14. INTERPRETATION OF PRESCRIPTIONS & MEDICATION ORDERS
• Examples of prescription directions to the pharmacist:
(a)M. ft. ung.
(b) Ft. sup. no xii
(c) M. ft. cap. d.t.d. no. xxiv
• Examples of prescription directions to the patient:
(a) Caps. i. q.i.d. p.c. et h.s.
(b) gtt. ii rt.eye every a.m.
(c) tab. ii stat tab. 1 q. 6 h. 7 d.
15. SELECTED CLINICAL
CALCULATIONS
• An intravenous infusion contained 20,000 units of
heparin sodium in 1000 mL of D5W. The rate of infusion
was set at 1600 units per hour for a 160-lb. patient.
Calculate:
(a) the concentration of heparin sodium in the infusion,
in units/mL;
(b) the length of time the infusion would run, in hours;
(c) the dose of heparin sodium administered to the
patient, on a unit/kg/minute basis.
16. SELECTED CLINICAL
CALCULATIONS
• The recommended dose of dalteparin sodium
(FRAGMIN) for patients undergoing hip
replacement surgery is 2500 international units (IU)
within 2 hours before surgery, 2500 IU 4 to 8 hours
after surgery, and 5000 IU daily 5 to 10 days, starting
on the postoperative day.
How many milliliters from a vial containing
10,000 IU/mL should be administered (a) before
surgery, (b) after surgery, and (c) the day
following surgery?
17. INTRAVENOUS INFUSIONS & PARENTERAL ADMIXTURES
• How many grams each of dextrose and sodium chloride are used
to prepare a 250-mL bag of D51⁄2NS for intravenous infusion?
• A physician orders midazolam hydrochloride (VERSED) 2 mg IV
Stat. A pharmacist delivers a vial containing midazolam
hydrochloride 5 mg/mL. How many milliliters should be
administered?
• A medication order for a patient weighing 154 lb. calls for 0.25 mg
of amphotericin B per kilogram of body weight to be added to
500 mL of 5% dextrose injection. If the amphotericin B is to be
obtained from a constituted injection that contains 50 mg/10 mL,
how many milliliters should be added to the dextrose injection?
• A medication order for a child weighing 44 lb. calls for polymyxin B
sulfate to be administered by the intravenous drip method in a
dosage of 7500 units/kg of body weight in 500 mL of 5% dextrose
injection. Using a vial containing 500,000 units of polymyxin B
sulfate and 10 ml of sodium chloride injection as the solvent,
explain how you would obtain the polymyxin B sulfate needed in
preparing the infusion.
18. ALLIGATION ALTERNATE
• How many milliliters of 50% w/v dextrose solution
and how many milliliters of 5% w/v dextrose solution
are required to prepare 4500 mL of a 10% w/v
solution?
• In what proportion should 20% benzocaine ointment
be mixed with an ointment base to produce a 2.5%
benzocaine ointment?
19. Constitution of Dry
Powders for Oral Use
• The label for a dry powder package of cefprozil (CEFZIL) for oral
suspension directs the pharmacist to add 72 mL of purified water
to prepare 100 mL of suspension. If the package contains 2.5 g
of cefprozil, how many milligrams of the drug would be
contained in each teaspoonful dose of the constituted
suspension?
• Label instructions for an ampicillin product call for the addition
of 78 mL of water to make 100 mL of constituted suspension
such that each 5 mL contains 125 mg of ampicillin. Calculate
the volume of dry powder in the product and the total content
of ampicillin.
• Using the product in the previous example, if a physician desires
an ampicillin concentration of 100 mg/5 mL (rather than 125
mg/5 mL), how many milliliters of water should be added to the
dry powder?