METHODS OF EXPRESSING

CONCENTRATIONS
 POINTS OF DISCUSSION
• Percent and Percentage
• Ratio strength
• Mg %, mg/mL
• Parts per million
 PERCENT

• Percent (%) – “By the Hundred” or “In a

Hundred”
• Percentage – means RATE PER HUNDRED
• 50% = a percentage of 50 = 50 parts in 100 =
50/100 = 0.50
• Used as a convenient means of EXPRESSING the
concentration of an active or inactive material in a
pharmaceutical preparation
PERCENTAGE CONCENTRATIONS
• Percent weight-in-volume (w/v) expresses the number
of grams of a constituent in 100 mL of solution or liquid
preparation and is used regardless of whether water or
another liquid is the solvent or vehicle. Expressed as: % w/v.
• Percent volume-in-volume (v/v) expresses the number
of milliliters of a constituent in 100 mL of solution or liquid
preparation. Expressed as: % v/v.
• Percent weight-in-weight (w/w) expresses the number
of grams of a constituent in 100 g of
• solution or preparation. Expressed as: % w/w.
PERCENTAGE CONCENTRATIONS
• WEIGHT-IN-VOLUME
– Solid/Gas components in liquid preparations
• VOLUME - IN-VOULUME
– Liquid components in liquid preparations
• WEIGHT-IN-WEIGHT
– Solid or semisolid components in solid or
semisolid preparations
 INTERPRETATION
% w/v
• The weight (grams) of the substance over the
TOTAL volume (mL) of the preparation
% v/v
• The volume (mL) of the substance over the
TOTAL volume (mL) of the preparation
% w/w
• The weight (grams) of the substance over the
TOTAL weight of the preparation
FORMULA
 HOW TO COMPUTE?
SAMPLE PROBLEMS
• [1] How many grams of antipyrine should be
used in preparing 5% of a 60-mL solution of
antipyrine?
• [2] How many grams of Zinc Chloride should be
used in preparing 5L of the mouth wash
containing 1/10 %w/v of Zinc Chloride?
• [3] How many milliliters of a 5% solution can be
made from 30 g of ephedrine sulfate?
 HOW TO COMPUTE?
SAMPLE PROBLEMS
• [4] What is the percentage strength v/v of a
solution of 500 g of a liquid with a specific
gravity of 0.800 in enough water to make 4000
mL?
• [5] If a veterinary liniment contains 40% v/v of
dimethyl sulfoxide, how many milliliters of the
liniment can be prepared from 2 lb of dimethyl
sulfoxide (sp gr 1.10)?
 HOW TO COMPUTE?
SAMPLE PROBLEMS
• [6] How many grams of a drug substance are
required to make 240 mL of a 15% (w/w) solution
having a specific gravity of 1.15?
• [7] How many grams of a drug substance should be
added to 240 mL of water to make a 4% (w/w)
solution?
• [8] If 5 g of boric acid is added to 100 mL of water,
what is the percentage strength (w/w) of the
solution?
 HOW TO COMPUTE?
SAMPLE PROBLEMS
• [9] What is the percentage strength v/v of a solution of
800g of a liquid with a specific gravity of 0.900 when
added to 3200mL of water?
• [10] You are required to make 350g of a paste that
contains 15% w/w Zinc Oxide. How much zinc oxide is
needed?
• [11] How would you prepare 200mL of a 4% w/w of a
drug substance in a solvent having a specific gravity of
1.25?
 HOW TO COMPUTE?
SAMPLE PROBLEMS
• [12] What weight of a 10% w/w preparation can be
prepared from 4g of active ingredient?
• [13] How many grams of Benzocaine should be used in
compounding the following prescription?
Rx Benzocaine 5% w/w
PEG base ad 6g
Make 25 suppositories
Sig. Insert one as directed
 ANSWER @ HOME
• Case 6.1 and 6.2
• PLEASE ANSWER PRACTICE
PROBLEMS 1 - 49
 RATIO STRENGTH
DEFINITION:
 Is the expression of concentration by means of
ratio
 The NUMERATOR and DENOMINATOR of the ratio
indicate GRAMS (g) or MILLILITERS (mL) of a solid
or liquid constituent in the total mass (g) or
volume (mL) of a solid or liquid preparation.
NOTE:
Ratio strength and Percentage strength can be
interconverted
 RATIO STRENGTH
• 1:1000, is used to designate a concentration, it is to
be interpreted as follows:
– For solids in liquids: 1 g of solute or constituent in
1000 mL of solution or liquid preparation
– For liquids in liquids: 1 mL of constituent in 1000
mL of solution or liquid preparation
– For solids in solids: 1 g of constituent in 1000 g of
mixture
RATIO STRENGTH CONVERSION
 RATIO STRENGTH
• Express 0.20% as a ratio strength
• Express 1:20,000 as a percentage strength
NOTE: To change ratio strength to percentage strength, it is
sometimes convenient to ‘‘convert’’ the last two zeros in a ratio
strength to a percent sign (%) and change the remaining ratio first
to a common fraction and then to a decimal fraction in expressing
percent:
– 1:100 = 1 ⁄1% = 1%
– 1:200 = 1 ⁄2% = 0.5%
– 3:500 = 3 ⁄5% = 0.6%
RATIO STRENGTH PROBLEMS
• [1] What is the ratio strength (w/v) of a
solution made by dissolving five tablets,
each containing 2.50 g of sodium chloride,
in enough water to make 50 mL?
• [2] How many grams of potassium
permanganate should be used in preparing
250 mL of a 1:500 solution?
RATIO STRENGTH PROBLEMS
• [3] How many mg of gentian violet should be used in
preparing the following solution?
Rx Gentian Violet Solution 300mL
(1:10,000)
Sig. Instill as directed
• [4] How many mg of hexachlorophene should be used
in compounding the following
Rx Hexachlorophene 1: 2000
Hydrophilic Ointment ad 25g
Sig. Apply
 mg/ mL
• To convert product percentage strengths to
mg/mL, multiply the percentage strength,
expressed as a whole number, by 10.
– Convert 4% (w/v) to mg/mL  4 x 10 = 40 mg/mL

• To convert product ratio strengths to mg/mL,

divide the ratio strength by 1000.
– Convert 1:10,000 (w/v) to mg/mL
– 10,000 / 1000 = 1 mg/10 mL
MILLIGRAM PERCENT (mg %)
• The number of milligrams of substance in
100 mL
• Thus, the statement that the concentration of non-
protein nitrogen in the blood is 30 mg% means that
each 100 mL of blood contains 30 mg of non-protein
nitrogen
PARTS PER MILLION/BILLION
• Parts per million (ppm)
• Parts per billion (ppb)
– the number of parts of the agent per 1 million
or 1 billion parts of the whole
SAMPLE: 5 ppm
5 parts in 1,000,000 parts
1:200,000, ratio strength
0.0005%, percentage strength
 READ AND STUDY

• Chapter 9: (Calculations Involving

“Units”, “ug/mg”)
 ALTERING STRENGTH
• DILUTION and
CONCETRATION
• STOCK SOLUTION
• ALLIGATION
• TRITURATION
 ALTERING STRENGTH
• The strength of a pharmaceutical preparation may be
INCREASED or DECREASED by changing the
proportion of active ingredients to the whole.
• A preparation may be made strengthened or made
more CONCENTRATED by the addition of active
ingredient, by admixture with a like preparation of
greater strength, or through evaporation of its vehicle.
• The strength of the preparation may be decreased or
DILUTED by the addition of DILUENT or by admixture
with a like preparation of lesser concentration
Relationship Between Strength and Total Quantity

• If the amount of active ingredient remains

constant, any change in the TOTAL quantity of a
solution or mixture of solids, through
DILUTION or CONCENTRATION, is inversely
proportional to the percentage or ratio
strength
the percentage or ratio strength decreases as the
quantity increases, and conversely
 DILUTION vs
CONCENTRATION
• When a solution of a given strength is DILUTED, its
strength will be REDUCED
• If a mixture is concentrated by evaporation to one-half its
original quantity, the active ingredient (assuming that
none was lost by evaporation) will be contained in one
half as many parts of the whole, and the strength will be
doubled
Concentration/Quantity Relationship
(1st quantity) x (1st concentration) = (2nd quantity) x (2nd concentration)

C1Q1 = C2Q2
 DILUTION vs
CONCENTRATION
DILUTION and CONCENTRATION PROBLEMS can
be solved by the following:
 C1Q1 = C2Q2
 ALLIGATION MEDIAL : A method for calculating the
average concentration of a mixture of two or more
substances
 ALLIGATION ALTERNATE : A method for calculating
the number of parts of two or more components of
known concentration to be mixed when the final
desired concentration is known.
 INVERSELY PROPORTIONAL

• What is the final concentration of A 10

ml solution with 2g of the active
ingredient
– If diluted to 20mL?
– If evaporated to half of its volume?
DILUTION AND CONCENTRATION
SAMPLE PROBLEMS
• [1] If a syrup containing 60% w/v of sucrose is
evaporated to 80% of its volume, what percentage
(w/v) of sucrose will it contain?
• [2] How many grams of 12% w/w ammonia solution
can be made from 2000 g of 30% w/w strong
ammonia solution?
• [3] If 1 gallon of a 50% w/v solution is to be
evaporated so that the solution will have a strength
of 80% w/v, what will be its volume in milliliters?
 DILUTION AND
CONCENTRATION
• [4] How many mL of a 1:10,000 w/v solution of
the preservative lauralkonium chloride can be
made from 125mL of a 0.5% solution?
• [5] If a cough syrup contains in each teaspoonful,
0.5 mg of chlorpheniramine maleate and if the
pharmacist desired to double the strength, how
many milligrams of that ingredient would need
to be added to a 60mL container of the syrup.
Assume no increase in volume.
 DILUTION AND
CONCENTRATION
• [6] A pharmacist received a prescription for 100
mL of a cefuroxime axetil suspension to contain
300 mg of drug in each 5 mL. The pharmacist
has 100 mL of a suspension containing 250 mg/5
mL and also has 250-mg scored tablets of the
drug. How many tablets should be pulverized
and added to the suspension to achieve the
desired strength? Assume no increase in the
volume of the suspension.
 ALTERING STRENGTH
• STOCK SOLUTION
• ALLIGATION
• TRITURATION
 STOCK SOLUTION
• are concentrated solutions of active (e.g.,
drug) or inactive (e.g., colorant) substances and
are used by pharmacists as a convenience to
prepare solutions of lesser concentration
• FORMULA
(Final Quantity x final Concentration) = (Needed Quantity x Stock
Concentration)
 SAMPLE PROBLEMS
• [1] How many milliliters of a 2% stock solution of
a certified red dye should be used in preparing
2000 mL of a mouthwash that is to contain
1:20,000 w/v of the certified red dye as a
coloring agent?
• [2] How many milliliters of a 1:15 solution of
sodium hypochlorite should be used in
preparing 3000 mL of a 0.025% solution of
sodium hypochlorite for irrigation?
 SAMPLE PROBLEMS
• [3] How many milliliters of a 25% w/v concentrate of
benzalkonium chloride should be used in preparing 500
mL of a stock solution such that 15 mL diluted to 1 liter
will yield a 1:5, 000 solution?
• [4] How many milliliters of water should be added to
300 mL of a 1:500 w/v solution of benzalkonium
chloride to make a 1: 2, 000 w/v solution?
• [5] If 15 mL of a 0.05% ATROVENT (ipratropium
bromide) nasal spray were diluted with 10 mL of
normal saline solution, what would be the final drug
concentration?
 SAMPLE PROBLEMS
• [6] How many mL of a 1:100 stock solution of
ephedrine sulfate should be used in
compounding the following prescription?
Rx Ephedrine Sulfate 0.25%
Rose Water, a.d. 60mL
• [7] If a phenobarbital elixir containing 4% is
evaporated to 90% of its volume, what is the
strength of phenobarbital in the remaining
solution?
 SAMPLE PROBLEMS
• [8] How much drug should be used in preparing
60mL of a solution such that 5mL diluted to
1000mL will yield a 1:200 solution?
• [9] How many grams of NaCl should be used in
preparing 1000mL of a stock solution such that
100mL diluted to 1000mL will yield a 0.25% w/v?
 DILUTION
Same principle applied  you may use the same
formula
• DILUTION OF ALCOHOLS
• DILUTION OF ACIDS
• DILUTION and FORTIFICATION OF
SOLIDS and SEMISOLIDS
 DILUTION: ALCOHOL
• When alcohol and water are mixed, a contraction
(Lessen) of volume occurs. Hence, the final volume of
solution cannot be determined accurately, nor can
the volume of water needed to dilute to a certain
percentage v/v be identified.
• Because the concentration of liquids does not affect
the weights of the components, the weight of water
(= volume of water) needed may be calculated.
• Percentage w/w is often used for solutions of
alcohol.
 DILUTION: ALCOHOL
SAMPLE PROBLEMS
• [1] How much water should be mixed with 2000mL of
90% v/v alcohol to make 70% v/v alcohol?
• [2] How many mL of 95% v/v alcohol and how much
water should be used in compounding the following
prescription?
Rx Xcaine 1g
Alcohol 70% 30mL
• [3] How many mL of water should be mixed with 1200g
of 65% w/w alcohol to make 45% w/w alcohol?
 DILUTION: ACIDS
NOTE:
• Concentrated Acid -> % w/w
– Specific Gravity should be considered of the
CONCENTRATED ACID in preparing the
desired quantity of a diluted acid
• Diluted Acid -> % w/v
 DILUTION: ACIDS
• [1] How many mL of 40% w/w acid having a specific
gravity of 1.15 are required to make 500mL of
diluted acid 15% w/v?
• [2] How many mL of 95% w/w of an acid having a
specific gravity of 1.70 should be used in preparing
1 gallon of 1/5% w/v of the acid to be used for
bladder irrigation?
• [3] How many mL of 75% w/w of an acid having a
specific gravity of 1.71 should be used in preparing
800mL of 1:10000 of acid?
DILUTION: FORTIFICATION
• [1] If 40g of 2% hydrocortisone ointment were
diluted with 15g of vaseline, what would be the
concentration of hydrocortisone in the mixture?
• [2] How many grams of 25% ointment and how
many grams of ointment base (diluent) should be
used in preparing 4lb. Of 5% benzocaine ointment?
• [3] How many grams of Zinc oxide should be added
to 3200g of 5% Zinc oxide ointment to prepare an
ointment containing 20% of zinc oxide?
 ALTERING STRENGTH
• ALLIGATION
• TRITURATION
 ALLIGATION
• ALLIGATION is the arithmetical method of solving problems
that involves the mixing of solutions or mixtures of solids
possessing different percentage strength.
• Alligation MEDIAL – a method by which the “weighted
average” percentage strength of a mixture of 2 or more
substances of known quantity and concentration may be
easily calculated.
• Alligation ALTERNATE – a method by which we may
calculate the number of parts of two or more components
of a given strength when they are to be mixed to prepare a
mixture of desired strength.
 ALLIGATION MEDIAL
• When two or more medications or preparation of known
quantities and concentrations are mixed, the resulting strength is
the “WEIGHTED AVERAGE” of the percentage strengths of all the
individual components used.
STEPS
 STEP 1: Add up the quantity of each component used in the
mixture.
 STEP 2: Multiply the quantity of each component used in the
mixture by its corresponding percentage strength, add up
the products.
 STEP 3: Divide the value obtained in STEP 2 by the value
obtained in STEP 1.
 ALLIGATION MEDIAL
• [1] What is the percentage strength (v/v) of alcohol in a
mixture of 2000mL of 50% (v/v) alcohol, 1000mL of 75%
(v/v), and 1500mL of 60% (v/v) alcohol? Assume no
contraction of volume after mixing.
• [2] What is the percentage of alcohol in the following
prescription?
Rx Chloroform Spirit 50mL (90% of alcohol)
Aromatic Elixir 150mL (21% alcohol)
Terpin Hydrate Elixir 300mL (45% alcohol)
Sig. 5mL for cough
 ALLIGATION MEDIAL
• [3] what is the percentage strength v/v of alcohol in a
mixture of 200mL of 12% alcohol, 150 mL of 18% alcohol,
and 250mL of 25% alcohol?
• [4] What is the percentage of zinc oxide in an ointment
prepared by mixing 300g of 10% ointment, 100g of 25%
ointment, and 100g of 10% ointment?
• [5] What is the percentage strength of alcohol in a
mixture of 400mL solution (30% alcohol), 400mL
solution (25% alcohol), and a sufficient quantity of a
non-alcaholic third solution to make a total of 1000mL?
 ALLIGATION ALTERNATE
• A pharmacist may mix two ore more preparations of known
strength to prepare a mixture of desired strength. The desired
strength should be somewhere in between the individual
strengths of the components used.
STEPS:
 Make (3) columns. In column 1, write down the concentration
to be mixed.
 In column 2, write down the desired percentage strength of
the mixture to be prepared.
 In column 3, write down the difference in strength by reading
diagonally.
 Find the relative proportions of the components.
 ALLIGATION ALTERNATE
EXAMPLE:
How many mL of phenytoin suspension containing 30mg per
5mL and 100mg per 5mL should be used in preparing 500mL
of a suspension containing 10mg of phenytoin per mL?
 30mg/5mL = 0.6%
 100mg/5mL = 2%
 10mg/mL = 1%

The quantities of each component to be used to obtain the

specified quantity can be determined by the method of RATIO
and PROPORTION.
 ALLIGATION ALTERNATE
SAMPLE PROBLEMS
• [1] In what proportion should 30% benzocaine
ointment be mixed with an ointment base to
produce a 30g of 2.5% benzocaine ointment? How
many grams of each component should be used?
• [2] A hospital pharmacist wants to use (3) lots of
zinc oxide ointment respectively 60%, 30%, and 10%
of zinc oxide. In what proportion should be mixed
to prepare a 20% zinc oxide ointment?
 ALLIGATION ALTERNATE
SAMPLE PROBLEMS
• [3] In what proportions may a manufacturing
pharmacist mix 30%, 15%, 7%, and 5% zinc oxide
ointments to produce a 10% ointment?
• [4] How many grams of 5% hydrocortisone cream
should be mixed with 400g of 0.30% cream to make
a 2.5% hydrocortisone ointment cream?
• [5] How many grams of white petrolatum should
be mixed with 300g of 5% and 700g of 20% zinc
oxide ointments to prepare a 15% ointment?
 ALLIGATION ALTERNATE
SAMPLE PROBLEMS
• [7] How many grams of zinc oxide should be added
to 3200g of 10% Zinc oxide ointment to prepare an
ointment containing 30% of zinc oxide?
• [8] A physical prescribed an ophthalmic suspension
to contain 100mg of cortisone acetate in 8mL of
normal saline solution (NSS). The pharmacist has a
2.5% suspension of cortisone acetate in NSS. How
many mL of the suspension and NSS should be used
in preparing the medication order?
 ALLIGATION METHOD
SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF MIXTURES
 The methods of alligation medial and alligation
alternate may be used in solving problems
involving the specific gravities of different
quantities of liquids of known specific gravities,
provided no change in volume occurs when liquids
are mixed and that they are measure in a common
denomination of volume.
 ALLIGATION METHOD
SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF MIXTURES
SAMPLE PROBLEMS
• How many mL of a syrup having a specific gravity of 1.3
should be mixed with 2000mL of a syrup having a
specific gravity of 1.22 to obtain a product having a
specific gravity of 1.25?
Operations:
 Alligation Alternate
 Ratio and Proportion
 ALLIGATION METHOD
SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF MIXTURES
SAMPLE PROBLEMS
• [1] What is the specific gravity of mixture of 250mL of
syrup with a specific gravity of 1.30, 400mL of Glycerin
with a specific gravity of 1.25, and a 500mL of an elixir
with a specific gravity of, 1.70?
• [2] How many mL of each of two liquids with specific
gravities of 0.90 and 1.25 should be used to prepare
2000mL of liquid having a specific gravity of 1.10?
 TRITURATION
• Are DILUTIONS of potent medicinal substances.
• Prepared by o part by weight of the drug with nine parts of
finely divided lactose , HENCE -> 10% or 1:10 w/w
SAMPLE PROBLEMS:
 [1] How many grams of 1:10 trituration are required to obtain
25mg of drug?
 [2] How many mL of an injection prepared by dissolving 100mg
of a 1:10 trituration in sufficient water for injection to prepare
15mL of injection that is required to obtain 5mg of drug?
 [3] How many mg of a 1:10 dilution of a drug should be used in
preparing 100 capsules if each capsule is to contain 0.5mg of the
drug?
 NEXT MEETING
CALCULATION OF DOSES
PARENTERAL
PREPARATIONS