Comprehensive Nursing Drug Dosage Calculations Oral Medications Exam 2024/2025 - Questions & Answers + Rationales

Drug Dosage Calculations:
Oral Medications Exam 2025

,The healthcare provider orders 500 mg of amoxicillin PO every 8 hours. The tablets available
contain 250 mg each. How many tablets should be administered per dose?
Answer:

500 mg250 mg=2 tablets\frac{500 \text{ mg}}{250 \text{ mg}} = 2 \text{
tablets}250 mg500 mg=2 tablets

QUESTION 2
A patient is prescribed 1 gram of acetaminophen PO every 6 hours. The supply is 325 mg
tablets. How many tablets should be given per dose?
Answer:

1000 mg325 mg=3.08≈3 tablets (confirm with prescriber)\frac{1000 \text{ mg}}{325 \text{ mg}}
= 3.08 \approx 3 \text{ tablets (confirm with
prescriber)}325 mg1000 mg=3.08≈3 tablets (confirm with prescriber)

QUESTION 3
The doctor orders 750 mg of cephalexin PO every 12 hours. The available capsules contain 500
mg each. How many capsules should be administered?
Answer:

750 mg500 mg=1.5≈2 capsules (confirm with prescriber)\frac{750 \text{ mg}}{500 \text{ mg}} =
1.5 \approx 2 \text{ capsules (confirm with
prescriber)}500 mg750 mg=1.5≈2 capsules (confirm with prescriber)

QUESTION 4
A patient is prescribed 125 mg of digoxin PO daily. The tablets available are 0.25 mg each. How
many tablets should be given?
Answer:
Convert 125 mg to mg:

125 mg=0.125 mg125 \text{ mg} = 0.125 \text{ mg}125 mg=0.125 mg

Calculate tablets:

0.125 mg0.25 mg=0.5 tablet\frac{0.125 \text{ mg}}{0.25 \text{ mg}} = 0.5 \text{
tablet}0.25 mg0.125 mg=0.5 tablet

QUESTION 5
The healthcare provider orders 2 grams of metronidazole PO daily in divided doses every 8

,hours. The supply is 500 mg tablets. How many tablets should be administered per dose?
Answer:
Total daily dose in mg:

2 g=2000 mg2 \text{ g} = 2000 \text{ mg}2 g=2000 mg

Dose per administration:

2000 mg3=666.67 mg\frac{2000 \text{ mg}}{3} = 666.67 \text{ mg}32000 mg=666.67 mg

Calculate tablets:

666.67 mg500 mg=1.33≈1.5 tablets (confirm with prescriber)\frac{666.67 \text{ mg}}{500 \text{
mg}} = 1.33 \approx 1.5 \text{ tablets (confirm with
prescriber)}500 mg666.67 mg=1.33≈1.5 tablets (confirm with prescriber)

QUESTION 6
A patient is prescribed 250 mg of ciprofloxacin PO every 12 hours. The supply is 500 mg tablets.
How many tablets should be administered?
Answer:

250 mg500 mg=0.5 tablet\frac{250 \text{ mg}}{500 \text{ mg}} = 0.5 \text{
tablet}500 mg250 mg=0.5 tablet

QUESTION 7
The doctor orders 600 mg of ibuprofen PO every 6 hours. The supply is 200 mg tablets. How
many tablets should be given per dose?
Answer:

600 mg200 mg=3 tablets\frac{600 \text{ mg}}{200 \text{ mg}} = 3 \text{
tablets}200 mg600 mg=3 tablets

QUESTION 8
A patient is prescribed 1.5 grams of amoxicillin PO daily in divided doses every 8 hours. The
tablets available are 500 mg each. How many tablets should be given per dose?
Answer:
Total daily dose in mg:

1.5 g=1500 mg1.5 \text{ g} = 1500 \text{ mg}1.5 g=1500 mg

Dose per administration:

1500 mg3=500 mg\frac{1500 \text{ mg}}{3} = 500 \text{ mg}31500 mg=500 mg

Calculate tablets:

, 500 mg500 mg=1 tablet\frac{500 \text{ mg}}{500 \text{ mg}} = 1 \text{
tablet}500 mg500 mg=1 tablet

QUESTION 9
The healthcare provider prescribes 750 mg of erythromycin PO every 6 hours. The supply is 250
mg tablets. How many tablets should be administered per dose?
Answer:

750 mg250 mg=3 tablets\frac{750 \text{ mg}}{250 \text{ mg}} = 3 \text{
tablets}250 mg750 mg=3 tablets

QUESTION 10
A patient is ordered to take 1,200 mg of calcium carbonate PO daily in divided doses every 8
hours. The tablets available contain 600 mg each. How many tablets should be given per dose?
Answer:
Total daily dose in mg:

1200 mg1200 \text{ mg}1200 mg

Dose per administration:

1200 mg3=400 mg\frac{1200 \text{ mg}}{3} = 400 \text{ mg}31200 mg=400 mg

Calculate tablets:

400 mg600 mg=0.67≈0.5−1 tablet (confirm with prescriber)\frac{400 \text{ mg}}{600 \text{ mg}}
= 0.67 \approx 0.5 - 1 \text{ tablet (confirm with
prescriber)}600 mg400 mg=0.67≈0.5−1 tablet (confirm with prescriber)

QUESTION 11
The doctor orders 250 mg of levothyroxine PO daily. The tablets available are 125 mcg each.
How many tablets should be given?
Answer:
Convert mg to mcg:

250 mg=250,000 mcg(likely a typo, confirm order)250 \text{ mg} = 250,000 \text{ mcg} \quad
\text{(likely a typo, confirm order)}250 mg=250,000 mcg(likely a typo, confirm order)

Note: This is an unusually high dose; verify prescription.

QUESTION 12
A patient is prescribed 400 mg of ibuprofen PO every 8 hours. The supply is 200 mg tablets.
How many tablets should be given per dose?
Answer: