PHARMACEUTICAL

CALCULATIONS

Nahed HEGAZY, PhD

 LATIN ABBREVIATIONS
a. c. = ante cibum (before food)
b. d. = bis die (twice daily)
o. d. = omni die (every day)
o. m. = omni mane (every morning)
o. n. = omni nocte (every night)
p. c. = post cibum (after food)
p. r. n. = pro re nata (when required)
q. d. s. = quater die sumendum (to be taken four times daily)
q. q. h. = quarta quaque hora (every four hours)
stat = immediately
t. d. s. = ter die sumendum (to be taken three times daily)
t.i.d. = ter in die (three times daily)
1 teaspoonful (tsp) = 5 ml
1 tablespoonful (tbsp) = 15 ml
1 ounce = 2 tbsp or 30 ml
Metronidazole 200 mg/5ml
tsp b.d. x7 day
The amount of medication to be dispensed is;

100 ml
70 ml
150 ml
None of the answers
Panadol® oral suspension contains 120 mg/5 mL of the drug
paracetamol. If the patient takes one tablespoonful of the syrup
three times daily for five days, how many grams of the drug does
the patient consume?

5.40
0.54
5400
54.00
Calculate the dose of a drug to be administered to a
patient if the dosing regimen is listed as 5 mg/kg per day
in divided doses every 8 hours. The patient weighs 67 kg:

67 mg t.d.s.
42 mg t.d.s.
335 mg t.d.s.
112 mg t.d.s.
If a vial of gentamycin contains 80 mg of drug in 2 mL, how many
micrograms of the drug are present in 0.025 mL?

80 mg = 80,000 µg

By the method of proportion, if 80,000 µg are contained in 2 mL, how many

micrograms are contained in 0.025 mL?

2 mL/80,000 = 0.025 mL/X

answer: X = 1000 µg

Add 1.25 g, 35 mg, and 80 µg, and express the result in milligrams. Convert
all the units to the same denomination and then perform the computation.

1.25 g = 1250 mg, and 80 µg = 0.08 mg

Therefore, 1250 + 35 + 0.08 = 1285.08 mg

answer: 1285.08 mg
PERCENT CONCENTRATION EXPRESSIONS
Percent weight-in- volume (w/v):
 expressesthe number of grams of constituent in 100 ml solution or liquid
preparation. [ Solids, liquids or gases in liquids]
Percent volume-in-volume(v/v:)
 expresses the number of milliliters of a constituent in 100mL of solution
or liquid preparation. [Liquids in liquids]
Percent weight-in-weight (w/w):
 expresses the number of grams of a constituent in 100 g. of solution or
liquid preparation. [Mixture of solids]
Milligram percent (mg%):
 expresses the number of mg of a substance in 100 ml of solution or liquid
preparation.
Part per million (ppm):
 is an expression used for very dilute solutions, e.g. ,the limit of arsenic
present in zinc oxide. is 6 ppm ( 6 ppm = 0.0006 %)
 EXAMPLES OF WEIGHT-IN-VOLUME
CALCULATIONS
If 4 g of sucrose are dissolved in enough water to make 250 mL of solution,
what is the concentration in terms of % w/v of the solution?

By the method of proportion:

4g/250 mL=X g/100 mL

Solving for X, we get:

X = (100 × 4) ÷250 = 1.6 g

answer: 1.6 g in 100 mL is 1.6% w/v

If 5000 mg of dextrose is added to 95 mL of water, what is the
percentage strength (w/w) of the solution?

500% (w/w)
5% (w/w)
50% (w/w)
0.50% (w/w)
An injection contains 40 mg pentobarbital sodium in each milliliter of
solution. What is the concentration in terms of % w/v of the solution?

By the method of proportion:

40 mg/1 mL=X mg/100 mL

Solving for X, we get:

X = (100 × 40) = 4000 mg or 4 g

answer: 4 g in 100 mL is 4% w/v

How many grams of dextrose are required to prepare 4000 mL of a 5%
solution?

4000 mL represents 4000 g of solution

5% = 0.05

4000 g X 0.05 = 200 g, answer.

Or, solving by dimensional analysis:

5 g/100 mL X 4000 mL = 200 g, answer.

How many grams of Aminobenzoic acid should be used in preparing 240 ml

of a 5% solution in 70% alcohol?

240 mL represents 240 g of solution

5% = 0.05

240 g X 0.05 = 12 g, answer.

 EXAMPLES OF VOLUME-IN-VOLUME
CALCULATIONS
How many milliliters of liquefied phenol should be used in compounding the
following prescription?

Liquefied Phenol 2.5%

Calamine Lotion ad 240 mL

Sig. For external use.

Volume (mL) x % (expressed as a decimal) = milliliters of active ingredient

240 mL X 0.025 = 6 mL, answer.

Or, solving by dimensional analysis:

2.5 mL/100 mL X 240 mL = 6 mL, answer.

In preparing 250 mL of a certain lotion, a pharmacist used 4 mL of liquefied
phenol. What was the percentage (v/v) of liquefied phenol in the lotion?

250 (mL)/4 (mL) =100 (%)/x (%)

x = 1.6%, answer.

Peppermint spirit contains 10% v/v of peppermint oil. What volume of the
spirit will contain 75 mL of peppermint oil?

10 (%)/100 (%) = 75 (mL)/x (mL)

x = 750 mL, answer.

 EXAMPLES OF WEIGHT-IN-WEIGHT CALCULATIONS

What weight of a 5% (w/w) solution can be prepared from 2 g of active

ingredient?
5 (%)/100 (%) = 2 (g)/x (g)
x = 40 g, answer

How many grams of phenol should be used to prepare 240 g of a 5% (w/w)

solution in water?
Weight of solution (g) x % (expressed as a decimal) = g of solute
240 g X 0.05 = 12 g, answer.
If 1500 g of a solution contains 75 g of a drug substance, what is the percentage
strength (w/w) of the solution?
1500 (g)/75 (g) = 100 (%)/x (%)
x = 5%, answer.
Or, solving by dimensional analysis:
75 g/1500 g X 100% = 5%, answer.

How many grams of a drug substance should be added to 240 mL of water to make
a 4% (w/w) solution?
100% - 4% = 96% (by weight) of water
240 mL of water weighs 240 g
96 (%)/4 (%) = 240 (g)/x (g)
x = 10 g, answer.
DILUTION AND CONCENTRATION
Q1 × C1 = Q2 × C2

If 5 mL of a 20% w/v aqueous solution of furosemide is diluted to 10 mL, what will be the final strength
of furosemide?
5 (mL) × 20 (% w/v) = 10 (mL) × X (% w/v)
X = 5 × 20/10 = 10% w/v

If 500 mL of a 15% (v/v) solution of methyl salicylate in alcohol are diluted to 1500 mL, what will be the
percentage strength (v/v)?

Q1 (C1) = Q2 (C2)
500 mL (15 %) = (1500 mL) (X %)
X = (500 x 15) / 1500
X = 5% (answer)