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Pharmaceutical Compounding PC 101

Pharmacy Calculations
UNITS, CALCULATIONS AND CONVERSIONS
2

OBJECTIVES - to;
¨ Familarise with the systems of units likely to be likely to encountered in day-to-day
work.
¨ Be able to:
■ make conversions from 1 unit system 2 another.
■ accurately convert a stated quantity & conc of an agent into a toxic or exposure dose.
UNITS, CONCs ABBREVIATIONS, EQUIVALENTS & SYMBOLS

Units mass and volume


¨ Mass and SI unit
■ Kilogram (kg)

¨ Conversions
ü1 kilogram (kg) = 1000 grams (g)
ü1 gram (g) = 1000 milligrams (mg)
ü1 milligram (mg) = 1000 micrograms (mcg/μg)
ü1 microgram (mcg/μg) = 1000 nanograms (ng)
ü water 1g = 1mL
VOLUME
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e.g of vol with no precise units:


v SI unit : Cubic metre (m³)
1 teaspoonful ≈ 5 mL , 1 tablespoon ≈ 15 mL
v Conversions
e.g of rough vol indications :
¨ 1 litre = 0.001 m³
Ø Mouthful
¨ 1 litre (L) = 1000 mL = 1 dm³
ü Adult male approx 25 mL
¨ 1 decilitre (dL) = 100 mL = 0.1 dm³
ü Adult female approx 20 mL
¨ 1 centilitre (cL) = 10 mL = 0.01 dm³
ü Child approx 10 mL
¨ 1 millilitre (mL) = 1 mL = 0.001 dm³ = 1 cm³
Ø Drinking can
Ø Bottle cap
ENGLISH AND AMERICAN UNITS
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Units
6

1. 1 mg = ____ g = _____ kg = _____µg = ____ng


2. 1kg = _____ g = _____ mg = ____ µg
3. 1g = ______ µg = _____ mg = ____ng = ___ kg

4. 0.032 g = ____ mg
5. 8.8 x 105 µg = ____kg
6. 0.094 kg = _____ g
7. 62 ng = ______mg
Units
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¨ 1 liter (L) = 1000 ml = 103 ml


¨ 1 ml = 1000 µl = 103 µl
¨ 1 ml = 1 cubic centimeter (cc)
¨ 1 L = 103 ml = 103 cc = 106 µl

¨ 1 ml = ___ cc = ______L = ______µl


¨ 1L = ______µl = ______cc
¨ 2.6 ml = ____cc
¨ 0.1 µl = L
¨ 2.37 L = ____ml
¨ 0.072 cc = ____µl
Units
8

¨ A patient receives 500 µg of estradiol benzoate by injection every day for 21 days. How
many grams of estradiol benzoate does the patient receive altogether?

¨ If 25 ml of an oil are used in the manufacture of 125000 capsules, how many µl are
contained in each capsule?

¨ In 25.0 ml of a solution for injection there are 4.00 mg of the drug. If the dose to be
administered to the patient is 200 µg, what quantity of this solution should be used?
Units
9

¨ A hospital uses the following formula for prednisolone capsules:


■ Prednisolone: 2.5 mg
■ Lactose: 0.9 mg

¨ How many grammes of each component should be used to make 1500 capsules?
¨ What quantity of each ingredient should be used to prepare 120 ml of the syrup?
nCherry juice: 475 ml
nSucrose: 800 g
nAlcohol: 20 ml
nPurified water: q.s, to 1000 ml
Calculating Doses for patients

¨ The very first thing you'll need to know is the patient's weight.
¨ Once you have the patient's weight in kilograms, you need to calculate the total dose
using the relative dose.
¨ The relative dose is often given in units of 'mg/kg’.
¨ Example
■A patient weighs exactly 10 kg. The relative dose is 15 mg/kg. What do we do?
■ CALCULATING

■ If 1kG=15MG
■ 10KG=?
Calculating Doses for patients

¨ How many tablets should you prescribe if a patient needs 4 tablets of


METRONIDAZOLE 200mg BD X 6/7?
■ 4 tablets twice-daily = 8 tablets
■ 6/7 refers to 6 days = 8 (6) = 48 tablets
■ Answer: 48 tablets
Calculating Doses for patients

¨ A patient enters your pharmacy asking for his PHENSEDYL.


¨ His doctor prescribed him 15mL of PHENSEDYL three times a day for 7 days.
¨ What number of doses is needed and what minimum volume of cough medicine needs to be
dispensed?
Calculating Doses for patients

QUESTION
¨ The recommended dose of fluconazole for mucosal candidiasis in children is 3mg/kg
twice daily for 7 days.
■ Calculate the dose needed for a child ().
■ Suggest an appropriate formulation.
Calculating Doses for patients

¨ If the weight of a child is not given, it’s not uncommon to estimate a value. For example, a 6-year old child
has an estimated weight between 18kg and 23kg – that is to say, approx. 20kg.
¨ With this in mind, a 3-year old child has an ideal body weight of 14kg. The ideal dose is, then, 14kg x 3mg =
42mg of fluconazole.
¨ What formulation should we choose?
50mg, 150mg, 200mg capsules
¨ 50mg/mL and 200mg/5mL suspensions
CONCENTRATIONS
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v Conc of a solution of a drug/chemical can be expressed in diff. ways dep on the states
in which the solute & solvent occur.
v May be expressed:
Ø in terms of the quantity of solute in a definite volume of solution.
Ø as a quantity of solute in a definite mass of solvent or solution.

v The various expressions are summarized below.


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Percentage strength
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¨ % Concentration = (quantity of solute) / (quantity of preparation) X 100


■ % w/w
■ % v/v
■ % w/v

If 1.25 g of NaCl is dissolved in sufficient water to make 55.0 ml. the concentration is:
1.25 g/55.0 ml = 0.0227 g/ml
% w/v = 0.0227 g/ml x 100 = 2.27% w/v

If 12.0 g of lanolin is combined with 2.0 g of white wax and 16.0 g of petrolatum to make an
ointment, what is the percentage concentration of lanolin ointment?
12.0 g lanolin/ 30.0 g ointment = 0.4 = 40% w/w
Percentage strength
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¨ Calculate % w/w OR w/v


i. 40.0 g glycerin dissolved in sufficient alcohol to make 25.0 ml
ii. 1.50 g phenol dissolved in 8.00 g of glycerin
iii. 10.0 ml of glycerin dissolved in sufficient water to make 38.0 ml of solution

¨ A concentration of 4.0 % w/v means that 4.0 g of X are dissolved in 100 ml of solution.
■ Rx. Zinc Sulphate 0.5% w/v
water to 60 ml
How much Zinc sulphate to add? How do you prepare this solution?

¨ Iodine tincture is a 2% W?V solution of Iodine.


How many g of Iodine will 40 ml of the tincture contain?

¨ How many L of a 0.9% aqueous solution can be made from 20.0 g of sodium chloride?
Inter-conversions
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Molarity %(w/v)

Mass/volume

ppm Ratio e.g. 1 in 50,000

All of the outer units can readily be converted to units of mass/volume and vice versa.
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Inter-converting concentrations expressed as mass/volume


(1) Converting between …
Molarity and mass/volume
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(a) Molarity Mass/volume

e.g. convert 0.05M aspirin to mg/100ml. (RMM aspirin = 180)

1M = (RMM) g/L
1M = 180g/L
0.05M = 180 x 0.05g/L
= 9g/L
= 9,000mg/L
= 900mg/100ml
(1) Converting between …
22
Molarity and mass/volume
(b) Mass/volume Molarity
e.g. convert aspirin (450mg/L) to mM. (RMM aspirin = 180)

(RMM) mg/L = 1mM


180mg/L = 1mM
450mg/L = 450/180mM
= 2.5mM
(1) Converting between …
23 Molarity and mass/volume
Hint:
When converting to or from a molar concentration always start by defining 1M
(or 1mM etc).
• If converting from a molarity, start with:-
1M = 180g/L or
1mM = 180mg/L etc
• If converting to a molarity, start with:-
180g/L = 1M or
180mg/L = 1mM etc

(Above all assumes RMM = 180)


(1) Converting between …
24
Molarity and mass/volume

Example questions
1) Re-express 25micromolar aspirin (RMM 180) in units of microgram/ml.
2) Re-express 0.72mg/100ml aspirin (RMM 180) in micromolar units
(1) Converting between …
25
Molarity and mass/volume
Answer 1
Re-express 25micromolar aspirin (RMM 180) in units of microgram/ml.
1microM = 180microgram/L
25microM = 180 x 25microgram/L
= 4500microgram/L
= 4.5microgram/ml
(1) Converting between …
26 Molarity and mass/volume
Answer 2
Re-express 0.72mg/100ml aspirin (RMM 180) in micromolar units
Get rid of the awkward 100ml
0.72mg/100ml = 7.2mg/L
180mg/L = 1mM
1mg/L = 1/180mM
7.2mg/L = 7.2/180mM
= 0.04mM
= 40micromolar (μM)
(2) Converting between …
27 %(w/v) and mass/volume

(a) %(w/v) Mass/volume

e.g. convert 0.9%(w/v) NaCl to mg per 5ml.

0.9%(w/v) = 0.9g/100ml
= 900mg/100ml
= 9mg/ml
= 45mg per 5ml
(2) Converting between …
28

%(w/v) and mass/volume


(b) Mass/volume %(w/v)

e.g. convert NaCl (9g/L) to %(w/v).

9g/L = 0.9g/100ml
= 0.9%(w/v)
(2) Converting between …
29

%(w/v) and mass/volume

Hint:
When converting to a concentration expressed as %(w/v), the secret is to get
everything into g and ml units and then adjust so that the value is x g/100ml.
You then have the answer as a %.
(2) Converting between …
%(w/v) and mass/volume
30

Example questions

1) Re-express 5.5%(w/v) sodium chloride in units of mg/ml

2) Re-express 0.045g per 5ml sodium chloride in units of %(w/v).


(2) Converting between …
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%(w/v) and mass/volume

Answer 1
Re-express 5.5%(w/v) sodium chloride in units of mg/ml
5.5% = 5.5g/100ml
= 5500mg/100mL
= 55mg/ml
(2) Converting between …
32
%(w/v) and mass/volume

Answer 2

Re-express 0.045g per 5ml sodium chloride in units of %(w/v).

0.045g per 5ml = 0.9g/100ml


= 0.9%(w/v)
(3) Converting between …
33 ppm and mass/volume

(a) ppm Mass/volume

e.g. convert fluoride (5ppm) to mg/100ml.

1ppm = 1mg/L
5ppm = 5mg/L
= 0.5mg/100ml
(3) Converting between …
34 ppm and mass/volume

(b) Mass/volume ppm

e.g. convert fluoride (800 microgram/L) to ppm.

1mg/L = 1ppm
800microgram/L = 0.8mg/L
800 microgram/L = 0.8ppm
(2) Converting between …
35 ppm and mass/volume

Hint:
When converting to a concentration expressed as ppm, the secret is to get
everything into mg and Litre units and then adjust so that the value is x mg/L.
You then have the answer as ppm.
(3) Converting between …
36 ppm and mass/volume
Example questions
1) Re-express 35microgram/100ml fluoride in units of ppm
2) Re-express 2.5ppm fluoride in units of microgram/ml µg/ml
(3) Converting between …
37
ppm and mass/volume

Answer 1
Re-express 35microgram/100ml fluoride in units of ppm
35microgram/100ml = 350microgram/L
= 0.35mg/L
= 0.35ppm
(3) Converting between …
38 ppm and mass/volume

Answer 2
Re-express 2.5ppm fluoride in units of microgram/ml
2.5ppm = 2.5mg/L
= 2.5microgram/ml
(4) Converting between …
39
Ratio and mass/volume

(a) Ratio Mass/volume

e.g. convert adrenaline (1 in 200,000) to microgram/ml.

1 in 200,000 = 1g/200,000ml
= 1mg/200ml
= 5mg/L
= 5microgram/ml
(4) Converting between …
40
Ratio and mass/volume

(b) Mass/volume Ratio

e.g. convert adrenaline (500 microgram/100ml) to a ratio

500microgram/100ml = 1mg/200ml
= 1g/200,000ml
= 1 in 200,000
(4) Converting between …
41 Ratio and mass/volume

Hint:
When converting to a concentration expressed as a ratio, the secret is to get
everything into gram and ml units and then adjust so that the value is 1g/ x ml.
You then have the answer as a ratio.
(4) Converting between …
42 Ratio and mass/volume

Example questions
1) Re-express adrenaline (5mg/L) as a ratio.
2) Re-express adrenaline (1 in 200,000) in units of mg/100ml.
(4) Converting between …
43 Ratio and mass/volume

Answer 1
Re-express adrenaline (5mg/L) as a ratio.
5mg/L = 5g/1,000L
= 5g/1,000,000ml
= 1g/200,000ml
= 1 in 200,000
(4) Converting between …
44 Ratio and mass/volume

Answer 2
Re-express adrenaline (1 in 200,000) in units of mg/100ml.
1 in 200,000 = 1g/200,00ml
= 1mg/200ml
= 0.5mg/100ml
What you should be able to do
45

• Re-express a concentration quoted in any of the following units:-


- molarity
- %(w/v)
- ppm
- ratio
in units of mass/volume

• Vice versa
Examples of inter-converting mass/volume concentrations
46

Question 1
• Re-express 0.75mg/100ml in units of microgram/100ml
Question 2
• Re-express 2.5mg per 5ml in units of mg/L
Question 3
• Re-express 655mg/L in units of microgram/ml
Examples of inter-converting mass/volume
47
concentrations
Question 4
Re-express 800mg/L in units of g/100ml
Question 5
Re-express 40mg per 5ml in units of g/L
Question 6
Re-express 35mg/L in units of g/L
Question 7
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• Re-express 50mg/ml in units of g/L


Question 8
• Re-express 150microgram/ml in units of mg per 5ml
Question 9
• Re-express 0.035g/100ml in units of mg/L
Question 10
• Re-express 7,500pg/ml in units of microgram/ml

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