Focus On Displacement Values & Volumes: Nada Imame Green Light Campus

Green Light Campus Calculations – May 2021
www.greenlightpharmacy.com
@GL_Campus
@greenlightcampus
Focus on…
Displacement values
& volumes
NADA IMAME
GREEN LIGHT CAMPUS
@GL_Campus www.greenlightpharmacy.com #GLStudyDays
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Aim of today’s session
To develop knowledge and understanding of

displacement values and volumes questions in
preparation for the GPhC Registration
Assessment.
By the end of this session, you should be able to:

• Review common errors with displacement calculations
• Identify gaps in knowledge and understanding with

displacement
• Apply new skills and techniques to displacement questions
• Carry out displacement questions under timed conditions
• Reflect on your online exam technique
• Teach others how to complete displacement questions
Who are
Green Light Campus?
Displacement Values and

Volumes in
The GPhC Registration
Assessment
WHAT QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS
DO YOU HAVE?
The Online GPhC Registration Assessment
Paper 1
◦ 40 calculations in 2 hours.
◦ Calculators allowed.
Paper 2
◦ Up to 10 questions will require some basic calculation.
◦ No calculator allowed.
◦ Testing numbers sense.
Online Exam Technique

o For Part 1, the calculations paper, you will have a multi-sheet wipeable notepad.
o You will not need to wipe out calculations and will be able to look back over them.
o The units will be shown next to the answer box
o Rounding instructions will be stated in the questions
o No commas or spaces allowed i.e. 1000 mg not 1,000 mg
o You can return to a question and change your answer as many times as you like,
before the exam ends
Calculations:
What are your most common mistakes?
1. Not reading the question properly (RTFQ)
2. Using the wrong units
3. Decimal point in the wrong place
4. Running out of time
5. Over complicating the question
How will you avoid making these mistakes in the

Registration Assessment?
Displacement value
The displacement value is a measure of the amount of active
substance (in grams) that displaces 1 g of base.
In the exam...
• Preparation of a suppository
• For example, a DV of 0.7 means that
0.7 g of drug displaces 1 g of the
base.
Methods
There are several methods which we can use with questions
relating to displacement values and suppositories.
One way is by using a formula to calculate suppository base.
Displacement volume
The amount of solvent displaced by a specified amount of a
solid. For example in the reconstitution of antibiotics.
If we add 10 g of a solid to 90 mL of
water and stir until the solid has
dissolved, the total volume will be
more 90 mL
- as the solid takes up space
- however it will likely be less than
100 mL.
Exam
Style
Questions
Question 1
You have been asked to prepare 15 suppositories for a young child. The
paediatrician would like each suppository to be prepared in a 2 g mould,
with each containing 125 mg of paracetamol. The displacement value of
paracetamol is 1.5, and the base to be used is glycerol. You know from
experience that it’s always worth making extra, and so decide to increase
the batch size by 20%.
What weight of glycerol, in grams, will be required to prepare all
suppositories, including the additional 20%? Give your answer to one
decimal place.
34.5 g
Question 1 - Answer and Working

Step 1 15 suppositories x 20% = 18 suppositories total
Step 2 18 suppositories x 125 mg paracetamol = 2,250 mg or 2.25 g
DV = 1.5, meaning 1.5 g of paracetamol (drug) displaces 1 g of glycerol
(base)
Step 3 If 1.5 g drug displaces 1 g base, 2.25 g drug will displace Xg base
Xg = 2.25 g x 1 g = 1.5 g base
1.5 g
This is the space taken up by all the paracetamol across the whole batch
of 18 suppositories.
Step 4 Total weight of 18 suppositories= 18 x 2 g = 36 g
36 g – 1.5 g base = 34.5 g base required to prepare all suppositories
Alternative method
Total base (g) = (no. of suppositories x mould size) – Total drug (g)
DV
18 suppositories (15 suppositories x 20%) x 125 mg paracetamol = 2,250 mg or 2.25 g
Total base (g) = (18 x 2 g) – 2.25 g = 36 g – 1.5 g = 34.5 g

1.5
Total base (g) = 34.5 g
Question 2
You have been asked to supply tramadol suppositories using theobroma oil
as a base for a 13-year-old boy who has had an operation to remove his
appendix. The suppositories will be made using a 3 g mould and each
suppository will contain 100 mg tramadol. You need to supply 40
suppositories, plus 15% extra for quality assurance (QA) checks.
Given that the displacement value of tramadol in theobroma oil is 0.8,

how much base will be required to prepare the full quantity, including
the additional for QA checks? Give your answer in grams to the nearest
0.1 g.
132.3 g
40 suppositories + 15% extra = 46 suppositories in total

46 suppositories x 100 mg tramadol = 4,600 mg or 4.6 g of active ingredient
DV = 0.8, meaning 0.8 g of tramadol will displace 1 g of theobroma oil (the
base)
If 0.8 g displaces 1 g, 4.6 g will displace X g
Xg = 4.6g x 1g = 5.75g of base displaced across the whole batch.
0.8g
Total weight of suppositories = 46 suppositories x 3 g = 138 g
138 g – 5.75 g = 132.25 g base = 132.3 g to the nearest 0.1 g
Alternative method
DV
46 suppositories x 100 mg tramadol = 4,600 mg or 4.6 g of active ingredient
(total drug)
Total base (g) = (46 x 3 g) - 4.6 g

0.8
Total base (g) = 132.3 g
Question 3
You receive a prescription for Miss L, an 11-year-old girl who is in hospital

receiving treatment following an accident at home. The prescription
requests 30 x 2.5 g suppositories, each containing codeine phosphate 60
mg.
The prescriber would like you to make these up extemporaneously, rather
than ordering from an external specials supplier. You find the displacement
value of codeine phosphate is 1.7 and you work out a formula to make the
30 suppositories plus a 20% overage, using Witepsol as the base.
What quantity of Witepsol, in grams, is required to make the full quantity
of suppositories, including the overage? Give your answer to one decimal
place.
88.7 g

Working 30 suppositories + 20% = 36 suppositories in total required, each
containing 60 mg codeine
Therefore a total of 2,160 mg codeine is required.
The DV is 1.7, meaning 1.7 g (1,700 mg) of codeine displaces 1 g of base.
Therefore, 2,160 mg of codeine displaces X g of base.
X g = 2,160 mg x 1g = 1.2705 g
1,700 mg
So, the codeine displaces 1.2705 g of base.
We need 36 x 2.5 g suppositories = 90 g in total.
90 g – 1.2705 g = 88.7295 g = 88.7 g base required to one decimal place.
Question 4
You receive a prescription for 24 Witepsol suppositories in 2 g moulds. Each

suppository should contain 400 mg of drug X. The displacement value of
drug X is 1.2
Calculate the weight of base and drug X, in grams, required to prepare the
full batch of suppositories.
9.6 g Drug X
40 g Base
Total weight of all suppositories = 24 x 2 g = 48 g

Total mass of drug A = 24 x 400 mg = 9,600 mg (9.6 g of drug A)
DV = 1.2, meaning 1.2 g of drug displaces 1 g of base
Therefore, 9.6 g of drug displaces X g of base

Xg=8g
Total base required = 48 g - 8 g = 40 g of base
Question 5
While working in a specials manufacturing lab, you receive a request for a

batch of menthol suppositories from the local hospital, using theobroma oil
as the base.
Given that the displacement value for menthol is 0.7, what weight of
theobroma oil base is required to prepare 35 suppositories, each weighing
1.5 g, and each containing 75 mg of menthol? Give your answer to the
nearest 5 g.
50 g
DV = 0.7 means 0.7 g of menthol displaces 1 g of base (theobroma oil)

35 suppositories will weigh 52.5 g
35 suppositories will contain 35 x 75 mg menthol = 2,625 mg menthol
If 0.7 g menthol displaces 1 g base, 2.625 g menthol displaces X g base

X g = 2.625 g = 3.75 g base displaced by the menthol
0.7 g
52.5 g – 3.75 g = 48.75 g base needed = 50 g to the nearest 5 g
Alternative method
DV
35 suppositories will contain 35 x 75 mg menthol = 2,625 mg menthol
Total base (g) = (35 x 1.5 g) – 2.625 g

0.7
Total base (g) = 48.75 g = 50 g to the nearest 5 g
Question 6
A child is to receive erythromycin by intravenous infusion for a legionella

infection. A vial containing 1 g erythromycin ethyl succinate powder for
injection is to be reconstituted to produce 1.75 mL of injection. The
displacement volume of erythromycin ethyl succinate is 0.05 mL/200 mg.
How much water, in mL, should be added to the powder to reconstitute
the vial? Give your answer to one decimal place.
1.5 mL
Answer: 1.5 mL
DV = 0.05 mL per 200 mg

Therefore in 1,000 mg the volume displaced is 0.05 mL x 5 = 0.25 mL
1.75 mL – 0.25 mL = 1.5 mL
Question 7
A glyceryl trinitrate rectal ointment can be prepared according to a

pharmacopoeia formula, as shown below
◦ Lanolin 14 g
◦ Glyceryl trinitrate 400 mg
◦ Liquid paraffin 20 mL
◦ Propylene glycol 3.6 g
◦ White soft paraffin to 100 g
Using the information provided above, what weight of liquid paraffin, in
grams, is used to prepare a 90 g quantity of glyceryl trinitrate rectal
ointment, given that liquid paraffin has a displacement value of 0.88
g/mL? Give your answer to one decimal place.
15.8 g www.greenlightpharmacy.com #GLPreReg
Answer: 15.8 g
The formula shows that for every 100 g of ointment, we need 20 mL of

liquid paraffin.
To make 90 g of ointment, we need 18 mL
(90% of 20 mL, or can cross multiply to work out)
The DV is 0.88 g/mL, therefore 0.88 g x 18 mL
= 15.84 g = 15.8 g to one decimal place.
Question 8
Drug X is available as a powder for reconstitution with water. The

concentration of drug X in the reconstituted suspension is 250 mg per 5 mL.
To constitute 90 mL of suspension, the required volume of water to be
added is 44 mL.
What is the displacement volume, in mL/g, of drug X powder for
reconstitution? Give your answer to one decimal place.
10.2 mL/g
Answer: 10.2 mL/g
Concentration is 250 mg/5 mL

Therefore in 90 mL, there is 4,500mg
Total volume is 90 mL, and we know that 44 mL of this is water.
Therefore, 90mL – 44 mL = 46 mL is taken up by 4500mg of Drug X
46 mL / 4.5 g = 10.2 mL/g
Question 9
A 4 mL injection containing drug Y 250 mg/mL is required for a patient. The

displacement volume for drug Y is 0.44 mL/500 mg.
What volume of WFI, in mL, should be added to the correct weight of drug
Y to produce 4 mL of the injection? Give your answer to two decimal
places.
3.12 mL

Answer: 3.12 mL
The injection is 4 mL at a concentration of 250 mg/mL

i.e. it contains 1,000 mg (1 g)
DV is 0.44 mL/500 mg, which is the same as 0.88 mL/1,000 mg

The drug in our injection therefore takes up 0.88 mL of space.
The total volume is 4 mL, therefore 4 mL - 0.88 mL leaves 3.12 mL WFI to
add.
Question 10
The displacement volume of a drug is 0.75 mL/50 mg. The drug is required
at a concentration of 2 mg in 1 mL.
Calculate the volume of diluent, in mL, that must be added to 100 mg of
drug to produce the required concentration. Give your answer to one
decimal place.
48.5 mL
Answer: 48.5 mL
We need 100 mg of drug at a concentration of 2 mg in 1 mL.
To achieve this concentration, we will need to mix the 100 mg of drug in

50 mL diluent, to give us a final concentration of 2 mg/1 mL.
The DV is 0.75 mL/50 mg, which is 1.5 mL/100 mg.
We therefore need to add 50 mL - 1.5 mL = 48.5 mL diluent.
Read every question very carefully - at least twice.
the numbers and other information which you need from the question.
Identify Rule out numbers and information which is NOT required.
the question or your method of calculating the answer.

Don’t
and keep the process as simple as possible.
overcomplicate
and use a method you are comfortable with and have practiced
you answered the question that was asked.

Check you used the correct units and number of decimal places in your answer.
your answer makes sense in real life.
Practise and practise and keep on practising!
Focus on Health Economics – Wednesday 2nd June

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/141402515731
Pre-reg Mock Exam – 12th-27th June 2021 (Online)

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/153949476027
Focus on Dilutions – Wednesday 16th June

Focus on Infusion Rates – Wednesday 30th June

We want to hear
from you!
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Focus on
Displacement Values
& Volumes
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Green Light Campus Calculations – May 2021

@GL_Campus www.greenlightpharmacy.com #GLStudyDays

Chat box – feel free to type in questions or comments

Mute/Unmute – Please mute your microphone unless you want to speak

Camera On Please – It really helps with communication!

Aim of today’s session

To develop knowledge and understanding of

By the end of this session, you should be able to:

• Identify gaps in knowledge and understanding with

• Apply new skills and techniques to displacement questions

• Carry out displacement questions under timed conditions

• Reflect on your online exam technique

• Teach others how to complete displacement questions

Displacement Values and

The Online GPhC Registration Assessment

Online Exam Technique

o The units will be shown next to the answer box

o Rounding instructions will be stated in the questions

o No commas or spaces allowed i.e. 1000 mg not 1,000 mg

2. Using the wrong units

3. Decimal point in the wrong place

4. Running out of time

5. Over complicating the question

How will you avoid making these mistakes in the

One way is by using a formula to calculate suppository base.

Question 1 - Answer and Working

Question 1 - Answer and Working

Total base (g) = (18 x 2 g) – 2.25 g = 36 g – 1.5 g = 34.5 g

Given that the displacement value of tramadol in theobroma oil is 0.8,

Question 2 - Answer and Working

40 suppositories + 15% extra = 46 suppositories in total

Question 2 - Answer and Working

Total base (g) = (46 x 3 g) - 4.6 g

You receive a prescription for Miss L, an 11-year-old girl who is in hospital

Question 3 - Answer and Working

You receive a prescription for 24 Witepsol suppositories in 2 g moulds. Each

Question 4 - Answer and Working

Total weight of all suppositories = 24 x 2 g = 48 g

DV = 1.2, meaning 1.2 g of drug displaces 1 g of base

Therefore, 9.6 g of drug displaces X g of base

While working in a specials manufacturing lab, you receive a request for a

Question 5 - Answer and Working

DV = 0.7 means 0.7 g of menthol displaces 1 g of base (theobroma oil)

If 0.7 g menthol displaces 1 g base, 2.625 g menthol displaces X g base

Question 5 - Answer and Working

Total base (g) = (35 x 1.5 g) – 2.625 g

A child is to receive erythromycin by intravenous infusion for a legionella

Question 6 - Answer and Working

DV = 0.05 mL per 200 mg

A glyceryl trinitrate rectal ointment can be prepared according to a

15.8 g www.greenlightpharmacy.com #GLPreReg

Question 7 - Answer and Working

The formula shows that for every 100 g of ointment, we need 20 mL of

Drug X is available as a powder for reconstitution with water. The

Question 8 - Answer and Working

Answer: 10.2 mL/g

Concentration is 250 mg/5 mL

A 4 mL injection containing drug Y 250 mg/mL is required for a patient. The