PHARMACEUTICAL

CALCULATIONS
Prepared by: Sidra Noreen
Lecturer
Imran Idrees College of Pharmacy
 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.
The Metric system
› The international system of units (SI), formerly called the
Metric system, is the internationally recognized decimal
system of weights and measure.
› the base units of the SI are meter (for length) and
kilogram (for weight) and liter (for volume).
› The standard subdivisions and the multiples of the
primary units are called denominations and the number
used in conjunction with a denomination is termed as
denominate number e.g. 5 milligram.
› The short form of SI units (such as cm, for centimeter)
are termed as symbols and not abbreviations.
Guidelines for correct use of SI
› Unit names and symbols generally are not capitalized
except when used at the beginning of a sentence or in
heading. e.g. 4 L or 4 l, 4 mm and 4 g, not 4 Mm or 4 G.
› In the US, the decimal point is placed on the line with
denomination and denominate number, while in some
countries a coma or raised dot is used. e.g. 4.5 mL (US),
4,5 mL (non-US).
› Periods are not used following SI unit except for the end
of sentence. e.g. 4 mL and 4 g, not 4 mL. and 4 g.
› Symbols should not be combined with spelled out terms
e.g. 3 mg/mL and not 3 mg/milliliter.
Guidelines for correct use of SI
› Plural names of units when spelled out have an added ‘s’,
however their symbols are written same in singular or
plural e.g. 5 milliliters or 5 mL not 5 mLs.
› Two symbols exists for microgram i.e. mcg or µg.
› The symbol for square meter is m2 and for cubic
centimeter is cm3 and so forth.
› Decimal fractions are used not common fractions e.g.
5.25 g not 5
› A zero should be placed in front of leading decimal point
to prevent decimal error caused by uncertain decimal
points e.g. 0.5 g not .5 g.
Guidelines for correct use of SI
› To prevent misreading and medication errors trailing
zeros should not be placed following whole numbers on
prescription or medication errors e.g. 5 mg not 5.0 mg.
› In selecting symbols symbol of unit dimensions the choice
is based upon selecting the unit that results in a numeric
value between 1 and 1000. 500 g rather than 0.5 kg, 1.96
kg rather than 1960 g.
Prefixes and values of international system
(SI)
Table of metric parameters
Fundamental computations
Reducing SI units to lower or higher denominations
by unit position scale
› To change a metric denomination to next smaller denomination,
move the decimal point to the right.
› For example, reduce 1.23 kg to grams
› 1.23 kg = 1230 g
› To change a metric denomination to next larger denomination,
move the decimal point to the left.
› For example, reduce 7860mg to grams
› 7860 mg = 7.86 g
Reducing SI units to lower or higher
denominations by ratio and proportion
› Convert 1.23kg to g

› Convert 62,500 mcg to g

Reducing SI units to lower or higher
denominations by dimentional analysis

› = 1.23 kg X 1000gm
› 1 kg
› = 1230 gm answer
›
Addition of Subtraction
› To add or subtract quantities in SI, reduce them to
common denominations and add or subtract their
denominate numbers as ordinary decimal fractions.
› Examples,
› Add 1kg, 250mg and 7.5g. Express answer in grams.
› 1kg=1000g
› 250mg=0.25g
› Then the answer will be 1008g.
Relation of SI to other systems of
measurements
› In addition to SI, two other systems for measurement
used are avoirdupois and apothecaries’ systems.
› The avoirdupois system is being used in US in measuring
body weights and selling goods by ounce or pound.
› The apothecaries’ system uses grains, scruples, drams
and ounces as units of measurement.
› These system are now being replaced by SI gradually and
successfully.
Some useful equivalents
Measurement of volumes
› Common instruments for pharmaceutical measurement of
volume ranges from micropipettes and burettes used in
analytical procedures to large scale industrial calibrated
vessels.
› The selection of measuring instrument depends upon the
level of precision required.
› In pharmaceutics, the most commonly used measuring
instruments are cylindrical and conical graduates.
› As a general rule, it is best to select the graduate with a
capacity equal to or greater than the volume to be
measured.
Measurements of volume
› If we measure a small volume in large cylinder chances of
errors are greater.
› The lesser the error in reading the meniscus the more
acute the process will be.
› According to USP, a deviation of 1 mm in reading the
meniscus causes an error of 0.5 mL when a 100 mL
cylinder is used.
Measuring graduates
Reading meniscus
Measurement of weight
› Weighing instruments used in pharmacy ranges from
analytical balances used in extemporaneous
compounding to large scale industrial units.
› Each instrument must meet standards of sensitivity,
accuracy and capacity.
› Class A prescription balances are used for weighing
medicinal or pharmaceutical substances.
› Balances of this type has sensitivity requirements which is
the load that cause a change of one division.
Measurement of weight
› Sensitivity requirement can be determined by:
1. Level the balance.
2. Determine the rest point of the balance.
3. Determine the smallest weight that causes the rest point
to shift by one division.
› For greater accuracy high precision Class A electronic
balances are used to weigh very small quantities.
Measurements of weight
Measurements of weight
Aliquot method of weighing
› It is a method in which small quantities of a substance
may be obtained within the desired degree of accuracy by
weighing a larger than needed portion of the substance,
diluting it with an inert material and then weighing the
portion (aliquot) of the mixture calculated to contain the
desired amount of the needed substance.
› In preliminary step, we need to calculate the smallest
quantity of the substance that can be weighed on the
balance with desired precision.
Aliquot method of weighing
› Step 1: Select a multiple of the desired quantity that can
be weighed with the desired precision.
› Step 2: Dilute the multiple quantity with some inert
substance.
› Step 3: Weigh the aliquot portion of the dilution that
contains the desires quantity
› Same steps can be applied when using the aliquot
method of measuring volume.
Aliquot method of weighing
Percentage preparations
› The term percent and its corresponding sign (%) means
“by the hundred” or “in a hundred.” Whereas, percentage
means “rate per hundred.”
› For example, 50% means 50 parts out of hundred of that
substance.
› The percentage concentrations of various active and
inactive constituents in various types if pharmaceutical
preparations are defines as follows by USP:
Percentage preparations
› Percent weight in volume (w/v)
› It expresses the number of grams of constituent in 100
mL of solution and is used regardless of the solvent.
› Percent volume in volume (v/v)
› It expresses the number of milliliters of a constituent in
100 mL of the solution or liquid preparation.
› Percent weight in weight (w/w)
› It expresses the number of grams of a constituent in 100
g of a solution or preparation.
Percentage preparations
› Formula to find out unknown percentage:

› What is the percentage strength of a solution of urea, if

80 mL contains 12 g?
Ratio strength
› The concentrations of weak solutions are frequently
expressed in ratio strength.
› All the percentages are the ratio of parts per hundred e.g.
5% means 5 parts in 100 i.e. 5:100 = 1:20.
› When the ratio strength, 1:1000, is used to designate the
concentration, it is to be interpreted as follows:
› For solid in liquids – 1g of solute in 1000mL of solution
› For liquid in liquids – 1mL of constituent in 1000mL of
solution
› For solid in solids – 1g of constituent in 1000g of mixture
Ratio strength
Ratio strength