Angela dela Cruz-Munarriz

• Registered Pharmacist
• Graduate of BS Pharmacy at the
University of Sto. Tomas (UST)
• Graduated MS Pharmacy at the
Philippine Women’s University
• Worked as a manufacturing pharmacist
• Presently the Chief Pharmacist of Army
General Hospital
• Part-time professor at the Adamson
University College of Pharmacy & Graduate
School, and
• Research consultant
 Mathematics
&
Pharmacy
Angela DC. Munarriz, RPh, MSPharm
 What is Mathematics?

Mathematics is the science

that studies and explains numbers,
quantities, measurements,
and the relations between them.

(Merriam Webster Dictionary)

What is Pharmacy?

(Medical Dictionary)
The branch of the health sciences
dealing with the preparation,
dispensing, and proper utilization of
drugs.
 What is Pharmacy?
(Medical Dictionary)
• A place where drugs are
compounded or dispensed.
 What is a
Pharmacist?

Pharmacists are experts

on the action and use
of drugs.
 What is the relation of
Mathematics
in my profession?
Everyday pharmacists serve
prescriptions.
Prescriptions are the doctor’s
order of medication to a
patient.
 Infants and children require
smaller quantities of medicines
than adults.
 Certain medicines cannot be
prescribed for newborn
(neonates) and infants because
their livers and kidneys are not
fully developed.
 Since very small dosages
are prescribed for infants and
children, all calculations
must be exact for the
patient’s safety.
 There are several ways to compute
for a child’s dosage for a certain
medicine. However, the method
most frequently used to calculate
a prescribed dosage form
is based upon the child’s body weight
or body surface area.
It is also considered the most
accurate method of calculation.
 Commonly used formula
for calculating a child’s dose:

• Clark’s Rule
• Young’s Rule
Clark’s Rule
• Calculates a prescribed dosage form based on the
child’s body weight of body surface area.
• It is also considered the most accurate method of
calculation.

𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑙𝑏𝑠 (𝑝𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑠)

Cℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑 ′ 𝑠 𝑑𝑜𝑠𝑒 = 𝑥 𝑎𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑡 𝑑𝑜𝑠𝑒
150
Example:

Calculate the dose in mcg

for a 45-pound child
if the usual adult dose is 0.6 mg.
Using the Clark’s Rule…

Given:
• Child’s weight = 45 lbs.
• Adult dose = 0.6 mg

Unknown: Child’s dose in mcg

 Step 1

…convert mg to mcg
(to convert a larger quantity to a smaller
quantity, multiply the given quantities:
= 0.6 mg x 1000 mcg
(because 1mg=1000 mcg)
= 600 mcg
Why do we need to convert?

Kilogram
(kg)

Gram
(g)

milli
gram
(mg)

micro
gram
(mcg)
We are now ready to calculate for the child’s dose…

′ 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑙𝑏𝑠 (𝑝𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑠)

Cℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑 𝑠 𝑑𝑜𝑠𝑒 = 𝑥 𝑎𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑡 𝑑𝑜𝑠𝑒
150

45 𝑙𝑏𝑠
= 𝑥 600 mcg
150

= 0.3 𝑥 600

Cℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑′ 𝑠 𝑑𝑜𝑠𝑒 = 180 𝑚𝑐𝑔

 Young’s Rule

Computes the dosage based on the child’s age

𝐴𝑔𝑒
Cℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑′ 𝑠 𝑑𝑜𝑠𝑒 = 𝑥 𝑎𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑡 𝑑𝑜𝑠𝑒
𝐴𝑔𝑒+12
Example:

The usual adult dose of aspirin

(for fever) is 325 mg,
what is the dose in grams
of a six year-old child?
Using the Young’s Rule

Given:
Adult dose=325 grams
Child’s age=6 years old

Unknown: Dose of a 6 y/o child

 Step 1
′ 𝐴𝑔𝑒
Cℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑 𝑠 𝑑𝑜𝑠𝑒 = 𝑥 𝑎𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑡 𝑑𝑜𝑠𝑒
𝐴𝑔𝑒+12

6
Cℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑′ 𝑠 𝑑𝑜𝑠𝑒 = 𝑥 325 mg
6+12

6
Cℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑′ 𝑠 𝑑𝑜𝑠𝑒 = 𝑥 325 mg
18

=0.33 x 325

Cℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑′ 𝑠 𝑑𝑜𝑠𝑒 = 108.33 𝑚𝑔

 Step 2:

The answer is in mg, what is asked is in grams.

What do need to do?

Convert milligram to gram.
(to convert a smaller quantity to a larger
quantity, multiply the two values)
Child’s dose in mg = 108.33 mg
= 108.33 mg x 1000
(because 1 gram=1000 milligrams)

Child’s dose in grams = 0.10833 grams

 When & why do we give
medicines to children?
Except for vitamins, which are
supplements to children’s growth,

we give medicines to children

when they are unhealthy
then become sick.
In as much as we are happy to serve patients,
it would happier to see healthy children
studying and playing around.
A healthy body means a healthy mind.
So stay healthy….

…be happy & beautiful!

 Thank you for listening…

I hope you enjoyed & learned from my lecture.

Again, I am Mrs. Angela dela Cruz-Munarriz,

Registered Pharmacist
Have a pleasant day…
God bless you all!