Our Lady of Fatima University

OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY
College of Pharmacy
PHARMACEUTICAL
CALCULATIONS AND
TECHNIQUES
(PHCL111)
WEEK 2
INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM
OF UNITS
At the end of this unit, the students are expected to:
• Demonstrate an understanding of the International
System of Units
• Convert measures within the International System of
Units
UNIT • State equivalent measures between the International
OUTCOMES System of Units and other systems of measure used
in pharmacy practice
• Convert measures between the International System
of Units and other systems of measure in pharmacy.
• Apply the International System of Units correctly in
calculations.
UNIT OUTLINE
UNIT 2: INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM OF UNITS
1. International System of Units

2. Measure of Length, Volume and Weight
International System
of Units
• Also known as the Metric System

• is the internationally recognized
decimal system of weights and
measures.
UNITS OF MEASUREMENT USED IN
PHARMACY
Metric System
• Is based on decimal system in which everything is measured in
multiples or fraction of 10.
• Major system of weights and measurement used in medicine.
• Uses standard measures:
• Meter (m) for length or distance
• Gram (g) for mass or weight
• Liter (L) for volume
Guidelines for the correct use of the SI
• Two symbols for microgram

• Decimals are used, not fractions
• Leading zero should be used before all decimals
• Trailing zeroes should not be placed after whole number
EXAMPLE INCORRECT CORRECT
4 grams 4G 4g
0.5 milliliters .5 mL 0.5 mL
5 microgram 5.0 mcg 5 mcg
5.25 grams 5¼g 5.25 g
MEASURE OF LENGTH
• meter (m) – primary unit of length

• Table of metric length:
1 kilometer (km) = 1,000,000 meters 1 meter = 0.001 kilometer
1 hectometer (hm) = 100,000 meters 0.01 hectometer
1 decameter (dam) = 10,000 meters 0.1 decameter
10 decimeters
1 meter (m)
100 centimeters
1 decimeter (dm) = 0.100 meter 1000 millimeters
1 centimeter (cm) = 0.010 meter 1,000,000 micrometers
1 millimeter (mm) = 0.001 meter 1,000,000,000 nanometers
1 micrometer (mm) = 0.000,001 meter
1 nanometer (nm) = 0.000,000,001 meter
Example
100 𝑐𝑚
A gas chromatographic 1.8 𝑚 𝑥
1𝑚
column measures 1.8 meter
in length and 3 millimeter in
internal diameter. Convert
these measurements in
centimeter.
MEASURE OF VOLUME
• Liter (L) – primary unit of volume

• Table of metric volume
1 kiloliter (kL) = 1000,000 liters 1 liter = 0.001 kiloliter
1 hectoliter (hL) = 100,000 liters 0.010 hectoliter
0.100 decaliter
1 decaliter (daL) = 10,000 liters
10 deciliters
1 liter (L) 100 centiliters
1 deciliter (dL) = 0.100 liter 1000 milliliters
1 centiliter (cL) = 0.010 liter 1,000,000 microliters
1 milliliter (mL) = 0.001 liter
1 microliter (mL) = 0.000,001 liter
MEASURE OF WEIGHT
• Gram (g) – primary unit of weight.

• Table of metric weight
1 kilogram (kg) = 1,000,000 grams 1 gram = 0.001 kilogram
1 hectogram (hg) = 100,000 grams
0.010 hectogram
0.100 decagram
1 dekagram (dag) = 10,000 grams
10 decigrams
1 gram (g) 100 centigrams
1 decigram (dg) = 0.100 gram 1000 milligrams
1 centigram (cg) = 0.010 gram 1,000,000 micrograms
1 milligram (mg) = 0.001 gram 1,000,000,000 nanograms
1 microgram (mg or mcg) = 0.000,001 gram
1,000,000,000,000 picograms
1,000,000,000,000,000 femtograms
1 nanogram (ng) = 0.000,000,001 gram
1 picogram (pg) = 0.000,000,000,001 gram
1 femtogram (fg) = 0.000,000,000,000,001 gram
Equivalents of length
1 inch = 2.54 cm
1 meter (m) = 39.37 in
Equivalents of volume
1 fluid ounce (fl. oz.) = 29.57 mL
Some useful 1 pint (16 fl. oz.) = 473 mL

1 quart (32 fl. oz.) = 946 mL
equivalents
1 gallon, US (128 fl. oz.) = 3785 mL
1 gallon, UK = 4545 mL
Equivalents of weight
1 pound (lb, avoirdupois) = 454 g
1 ounce (oz, avoirdupois) = 28.35 g
1 kilogram (kg) = 2.2 lb
Sample Problems:
1. A low-strength aspirin tablet contains 81 mg of aspirin per

tablet. How many tablets may a manufacturer prepare from
0.5 kg of aspirin?
2. An intravenous solution contains 500 mg of a drug
substance in each milliliter. How many milligrams of the
drug would a patient receive from the intravenous infusion
of a liter of the solution?
Answer:
1. A low-strength aspirin tablet contains 81 mg of aspirin per tablet.
How many tablets may a manufacturer prepare from 0.5 kg of
aspirin?
81𝑚𝑔 0.5𝐾𝑔
=
1 𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑋
1000 𝑔 1000 𝑚𝑔
0.5 𝐾𝑔 𝑥 1𝐾𝑔
𝑥 1𝑔
= 500,000 𝑚𝑔
81𝑚𝑔 500,000 𝑚𝑔
= 𝑋 = 6,172.83 𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑠
1 𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑋
or 6,172 𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑠
(81 𝑚𝑔)(𝑋) = (500,000 𝑚𝑔)(1 𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑡)
81 𝑚𝑔 81 𝑚𝑔
Answer:
2. An intravenous solution contains 500 mg of a drug substance in
each milliliter. How many milligrams of the drug would a patient
receive from the intravenous infusion of a liter of the solution?
500𝑚𝑔 𝑋
=
1 𝑚𝐿 1 𝐿𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟
1000 𝑚𝑙
1𝐿𝑥 = 1,000 𝑚𝐿
1𝐿
500𝑚𝑔 𝑋
= 𝑋 = 500,000 mg
1 𝑚𝐿 1,000 𝑚𝐿
(500 𝑚𝑔)(1,000 𝑚𝐿) (𝑋)(1 𝑚𝐿)
=
1 𝑚𝐿 1 𝑚𝐿
REFERENCES:
Ansel, Howard C., Pharmaceutical calculations, 15th ed.,

Philadelphia : Wolters Kluwer Health, 2017

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OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY

UNIT 2: INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM OF UNITS

1. International System of Units

• Also known as the Metric System

• Two symbols for microgram

• meter (m) – primary unit of length

• Liter (L) – primary unit of volume

• Gram (g) – primary unit of weight.

Some useful 1 pint (16 fl. oz.) = 473 mL

1. A low-strength aspirin tablet contains 81 mg of aspirin per

Ansel, Howard C., Pharmaceutical calculations, 15th ed.,

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