Pharmaceutical Calculations

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Introduction
Pharmaceutical calculations dealing with:
• Expressions of concentration
• Master formulae to working quantities
• Changing concentrations
• Small quantities ( trituration)
• Solubility
• Calculations related to doses
• Reconstitution and rates of infusion

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 How to minimize errors
• Write out the calculation clearly.
• Double check when transferring data from
reference.
• Write down every step.
• Don’t make short cuts.
• Try not to be totally dependent on your
calculator.
• Double check your calculation.

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Expressions of concentrations
- The metric system is the International System of Units (SI
Units) for weight, volume and length. The basic unit for
weight is kilogram (kg), for volume is liter (L) and for length is
meter (m).
- The avoirdupois (Imperial) {pound, grain, ounces, pints and
fluid ounce & gallons).
- The apothecary system: grain, scurple, drachm, minim, fluid
drachm, fluid ounce.
• 1 kilogram (Kg)= 2.2 pounds (lb)
• 1 grain ( Avoir. Or Apoth.) = 64.8 mg
• 1 teaspoonful (tsp)= 5ml
• 1 table spoonful = 15 ml (3 teaspoonfuls)
• 1 pint (pt) = 473 ml
• 1 gallon (gal) = 3785 ml
• 1 fluid ounce (oz) = 29.57 ml ( 30ml)
• 1 fluid ounce ( oz) = 480 minims
Example: A prescription is received for a dose of 10 grains of a drug. How
many grams is the dose?
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 Expressions of concentration
Expressions of strength:
•Ratio: is the relative magnitude of two like quantities thus 1: 10 =
1 part in 10 parts or 1g in 10g.
•Ratio strength: is the expression of a concentration by means of a
ratio, e.g 1:10.

•Percentage strength: is a ratio of parts per hundred, e.g. 10%

•Percentage weight in weight (w/w)
•Percentage weight in volume (w/v)
•Percentage volume in volume (v/v)

Other expressions of concentration:

•Moles & molarity
•Molality.
•Normality.
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Expression Symbol Definition

Molarity M Moles (gram molecular weights) of solute in 1
liter of solution.
Normality N Gram equivalent weights of solute in 1 liter of
solution.
Molality m Moles of solute in 1000 g of solvent.
Mole fraction X, N Ratio of the moles of one constituent (e.g. the
solute) of a solution to the total moles of all
constituents (solute and solvent).
Mole percent Moles of one constituent in 100 moles of the
solution. Mole percent is obtained by multiplying
the mole fraction by 100.
Percent by weight % w/w Grams of solute in 100 g of solution.
Percent by volume % v/v Milliliters of solute in 100 ml of solution.
Percent weight-in- % w/v Grams of solute in 100 ml of solution.
volume
Milligram percent - Milligrams of solute in 100 ml of solution.
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Examples:

•Express 0.1% w/w as a ratio strength.

•Express 1:2500 as a percentage strength.

•How many grams of a drug should be used to prepare 240

grams of a 5% w/w solution.

•If 5 g of iodine is in 250 ml of iodine tincture, calculate the

percentage of iodine in the tincture.

•If 20 ml of ethanol is mixed with water to make 40 ml of

solution, what is the percentage of ethanol in the solution?
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• What is the percentage of magnesium carbonate in

the following syrup?
Magnesium carbonate 10g
Sucrose 820g
Water, q.s. ad 1000 ml

• Compute the percentage of the ingredients in the

following ointment:
Liquid parafin 14 g
Soft parafin 38 g
Hard parafin 12 g
 Calculating quantities from a master formula

Quantities
provided by the
master formula
have to be scaled
up or down,
depending on
the quantity of
the product
required. Using
proportion or a
multiplying
factor.

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Calculating quantities from a master formula

When a combination of weights and volumes is used without indicating
the exact final volume or weight of the preparation: An excess quantity
is normally calculated for and the required amount is then measured.

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Calculations
involving
parts:
The no. of parts
is added up and
the quantity of
each ingredient
calculated by
proportion or
multiplying
factor to
provide the
correct amount.
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Calculations involving percentages

Conventions which apply when dealing with

formulae which include percentages:
• A solid in a formula where the final quantity is
stated as a weight is calculated as weight in
weight (w/w).
• A solid in a formula where the final quantity is
stated as a volume is calculated as weight in
volume (w/v).
• A liquid in a formula where the final quantity is
stated as a volume is calculated as volume in
volume (v/v).
• A liquid in a formula where the final quantity is
stated as a weight is calculated as weight in
weight (w/w).
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some situations where the standard

conventions do not apply:
• I. Syrup BP is a liquid-a solution of sucrose and
water. If the normal convention applied it
would be w/v, i.e. certain weight of sucrose in a
final volume of syrup
-However, in the BP formula the concentration of
sucrose is quoted as w/w. Therefore Syrup BP
is:
Sucrose 66.7% w/w, Water to 100%
• 2. A gas in a solution is always calculated as
w/w, unless specified otherwise. Formaldehyde
Solution BP is a solution of 34-38% w/w
formaldehyde in water.
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 Changing concentrations
• Increase or decrease the concentration by the
addition of more drug or more diluent.
The dilution equation:
C1V1 = C2V2
e.g.1 What is the final concentration if 120 ml of a 12%
w/v chlorhexidine solution is diluted to 240 ml with
water?
e.g.2 What percentage of atropine is produced when
200 mg of atropine powder is made up to 50 g with
lactose as a diluent?

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Alligation
• A method for solving the no. of parts of two or more
components of known concentration to be mixed when
the final desired concentration is known.

• Calculate the amount of a 2% w/w metronidazole cream

and of metronidazole powder required to produce 150 g
of 6% w/w metronidazole cream ( to 2 decimal places).

• Thioridazine suspension is available as 25mg/5ml ( 0.5%

w/v) and 100 mg/5ml (2% w/v).
Calculate the quantities to use to prepare 100ml of
40mg/5ml(0.8% w/v.) suspension

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 Calculations where quantity of ingredients is
too small to weigh or measure accurately
• Small quantities in powder:
Trituration: when a measurable quantity of active
ingredient is diluted with an inert diluent.
Normally a 1 in 10 or 1 in 100 dilution is used.
Example:
Calculate the quantities required to make 10
powders each containing 200 micrograms of
digoxin. Assume that the balance available has a
minimum weighable quantity of 100 mg. The
convenient weight of each divided powder is 120
mg.
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Answer:

•The convenient weight of each divided powder is 120 mg. The total
weight of powder mixture required will be 10 x 120 =1200 mg= 1.2g.
•Quantities for l0 powders:
Digoxin 2 mg, lactose 1198 mg, Total 1200 mg
A 1 in l0 dilution is produced.
•Trituration A
Digoxin 100 mg, lactose 900 mg, Total 1000 mg
Each 100 mg of this mixture (A) contains l0 mg of digoxin.
•Trituration B
Mixture A 100 mg (= 10 mg digoxin), lactose 900 mg, Total 1000mg
Each 100 mg of this mixture (B) contains 1 mg of digoxin. This amount
of digoxin is less than the required amount, so mixture B can be used to
give the required quantity.
200 mg of mixture B provides the 2 mg digoxin required.
•Final trituration (C)
Mixture B 200 mg (= 2 mg digoxin) lactose (1200- 200) = 1000 mg,
Total 1200 mg
Each 120 mg of this mixture (C) will contain 200 micrograms (0.2 mg)
of digoxin.
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 Calculations where quantity of ingredients is too small to weigh or
measure accurately

• Small quantities in Liquids:

• Normally a 1 in 10 or 1 in 100 dilution is used.

• Example: Calculate the quantities required to prepare 100

ml of a solution containing 2.5 mg morphine
hydrochloride/5 ml. Assume that the balance available
has a minimum weighable quantity of 100 mg. The
solubility of morphine hydrochloride is 1 in 24 of water.

Quantities for 100 ml:

Morphine hydrochloride 50 mg
Chloroform water to 100 ml.
The minimum quantity of 100 mg of morphine
hydrochloride is weighed and made up to 10 ml with
chloroform water (this weight of morphine hydrochloride
will dissolve in 2.4 ml). 5 ml of this solution (A) provides
the 50 mg of morphine hydrochloride required. Take 5 ml
of solution A and make up to 100 ml with chloroform
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Calculations involving doses

• Calculating doses:

e.g.1 The doctor prescribes levodopa capsules, 1000

mg to be taken every 8 hours for 28 days.
Levodopa is available as 500 mg capsules. How
many capsules should be supplied?

e.g.2 The following prescription is received: Sodium

valproate oral solution:100 mg to be given twice
daily for 2 weeks. Note: Sodium valproate oral
solution contains sodium valproate 200 mg/5ml.
 Calculations involving doses
Latin Abbreviation English name
recipe Rx take
mitte mitt. send
signa sig. label
Ad ad to
aqua aq. water
bis b. twice
bis die b.d. Twice daily
bis in die b.i.d. Twice daily
ter in die t.i.d. Three times daily
ter de die t.d.d. Three times daily
quarter die q.d. Four times daily
quarter in die q.i.d. Four times daily
quantum sufficiat q.s. sufficient

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Calculations involving doses

Possibility of misinterpreting the data!!!
Variation in terminology + lack of awareness

serious consequences !!!!!

The following prescription is received:

•Verapamil tablets 160 milligrams, Send 56,
Take two tablets twice daily

There are a variety of doses quoted for verapamil in

the BNF depending on the condition being treated.
They are as follows for oral administration.
Supraventricular arrhythmias, 40-120 mg t.i.d.
Angina, 80-120 mg t.i.d.
Hypertension, 240-480 mg daily in 2-3 divided
doses.
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 Calculations involving doses
Different doses for children, an estimation of doses.
Estimation of doses is best carried out using body weigh,
but where this is not available, there are three formulas
which relate the child's dose to the adult dose.

•Fried's rule for infants: age (months) x adult dose/150 =

dose for infant.

•Clark's rule: weight (in kg) x adult dose/75 = dose for

child.

•Body surface area method (BSA):

BSA of child (m2) x adult dose/l.73 m2 (average adult
BSA) = approximate child's dose.

•The BNF also gives a percentage method for calculating

paediatric doses of drugs which have a wide therapeutic
window, i.e. where accuracy
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is less critical.
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Calculation of doses by weight and surface area

• Using body weight: the dose will be expressed as

mg/kg. The total dose required is then obtained by
multiplying the weight of the patient by the dose per
kilogram.

• Body surface area is a more accurate method when

extreme accuracy is required for narrow range of
plasma concentration between the desired therapeutic
effect and severe toxicity, e.g. anticancer drugs. The
body surface area can be calculated from body weight
and height using the equation
• Body surface area (m2) =
Weight (kg)0.425 x Height (cm)0.725 x 0.007184

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 Reconstitution

• What dose of antibiotic will be contained in

a 5 ml spoonful when a bottle containing
5g of penicillin V is reconstituted to give
200 ml of syrup?

• We have an ampicillin product for

reconstitution. It contains 2.5g of ampicillin
to be made up to 100 ml. To what volume
should it be made to give 100 mg per 5 ml
dose?
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Reconstitution
A child weighing 60 lb requires a dose of 8 mg/kg of ampicillin.
Given that a 5 ml dose is to be given, what volume of water
must be added when the powder is reconstituted? Instructions
on the label indicate that dilution to 150 ml (by adding 111 ml)
gives 250 mg ampicillin per 5 ml.

Conversion of weight to kg: 60/2.2 = 27.27 kg

Calculation of amount of ampicillin required:
27.27 x 8 = 218 mg
Calculation of amount of ampicillin in container:
250 mg/y mg = 5 ml/150 ml, therefore
y= 7500 mg = 7.5 g
Calculation of amount of water to add to give 218 mg
per 5 ml: 218 mg/7500 mg = 5 ml/ x mL,
therefore x= 172 ml
Volume occupied by powder: 150 ml -111 ml = 39 ml
Therefore, volume to be added:
6/28/2015 172 ml- 39 ml = 133 ml.
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 Calculation of infusion rates

• How much drug solution to be

added?

• How fast the infusion should be

administered (rate of infusion)?
In terms of ml/min
or drops per minute.

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• An ampoule of flucloxacillin contains 250 mg

of powder with instructions to dissolve it in 5
ml of water for infusion. What volume of this
solution should be added to 500 ml of saline
infusion to provide a dose of 175 mg?
answer 3.5ml.

• 100 mg of methoxamine hydrochloride are

added to 500 ml of saline infusion. What
should be the rate of infusion to give a dose of
1 mg per minute? How long will the infusion
take?
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 • A doctor requires an infusion of 1000 ml of 5%
dextrose to be administered over an 8-hour
period. Using an IV giving set which delivers 10
drops/ml, how many drops per minute should be
delivered to the patient?

• 20 ml of a drug solution is added to a 500 ml

infusion solution. It has to be administered to the
patient over a 5-hour period using a set giving 15
drops per millilitre, how many drops per minute
are required?
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