are contained in a pint (473 mL) of
suspension?
Minimum toxic concentration Correct Answer: It is the base level of blood serum concentration
that produces dose-related toxic effects
Priming dose & Loading dose Correct Answer: A larger-than-usual initial dose required to
achieve the desired blood drug level is called
Maintenance dose Correct Answer: Similar in amount to usual doses are administered according
to the dosage regimen to sustain the desired drug blood levels or drug effects is known as
Prophylactic dose Correct Answer: Certain dose of biologic or immunologic products, such as
vaccines, may be administered to protect the patient from contracting a specific disease is called
Therapeutic dose Correct Answer: Other products, such as antitoxins, may be administered to
counter a disease after exposure or contraction
Compounding Correct Answer: The fabrication of a pharmaceutical product from individual
ingredients, carefully weighed, measured, and mixed is called
A glassful or cupful measures 250 mL Correct Answer: The following approximate equivalent
of household measures are correct, except
A pint measures 250 mL Correct Answer: The following approximate equivalent of household
measures are correct, except
800 capsules Correct Answer: How many capsules, each containing a 150-mcg dose of a drug
may be prepared from 0.12 g of the drug?
, 35 25-mg tablets and 70 5-mg tablets Correct Answer: The following regimen for oral
prednisone is prescribed for a patient: 50 mg/ day x 10 days; 25 mg/day x 10 days; 12.5 mg/day
x 10 days; 5 mg/day x 10 weeks. How many scored 25-mg tablets and how many 5-mg tablets
should be dispensed to meet the dosing requirements?
5.25 mg conjugated estrogen Correct Answer: A physician reduces a patient's once-daily dose of
conjugated estrogen (Premarin®) from tablets containing 0.625 mg to tablets containing 0.45
mg. What is the total reduction in conjugated estrogens taken, in milligrams, during a 30-day
month?
230 mg amlodipine, 460 mg atorvastatin Correct Answer: A fixed-dose combination product
contains amlodipine besylate and atorvastatin calcium (Caduet®) for the treatment of both
hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. If a physician starts a patient on a 5-mg/10-mg dose for
14 days and then raises the dose to 10 mg /20 mg, how many milligrams of each drug will the
patient take during the first 30 days?
$17.50 Correct Answer: How much money did the patient save on a monthly basis by dosing
with half tablets?
4.2% Correct Answer: What was the percentage error in the weight of the cut tablets compared
with ''exact halves''?
14 mcg cyclosporine Correct Answer: Restasis® Ophthalmic Emulsion contains 0.05% w/v
cyclosporin. If a dose of one drop measures 28 mcL, how many micrograms of cyclosporin are
present?
6 drops Correct Answer: The oral dose of a drug is 2.5 mg. If a solution contains 0.5% w/v of
the drug in a dropper bottle that delivers 12 drops/mL, how many drops would supply the dose?
40 mg simethicone Correct Answer: Mylicon® drops contain 2 g of simethicone in a 30-mL
container. How many milligrams of the drug are contained in each 0.6-mL dose?
25 mg rimantadine Correct Answer: Rimantadine HCl syrup contains 2.4 g of rimantadine HCl
in each 240 mL of syrup. How many milligrams of rimantadine HCl would there be in 2.5 mL
delivered by oral dispenser?
1 tablespoonful Correct Answer: If a liquid medicine is to be taken three times daily, and if 180
mL are to be taken in 4 days, how many tablespoonfuls should be prescribed for each dose?
7.5 mg dextromethorphan Correct Answer: If a cough syrup contains 0.18 g of
dextromethorphan HBr in 120 mL, how many milligrams of the drug are contained in each
teaspoonful dose?
15.2 mg dextromethorphan Correct Answer: A cough syrup contains 0.09 g of
dextromethorphan HBr in each fluidounce. How many milligrams of this agent would be present
in each teaspoonful dose?
