PHARMACEUTICAL
CALCULATIONS
AND TECHNIQUES
RHEENE ROSE BAJON, RPH
FUNDAMENTALS OF
PHARMACEUTICAL
CALCULATIONS
Pharmaceutical calculations
■ is the area of study that applies the basic
principles of mathematics to the preparation and
safe and effective use of pharmaceuticals.
Common and Decimal Fractions
■ Common fractions are portions of a whole, expressed at 1⁄3,
7⁄8, and so forth.
■ Decimal fraction is a fraction with a denominator of 10 or any
power of 10 and is expressed decimally rather than as a
common fraction. Thus, 1/10 is expressed as 0.10 and 45/100 as
0.45. It is important to include the zero before the decimal
point.
Common Fractions
1. If the adult dose of a medication is 2 teaspoonful (tsp.),
calculate the dose for a child if it is ¼ of the adult dose.
Common Fractions
2. If a child’s dose of a cough syrup is ¾ teaspoonful and
represents ¼ of the adult dose, calculate the
corresponding adult dose.
To convert a common fraction to a
decimal fraction
Example:
1/8 = 0.125
1/2 = 0.5
8/24 = 0.33
To convert a decimal fraction to a
common fraction
Example:
0.25 = 25/100 = ¼
0.75 = 75/100 = ¾
1.25 = 125/100 = 1 ¼
Common Fraction Decimal Fraction
1/8
7/20
9/10
0.8
0.55
1.50
9/25
Percent
■ The term percent and its corresponding sign, %, mean
‘‘in a hundred.’’
■ So, 50 percent (50%) means 50 parts in each one
hundred of the same item.
Conversion of Common fraction to
Percent
■ Example:
Convert 3/8 to percent
Conversion of Decimal fraction to Percent
■ Example:
Convert of 0.125 to percent
Common Fraction Decimal Fraction Percent
5/25
0.16
0.125
1/1000
8/80
65%
1.30
4/24
Solve the following: (SEATWORK)
1. 1/150 + 1/200 + 1/100 =
2. 3 ½ - 15/64 =
3. 30/75 x 15/32 x 25 =
4. 1/5000 ÷ 12 =
5. (1 ½ ÷ 100) x 1000 =
Solve the following:(SEATWORK)
6. What fractional part of 64 is 2 ?
7. What decimal fraction of 18 is 2 ¼ ?
8. How many 0.000065g doses can be made from 0.130g
of a drug?
9. A pharmacist had 3 ounces of Hydromorphine HCl. He
used the following 1/8 oz, ¼ oz and 1 ½ oz. How many
ounces were left?
Exponential Notation
■ When numbers are written in exponential notation, the first part is called
the coefficient, customarily written with one figure to the left of the
decimal point. The second part is the exponential factor or power of
10.
■ Examples:
16 000 = 1.6x104
0.00016 = 1.6x10-4
Multiplication of Exponents
■ In the multiplication of exponentials, the exponents are added.
■ For example, 102 x 104 = 106
■ In the multiplication of numbers that are expressed in exponential form,
the coefficients are multiplied in the usual manner, and then this product
is multiplied by the power of 10 found by algebraically adding the
exponents.
■ Examples:
(2 x 103) x (1.5 x 105) = 3 x 108
(2 x 10-3) x (1.5 x 10-5) = 3 x 10-8
Division of Exponents
■ In the division of exponentials, the exponents are subtracted.
■ For example, 102 ÷ 105 = 10 -3
■ In the division of numbers that are expressed in exponential form, the
coefficients are divided in the usual way, and the result is multiplied by
the power of 10 found by algebraically subtracting the exponents.
■ Examples:
(5 x 105) ÷ (5 x 103) = 1 x 102
(5 x 10-5) ÷ (5 x 10-3) = 1 x 10-3
Addition and Subtraction of Exponents
■ In the addition and subtraction of exponentials, the expressions must be
changed (by moving the decimal points) to forms having any common
power of 10, and then the coefficients only are added or subtracted.
■ The result should be rounded off to the number of decimal places
contained in the least precise component, and it should be expressed with
only one figure to the left of the decimal point.
Addition and Subtraction of Exponents
■ Examples:
(5 x 105) + (5 x 103) (5 x 105) - (5 x 103)
5 x 105 5 x 105
+
0.05 x 105 0.05 x 105
-
5.05 x 105 4.95 x 105
Practice Problems (SEATWORK)
1. Write each of the following in exponential form:
(a) 12,650
(b) 0.0000000055
(c) 451
(d) 0.065
(e) 625,000,000
Practice Problems (SEATWORK)
2. Write each of the following in the usual numeric form:
(a) 4.1 x 106
(b) 3.65 x 10-2
(c) 5.13 x 10-6
(d) 2.5 x 105
(e) 8.6956 x 103
Practice Problems (SEATWORK)
3. Find the product:
(a) (3.5 x 103) (5.0 x 104) =
(b) (8.2 x 102) (2.0 x 10-6) =
4.Find the quotient:
(a) (9.3 x 105) ÷ (3.1 x 102) =
(b) (3.6 x 10-4) ÷ (1.2 x 106) =
Practice Problems (SEATWORK)
5. Find the sum:
(a) (9.2 x 103) + (7.6 x 104) =
(b) (1.8 x 10-6) + (3.4 x 10-5) =
6. Find the difference:
(a) (6.5 x 106) - (5.9 x 104) =
(b) (8.2 x 10-3) - (1.6 x 10-3) =
Ratio and Proportion
■ Ratio is the relative magnitude of two quantities.
A ratio is presented as 1:2 and is not read as ‘‘one half,’’ but rather as
‘‘one is to two.’’
■ Proportion is the expression of the equality of two ratios. It may be
written in any one of three standard forms:
a:b=c:d
a : b :: c : d
a/b = c/d
Sample Problems
1. If 100 capsule contain 500mg of an active ingredient, how many mg of
the ingredient will 48 capsule contain?
2. If 15 gallons of a certain liquid cost Php 245.00, how much will 4
gallons cost?
Dimensional Analysis
■ An alternative method to ratio and proportion in solving pharmaceutical calculation
problems.
■ The method involves the logical sequencing and placement of a series of ratios to
consolidate multiple arithmetic steps into a single equation.
Sample Problem:
■ How many fluidounces (fl.oz.) are there in 2.5 liters (L)?
Practice Problem:
■ A medication order calls for 1000 milliliters of a dextrose
intravenous infusion to be administered over an 8-hour period.
Using an intravenous administration set that delivers 10
drops/milliliter, how many drops per minute should be
delivered to the patient?
8h𝑟𝑠=480𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑠.
■
10 𝑔𝑡𝑡𝑠 1
1000 𝑚𝑙 × × =20.8 𝑜𝑟 21 𝑔𝑡𝑡𝑠
1𝑚𝑙 480 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑠
Significant Figures
■ consecutive figures that express the value of a denominate number accurately enough
for a given purpose
Digits other than zero are significant.
A zero between digits is significant.
Final zeros after a decimal point are significant.
Zeros used only to show the location of the decimal point are not significant.
Sample Problems:
a. 12.5
b. 1.256
c. 102.56
d. 0.5
e. 0.05
f. 0.65
g. 0.605
