Calculations Master Work Book

Calculations
Master Workbook
Pre-Registration Training

Introduction
Welcome to the ProPharmace Calculations Master Workbook!
This workbook includes examples of a whole range of different calculations. First

work through these calculations and then verify your answers with the answers
provided at the end of this workbook.
Make sure you clearly write your steps for each calculation in the space provided so
that they can easily be checked and referred back to at a later stage. Hence, at any
point during your training year you can use this workbook as a template for how to
tackle the different types of calculations.
© 2015 ProPharmace Ltd | t: 020 8575 0005 | e: info@propharmace.com 2

www.propharmace.com

Contents
The Basics
1. Unit Conversions
2. Prescription Quantities
Formulations and Concentrations

3. Formulations
4. Concentrations
5. Dilution Calculations
6. Chloroform Calculations
7. Mixing Preparations
Weights and Volumes

8. Calculations involving Molecular Weight
9. Moles
10. Displacement Calculations
Pharmacokinetics
11. Half-Life
12. Bioavailability
13. Loading Dose
14. Clearance
Other
15. Body Surface Area
16. Infusion Rate

www.propharmace.com

1. Unit Conversions
LITRES
x 10 x 1000
1 litre (L) = 10 decilitres (dL) 1 litre (L) = 1000 millilitres (mL)
GRAMS
x 1000 x 1000
1kilogram (kg) = 1000 grams (g) 1 gram (g) = 1000 milligrams (mg)
x 1000
1milligram (mg) = 1000 micrograms (mcg / μg)
x 1000
1 microgram (mcg / μg) = 1000 nanograms (ng)
x 1000
1 nanogram (ng) = 1000 picograms (pg)
METRES
x 100 x 1000
1 metre (m) = 100 centimetres (cm) 1 metre (m) = 1000 millimetres
Equivalent lengths
1 inch (in or “) 25.4 mm
1 foot (ft or ‘) 12 inches
Equivalent mass
1 pound (lb) 0.45 kg
1 stone 6.35 kg

www.propharmace.com

Calculation 1
What is 860,000g expressed in micrograms?

mcg
Calculation 2
What is 2.5mL expressed in litres?

L
Calculation 3
Mr AF is 6’5’’ tall. What is his height in metres? Round your answer to two decimal
points.

m

www.propharmace.com

Calculation 4
Mrs AG has come to your pharmacy requesting for Alli. In order to decide whether to
sell her Alli, you must establish her Body Mass Index (BMI). She weighs 12 stones
and has a height of 170 cm. What is her BMI? Round your answer to two decimal
points.
BMI can be calculated using the following formula: Weight (kg) / Height (m2 )

www.propharmace.com

2. Prescription Quantities
Questions asking for quantities to fulfil a course of treatment require careful reading
of the question and then working out the quantities step by step e.g. doses required
per dose change, per day, per week, etc. and adding totals.
Calculation 5
Mr BK presents you with the following prescription for ciprofloxacin:
Mr BK
Flat 3, 24 Aredale Close
Wembley

Rx: Ciloxan 0.3% ophthalmic solution, apply eye
drops throughout day and night according to the
following regimen:

1 to 2 drops every 30 minutes for 6 hours, then
hourly for the remainder of day 1
1 to 2 drops every hour on days 2 and 3
1 to 2 drops every 2 hours on days 4 and 5
1 to 2 drops every 4 hours on days 6 to 14

Date: today’s date
Doctor S
The Lighthouse Practice
Cobham Rd
Essex

How many 5mL bottles of Ciloxan 0.3% do you need to supply?
Assume 1mL = 20 drops

bottles

www.propharmace.com

3. Formulations
Calculation 6
If the formula for Ferrous sulphate oral solution is:
Ferrous sulphate 60mg

Ascorbic acid 10mg
Orange Syrup 0.5mL
Double strength chloroform water 2.5mL
Water for preparations to 5mL
What weight of ascorbic acid would be required to prepare 160mL of this solution?
Calculate the answer in grams.

g

www.propharmace.com

Formulation Calculations in PARTS
Be careful when considering formulae with the word parts
1 part with 4 parts = total 5 parts

1 part to 4 parts = total 4 parts
Calculation 7
This is the formula for a compounded ointment:
Betamethasone ointment: 1 part

White soft paraffin (WSP): 4 parts
What is the quantity of WSP in 600g of the above ointment?

g

www.propharmace.com

4. Concentrations
Percentage Concentrations
% w/v = percentage weight in volume
The weight in grams of solid in 100mL of solution
%w/w = Percentage weight in weight

The weight in grams of a solid in 100g of product
% v/v = percentage volume in volume

The volume in mL of a liquid contained in 100mL of product
Calculation 8
What is 1 in 80,000 expressed as a percentage?

%
Calculation 9
If 500mg of potassium permanganate is dissolved in 5 litres of water, what is the

strength of the resulting solution?

%

www.propharmace.com

Concentration Calculations
There are a number of ways in which the concentration of a drug in a

preparation can be expressed.
For example:
milligrams per millilitre (mg/mL)
millimole per millilitre (mmol/mL)
units/mL
Calculation 10
How much solid must be used to make up 3.5 litres of a 3.5% w/v solution?

g
Calculation 11
How much solid must be used to make up 250mL of 1:8 solution?

mg

www.propharmace.com

5. Dilution Calculations
Dilution of solutions: weight of active ingredient remains the same before

and after dilution.
However since the volume changes the concentration of the solution
also changes.
Therefore you can use the formula:
C1 x V1 = C2 x V2
Calculation 12
What volume of a 0.5% w/v stock solution is needed in order to produce 1L of a 1 in

8000 solution?

mL

www.propharmace.com

6. Chloroform Calculations
Single Strength Chloroform water = 0.25%

Double Strength = 0.5%
Concentrated Chloroform water = 10%
Calculation 13
You are asked to prepare 200mL of the following mixture:
Potassium Citrate Mixture BP

Potassium citrate: 3g
Citric acid monohydrate: 500mg
Syrup: 2.5mL
Quillaia tincture: 0.1mL
Lemon spirit: 0.05mL
Double strength chloroform water: 3mL
Water to: 20mL
You have to prepare the double strength chloroform water from the concentrated
chloroform water that you have in stock. What volume of concentrated water do you
require to prepare the required volume of Potassium Citrate Mixture BP?

mL

www.propharmace.com

7. Mixing Preparations
Some pharmaceutical calculations require you to mix solutions or
weights together to obtain a final product. In these types of calculation it
is particularly important to understand and write down the information
given and the information needed in a step-wise manner.
Calculation 14
An ointment contains 1% w/w calamine. What weight of calamine needs to be added

to 200g of this ointment to produce a 5% calamine ointment? Round your answer up
to two decimal points.

g
www.propharmace.com

Calculation 15
If 150 mL is removed from a bag which contains 500 mL of glucose 5% and replaced
with 250 mL of glucose 20%, what is the strength of the resulting glucose solution?

%

www.propharmace.com

Calculation 16
What volume of 60% ethanol and 20% ethanol should be mixed together to prepare
1.2L of 30% ethanol?

mL of 20% ethanol

mL of 60% ethanol

www.propharmace.com

8. Calculations involving Molecular Weight
Some pharmaceutical calculations require the knowledge of the drug’s

molecular structure or molecular weight. Remember that the molecular
weight of a drug is the sum of all the atomic weights of the individual
atoms (measured in grams).
For example sodium chloride (NaCl) consists of one atom of sodium and
one atom of chlorine so that its molecular weight = 23 + 35.5 = 58.5,
whereas aluminium chloride (AlCl3) consists of one atom of aluminium
and three atoms of chlorine so that its molecular weight = 27 + (35.5 x 3)
= 133.5g
Calculation 17
How many milligrams of lithium are contained in a 500mg tablet of lithium

carbonate? Round your answer to one decimal point.
(lithium carbonate formula: Li2CO3; atomic weights: lithium = 7, carbon = 12, oxygen
= 16)

mg
www.propharmace.com

9. Moles
Number of moles = Mass in g / Relative Formula Mass in g
Number of millimoles = Mass in mg / Relative Formula Mass in g
1 mole = 1000 millimoles
1 Molar = 1 mole in 1 litre
Molar solution (M) = molecular weight (grams) in 1 litre
Calculation 18
What is the volume of a 40 millimolar solution of drug X that could be made from
3000mg if its relative molecular mass is 50?

mL
Calculation 19
Whilst working in the pharmacy aseptic unit you are asked to add 50mmol of Na+
ions to a batch of intravenous fluids. How many millilitres of sodium chloride
injection 0.9% w/v do you need? Round your answer to the nearest whole number.
Atomic weight of sodium = 23

Atomic weight of chlorine = 35.5

mL

www.propharmace.com

10. Displacement Calculations
Volume or quantity of solid occupied by the powder (of for example an
injection) following the addition of a diluent during reconstitution.
Different for different drugs, different strengths of the same drug and for
different brands.
Calculation 20
Streptomycin is available in 1g vial. A doctor prescribes streptomycin 750mg IM OD.

Each 1g vial has a displacement value of 0.75mL. The nurse added 2.25mL WFI to
reconstitute the vial. How many mL of the reconstituted solution must the nurse
administer?

mL
Calculation 21
You receive a prescription asking you to prepare 24 Witepsol pessaries (in 2g

moulds), each containing 400mg of drug A. What weights of base and medicament
are required?
(Displacement value of Drug A = 1.2)

g of medicament g of base
www.propharmace.com

11. Half Life
Calculation 22
A drug has an elimination half-life of 2 hours. How long will it take for 75% of the
administered dose to be eliminated?

hours
Volume of Distribution
The Volume of distribution Vd, is the theoretical volume that would be

needed to distribute a drug if it was found at the same concentration
throughout the body as that measured in the serum.

www.propharmace.com

12. Bioavailability
Fraction of the drug that reaches the systemic circulation.
Ranges from 0 to 1.
Large first pass effect produces a low oral bioavailability.
Parenterally administered drugs have a bioavailability of 1.
Amount of drug in systemic circulation = bioavailability x salt fraction x
dose.
Calculation 23
Mrs WD is admitted to hospital after suffering from a stroke. She normally takes
digoxin tablets 125 micrograms every day but as now she cannot swallow tablets her
doctor wants to change her to an equivalent dose of digoxin elixir.
What should the daily dose of digoxin be for Mrs WD? The digoxin elixir you have
available is a 50mcg/mL formulation. Round your answer to one decimal point.
[bioavailabilty of digoxin tablets = 0.7; bioavailabilty of digoxin elixir = 0.8]

mL

www.propharmace.com

Calculation 24
A 3-kg infant has been receiving 7.5mg phenytoin sodium IV bd. If the
prescribed formulation is changed to Epanutin oral suspension
(30mg/5mL), how many mL of the suspension should be given per
dose? Round your answer to one decimal point.
[Conversion factor for phenytoin:

92mg phenytoin base = 100mg phenytoin sodium]

mL
www.propharmace.com

13. Loading Dose
Amount of drug in the body

Loading dose =
Bioavailability (F) x Salt fraction (S)
Amount of drug in the body = Target conc. (C) x Volume of distribution (Vd)
Therefore:
C x Vd
Loading dose =
FxS
Calculation 25
Calculate a suitable oral loading dose for drug X, given that the doctor wants to
obtain a target plasma concentration of 2 micrograms/L. Drug X has an oral
bioavailability of 0.7, a volume of distribution of 350L and a salt fraction of 1.

mg
www.propharmace.com

14 Clearance
Clearance is the volume of serum that is cleared of a drug over a set
period of time, usually expressed in litres/hour
Calculation 26
Mr JT, who weighs 70kg, has taken an overdose of drug X. His serum concentration
of drug X is 75mg/L and the clearance rate of the drug is 0.04L/kg/hour.
What is the amount of drug X that will be removed from Mr JT’s body in 12hrs?

g
15. Body Surface Area
Calculation 27
Mr GK is 1.8m tall and weighs 80kg. Calculate his body surface area.

m2
www.propharmace.com

Calculation 28
Drug X has a recommended dose of 25mg/m2. Miss AP and Miss LP are twins who
have both been prescribed with Drug X. You measure both their weights and heights
to calculate whether there is a difference between the doses they need. Miss AP has
a weight of 6.5kg and a height of 0.6m, Miss LP has a weight of 6.3kg and a height
of 0.62m. What would be the difference (if any) between their doses of Drug X?
Round your answer to two decimal points.

mcg
www.propharmace.com

16. Infusion Rate
Calculation 29
A patient is receiving a diamorphine infusion over 24 hours. They are currently

receiving a dose of 150mg over a 24 hour period using a syringe pump that is
calibrated to 36mm/24 hours.
You increase the rate of infusion to 54mm/24 hours. What dosage is the patient now
receiving?

mg/24hrs
www.propharmace.com

Calculation 30
Master AP is a 10 year old child weighing 32kg. Having undergone

surgery he has been prescribed diamorphine infusion with the rate of the
pump to be adjusted according to response. If it was initially set to
deliver 75mcg/kg/hr and 2 hours later was increased by the paediatric
nurse to deliver 0.1mg/kg/hr. How much diamorphine will he have
received within 4 hours?

mg

www.propharmace.com

Answers
Calculation Answer
1 860,000,000,000mcg
2 0.0025L
3 1.96m
4 26.37
5 4 bottles
6 0.32g
7 480g
8 0.00125%
9 0.01%
10 122.5g
11 31,250mg
12 25mL
13 1.5mL
14 8.42g
15 11.25%
16 60% ethanol: 300mL
20% ethanol: 900mL
17 94.6mg
18 1500mL
19 325mL
20 2.25mL
21 9.6g of medicament, 40g of base
22 4hrs
23 2.2mL
24 1.2mL
25 1mg
26 2.52g
27 2m2
28 6.33mcg
29 225mg/24hrs
30 11.2mg

www.propharmace.com

Calculations Master Work Book

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Calculations Master Work Book

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Calculations

This workbook includes examples of a whole range of different calculations. First

© 2015 ProPharmace Ltd | t: 020 8575 0005 | e: info@propharmace.com 2

Formulations and Concentrations

Weights and Volumes

© 2015 ProPharmace Ltd | t: 020 8575 0005 | e: info@propharmace.com 3

1 litre (L) = 10 decilitres (dL) 1 litre (L) = 1000 millilitres (mL)

1milligram (mg) = 1000 micrograms (mcg / μg)

1 microgram (mcg / μg) = 1000 nanograms (ng)

1 nanogram (ng) = 1000 picograms (pg)

1 metre (m) = 100 centimetres (cm) 1 metre (m) = 1000 millimetres

© 2015 ProPharmace Ltd | t: 020 8575 0005 | e: info@propharmace.com 4

What is 860,000g expressed in micrograms?

What is 2.5mL expressed in litres?

© 2015 ProPharmace Ltd | t: 020 8575 0005 | e: info@propharmace.com 5

© 2015 ProPharmace Ltd | t: 020 8575 0005 | e: info@propharmace.com 6

Assume 1mL = 20 drops

© 2015 ProPharmace Ltd | t: 020 8575 0005 | e: info@propharmace.com 7

If the formula for Ferrous sulphate oral solution is:

Ferrous sulphate 60mg

© 2015 ProPharmace Ltd | t: 020 8575 0005 | e: info@propharmace.com 8

Be careful when considering formulae with the word parts

1 part with 4 parts = total 5 parts

This is the formula for a compounded ointment:

Betamethasone ointment: 1 part

What is the quantity of WSP in 600g of the above ointment?

© 2015 ProPharmace Ltd | t: 020 8575 0005 | e: info@propharmace.com 9

%w/w = Percentage weight in weight

% v/v = percentage volume in volume

What is 1 in 80,000 expressed as a percentage?

If 500mg of potassium permanganate is dissolved in 5 litres of water, what is the

© 2015 ProPharmace Ltd | t: 020 8575 0005 | e: info@propharmace.com 10

There are a number of ways in which the concentration of a drug in a

How much solid must be used to make up 250mL of 1:8 solution?

© 2015 ProPharmace Ltd | t: 020 8575 0005 | e: info@propharmace.com 11

Dilution of solutions: weight of active ingredient remains the same before

What volume of a 0.5% w/v stock solution is needed in order to produce 1L of a 1 in

© 2015 ProPharmace Ltd | t: 020 8575 0005 | e: info@propharmace.com 12

Single Strength Chloroform water = 0.25%

You are asked to prepare 200mL of the following mixture:

Potassium Citrate Mixture BP

© 2015 ProPharmace Ltd | t: 020 8575 0005 | e: info@propharmace.com 13

An ointment contains 1% w/w calamine. What weight of calamine needs to be added

© 2015 ProPharmace Ltd | t: 020 8575 0005 | e: info@propharmace.com 15

© 2015 ProPharmace Ltd | t: 020 8575 0005 | e: info@propharmace.com 16

Some pharmaceutical calculations require the knowledge of the drug’s

How many milligrams of lithium are contained in a 500mg tablet of lithium

Atomic weight of sodium = 23

© 2015 ProPharmace Ltd | t: 020 8575 0005 | e: info@propharmace.com 18

Streptomycin is available in 1g vial. A doctor prescribes streptomycin 750mg IM OD.

You receive a prescription asking you to prepare 24 Witepsol pessaries (in 2g

The Volume of distribution Vd, is the theoretical volume that would be

© 2015 ProPharmace Ltd | t: 020 8575 0005 | e: info@propharmace.com 20

Fraction of the drug that reaches the systemic circulation.

[bioavailabilty of digoxin tablets = 0.7; bioavailabilty of digoxin elixir = 0.8]

© 2015 ProPharmace Ltd | t: 020 8575 0005 | e: info@propharmace.com 21

[Conversion factor for phenytoin:

Amount of drug in the body

15. Body Surface Area

A patient is receiving a diamorphine infusion over 24 hours. They are currently

Master AP is a 10 year old child weighing 32kg. Having undergone

© 2015 ProPharmace Ltd | t: 020 8575 0005 | e: info@propharmace.com 27

© 2015 ProPharmace Ltd | t: 020 8575 0005 | e: info@propharmace.com 28