Arellano Street, Dagupan City

College of Health Sciences

Nursing Department
FUNDAMENTALS OF NURSING (RLE)

CALCULATING MEDICATION DOSAGES

Core Topics: Applying medical abbreviations to math problems, using formulas, solving algebraic equations
Objective: After completing the module, students should be able to:
1. accurately calculate the dosage of medication in the correct form to fill a doctor’s prescription
2. interpret the essential information contained on a prescription
3. apply medical abbreviations to solve mathematical problems
4. use a formula to calculate the correct dosage of medication to fill prescriptions
Purposes:
• The aim of this learning material is to prepare students enhance their abilities and apply math skills
in a healthcare workplace setting. The learning enhancement activities were designed to be
incorporated throughout multiple instructional periods as math concepts are taught in a healthcare
context.
I. Some common abbreviations found on prescriptions:

Abbreviation Meaning
ac before meals
bid twice a day
cap capsule
d day (24 hours)
Exlir. liquid or syrup
g gram – dry measure used in tablets
gr grains – dry weight of medication
gt drop
h hour
hs at bedtime
IM Intramuscular
mg milligram – dry weight measure
mL milliliter – liquid volume measure
po by mouth
pc after meals
pil pill
prn as needed
q every
q2h every 2 hours
qd every day
qh every hour
Sig patient instructions
qid 4 times a day
Supp. medications inserted rectally
Ṫ One tablet
tab tablet
tid 3 times a day
U Unit

Fundamentals of Nursing (RLE)

 ACTIVITY #1

Prescription Abbreviations

Name: _____________________________ Date: ________________________

Directions: Put the letter of the definition next to the correct medication abbreviation

1. qid A. by mouth or orally

2. hs B. liquid or syrup

3. bid C. every day

4.g D. three times aday

5. mg E. medication inserted rectally

6. po F. milligram

7. qd G. four times a day

8. gr H. every 6 hours

9. U I. milliliters

10.tid J. as needed

11. Elix. K. grain

12. Supp. L. Unit

13.q6h M. at the hour of sleep; bedtime

14. mL N. gram

15.prn O. twice a day

Fundamentals of Nursing (RLE)

II. Decoding Prescriptions

Let us learn how to accurately interpret the information contained on a typical prescription. This includes:
1. the name of the medication, the dosage and form of the medication
2. the amount to be taken
3. the method of administration, and
4. the frequency and duration the medication will be taken.

As a nurse, you need to read the prescription very carefully. Many medications have similar names or come in
more than one form. For example, an older adult may take the capsule or tablet form of a medication, while a
young child might be prescribed an elixir, the liquid form of a medication. If you are given the following sample
prescriptions, “How would you translate this information?”

The first part of a prescription is the name of the drug; it can be a brand name or generic. On this prescription,
the drug name is Amoxicillin. The next part—250 mg—denotes the strength of the drug. In this case, it's 250
milligrams in the form of tablets. “ṪṪ” stands for two tablets. The “po” means the medication is taken by mouth
“tid” or three times a day. The ‘x’ indicates this prescription is to be taken for a period of 7 days. Two tablets x 3
times a day for 7 days = 42, the total number of tablets to be dispensed.

You are given you prescriptions and you are asked to complete all the information on Activity #2 for each
prescription.

Fundamentals of Nursing (RLE)

 Activity #2
Decoding Prescriptions

Name: _____________________________ Date: ________________________

Directions: On your own paper, record the following information for each prescription your instructor gives you.

The patient’s full name

The date

The drug name in manufacturer or

generic format

The doctor’s order for dosage amount

(how much medication)

The administration route (by mouth, IV,

injection)

The frequency with which the patient is

to take the medication

The duration, the number of days that

the patient is to take the medication

The total quantity or amount that

the pharmacist is to dispense

A check-off or box allowing a generic

substitute (if provided)

The physician’s name

The physician’s DEA number

Fundamentals of Nursing (RLE)

 III. Calculating Dosages.

Doctor’s Order (D) x quantity(Q) = individual dosage to be administered

Stock dose (S)

Short version: D x Q = one dose of the medication

S

The formula can be read as: The doctor’s order (the numerator) divided by the Stock dose (the
denominator), multiplied by the quantity equals the amount of one dose of medication.

Understanding the parts of the Dosage Formula

Doctor’s Order (D)

- is the name and amount of the medicine prescribed by the doctor

Stock dose (S)

- is the amount per item of the medication that is available in the pharmacy. It is also referred to as

the supply on hand.

Quantity (Q)

- is the form of the medication, such as tablet, capsule, or milliliter.

Dosage
- is the amount of medication to be given in one dose

Important: The doctor’s order and the supply on hand must be in the same unit of measure, such as grams (g),
milligrams (mg), and milliliters (mL). Answers must include the correct unit notation.

Sample Problem:
1. Dr. Malou has prescribed 30 mg of medicine for Mrs. Wang. The drug label on the medicine indicates that
the medicine is supplied in 60 mg per tablet. We will use the dosage formula to calculate the correct
amount of medication for one dose.

Solution:

(D) 30 mg x (Q) 1 tablet = 0.5 mg.

(S)60 mg

Therefore, one dose will be one half (1/2) tablet

Important: In the medical field, any decimal number that is not greater than 1 should have a 0 in front of the
decimal point. Thus, the correct form for the dosage in this example is 0.5 mg, not .5 mg.

2. Physician orders 500 mg of ibuprofen (desired Dose) for a patient and you have 250 mg
(Quantity on Hand) tablets (Quantity of solution) on hand.

Solution:
D÷SxQ=X
500mg ÷ 250 mg x 1 tablet = 2 tablets

Answer: 2 tablets.

Fundamentals of Nursing (RLE)

 3. Physician orders 1500 mg of liquid ibuprofen for a patient. Quantity of Ibuprofen is 500
mg in 1 cc, how much will you administer?

Solution:
1500 mg ÷ 500 mg x 1cc = 3 cc

Answer: 3 cc

Fundamentals of Nursing (RLE)

 Activity #3
Calculating Dosage

Name: _____________________________ Date: ________________________

Here are several prescriptions for you to practice using the formula to calculate the dosage. Make sure you
include the correct form (g, mg, mL, etc.) when making your calculations. The first one has been set up for
you. Note: If the quantity (Q) is larger than 1, you may want to simplify (cancel) before multiplying. Please
indicate the solution to the answer. Encircle your final answer.
Dosage formula: D x Q = Dosage
S

1. Order: 500 mg (D) 500 mg x (Q) 1 tablet =

Supply on hand: 250 mg per tablet (S) 250 mg

2. Order: 1g
Supply on hand: 0.5 g per capsule

3. Order: 50 mg
Supply on hand: 25 mg per 5 mL

4. Order: 1000 mg
Supply on hand: 2000 mg per scored tablet

5. Order: 500 mg
Supply on hand: 125 mg per caplet

6. Order: 250 mg
Supply on hand: 125 mg per capsule

7. Order: 25 mg
Supply on hand: 100 mg per 20 mL

8. Order: 75 mg
Supply on hand: 5 mg per 20 mL

9. Order: 5 mg
Supply on hand: 32 mg per 8 mL

10. Order: 500 mg

Supply on hand: 50 mg per 2 mL

Fundamentals of Nursing (RLE)

 Activity #4
Filling Complete Prescriptions

Name: _____________________________ Date: ________________________

Maria now wants you to calculate the individual dose, the daily dose, and the total amount needed to fill the
complete prescription for several patients. Refer to your abbreviations list to help you decode the prescription
information, if needed. Remember to write the form of medication in your answer.

Prescription Single dose Daily dose Complete prescription

Ampicillin 500 mg po qid x 5 d

On hand: 250 mg capsules

Digoxin elixir 150 mcg po tid x 10 d

On hand: 50 mcg/mL

Codeine sulfate 60 mg po q4h x 7 d

On hand: 30 mg tablets

Clondine 0.4 mg po bid x 3 d

On hand: 0.1 mg tablets

Amoxicillin 250 mg po qid x 10 d

On hand: 125 mg capsules

Lasix 40 mg po qd x 30 d

On hand: 20 mg tablets

Ampicillintrihydrate 250 mg po qid x 10 d

On hand: 125 mg per 5 mL

Fundamentals of Nursing (RLE)

 Activity #5
Calculating Dosage

Name: _____________________________ Date: ________________________

For each of the following doctor’s orders, calculate the individual dose of medication.

1. Dr. Jones prescribed Plendil 7.5 mg. The drug label reads: Plendil 2.5 mg tab.

2. The doctor ordered Dilaudid 1.5 mg IM from a vial that is labeled 0.6 mg per mL

3. Dr. Sam prescribed 20 mg of a medication. You have 10 mg per 5 mL.

4. The physician ordered Procardia XL 60 mg. The drug on hand is Procardia XL 30 mg tablets.

5. Dr. Garza prescribed 30 mg of Phenobarbital. The pharmacy has 15 mg capsules available.

For each of the following prescriptions, calculate the individual dose, the daily dose, and the total amount
needed to fill the complete prescription.
Single dose Daily dose Total amount

6. Amoxicillin 500 mg capsule po tid x 10 d

On hand: 500 mg/1 capsule _

7. Prednisone 40 mg po bid x 3 d
On hand: 10 mg tablet _

8. Ciprofloxin 750 mg po qd x 10 d
On hand: 500 mg scored tablet _

9. PenVK 250 mg po qid x 10 d

On hand: PenVK 250 mg/1 tsp

10. Acetaminophen 500 mg tab po q4h x 5 d

On hand: 250 mg/1 tablet

Fundamentals of Nursing (RLE)

Problem Solving:

1. You are having your Gastro Unit Rotation, you are taking care of patient x with a case of E.Coli infection,
during rounds, the Physician ordered Kanamycin 15 mg/kg/day IV divided in 3 equal doses , the client
weighs 110 lbs, the available stock is 1gm/4ml vial, how many mL should be given per dose? How many
mg should be given per dose?

Fundamentals of Nursing (RLE)

 IV. IV Calculations

• [amount of fluid to be infused] x [drop factor] = gtts/min

minutes to infuse

Sample Problem:

1. Dr. A. orders your patient to receive 125 ml of D5W an hour for the next 8 hours. The
nursing unit uses tubing with a drop factor of 10. What is the drip rate per minute?

Solution:

Convert 1 hour to 60 minutes

1250 x 10 gtts = 20.83 or 21 gtts/min

60 minutes

Answer: 21 gtts/min

2. Dr. B. orders a liter of D5W to run this 8-hour shift. The drop factor is 15. What is the drip
rate per minute?

Solution:

1 liter = 1000 cc of solution

next convert 8 hours to minutes (8 X 60 minutes) = 480 minutes

1000 cc x 15 gtts = 31.25 or 31 gtts/min

480 minutes

Answer: 31 gtts/min

3. Your patient weighs 200 lb and the order is to infuse 250 mg dobutamine in 500 ml NS at
10 mcg/kg/min. How many milligrams of dobutamine will infuse per hour?

Solution:
200÷2.2= 90.90kg
60 minutes = 1 hour

10 mcg x 90.90kg x 60 min=54,540 mcg/hour ÷ 1000mcg = 54.54mg/hr or 54.5mg/hr

Answer: 54.5mg/hr

Fundamentals of Nursing (RLE)

 V. Conversion Table

• 1 kilogram (kg) = 1000 grams (g)

• 1 gram (g) = 1000 milligrams (mg)
– Convert Grams to Milligrams by Multiplying grams by 1,000
– Convert Milligrams to grams by dividing milligrams by 1,000
• 1 milligram (mg) = 1000 micrograms (mcg)
• Grains (gr.) 15 = 1 Gram (g) or 1000 milligrams (mg)
– To convert g. to gr multiply by 15
– To convert gr to g divide by 15.
• 1 Grain (gr.) = 60 Milligrams (mg)
– To convert gr. to mg multiply gr. by 60
– To convert mg to gr. divide mg. by 60
• 1ml = 1 cc
• 1 ounce = 30 ml
• 1 tablespoon (T or tbsp) = 15 ml
• 1 teaspoon (t or tsp) = 5 ml
• 2.2 lb = 1 kg
• To convert pounds to kg divide pounds by 2.2
• To convert kg to pounds multiply by 2.2

Workplace Scenario: Registered Nurse

• You are a registered nurse working in an intensive care unit (ICU) at a local hospital. Part of your
responsibility is to administer doctor prescribed medications to your patients. As you may know,
medications are given in a variety of forms, including shots, tablets, capsules, and liquid. At times, the
most effective way for patients to receive medications or fluids is through intravenous (IV)
administration. The most common way to administer IV’s is through the veins in the arm. As a nurse,
you have to learn the meaning of the terms and the procedures required for IV administration.

Activity 1: Task 1 – Understanding IV terms

• The following abbreviations are commonly used in IV administration. Make sure you know what each
term means before preceding to task 2.

Abbreviation Meaning
IV Intravenous
gtt Drop
gtts Drops
h or hr Hour
mL milliliter
min minute
gtts/min Drops per minute

Fundamentals of Nursing (RLE)

 Activity 1: Task 2 – Rounding drops
• When calculating the IV flow rate, the number of drops (gtts) are always rounded to the nearest whole
number. Look at the following examples:

o 12.38 The number you should round is to the left of the decimal point. Underline this number.
Now, look at the first number to the right of the decimal point. Since this number is less than 5,
the number you are rounding stays the same. Answer: 12 gtts.

o 12.53 In this example, the first number to the right of the decimal point is 5 or larger, so you
will round up. Answer: 13 gtts.

Activity 1: Task 3 – Converting hours and minutes

Another important skill used in calculating IV flow rates is converting between hours and minutes. Some IV
drugs are delivered slowly over several hours, while others are administered rapidly for several minutes. The
directions for administering IV medications must be followed precisely in order to be safe and effective for the
patient.

Since you know that 1 hour = 60 minutes, you can convert hours to minutes by multiplying by 60. That is: # of
hours x 60 = # of minutes. For example, to convert 4.25 hours into minutes, you would multiply by 60: 4.25 x
60 = 255 minutes

If you want to convert minutes to hours, you would divide by 60. # of minutes ÷ 60 = # of hours.

For example, to convert 330 minutes into hours, you would divide by 60: 330 ÷ 60 = 5.5 hours

7.5 hours = minutes 225 minutes = hours 3 hours = minutes

Complete Activity #6 to practice the skills in this activity.

Fundamentals of Nursing (RLE)

 Activity #6
IV Terms, rounding and converting time units

Name: _____________________________ Date: ________________________

Directions: Write the correct abbreviation for each term or definition.

Term/Definition Abbreviation

Hour

Drops

Milliliters

Intravenous

Drops per minute

Directions: Round each drop to the nearest whole number and use the correct unit abbreviation in the
answer.
1. 123.8 drops =

2. 0.82 drops =

3. 15.25 drops =

4. 24.9 drops =

5. 35.35 drops =

Directions: Convert each of the following as indicated.

Time in Hours = Time in Minutes

6 hours

15 ½ hours

24 hours

12 ¼ hours

Time in Minutes = Time in Hours

525 minutes

Fundamentals of Nursing (RLE)

 • In order to calculate the IV flow rate, you must know the total volume to be infused, the time in
minutes, and the drop factor. The drop factor is the rate at which medicine flows through the IV line
into the body. The three main drop factors for IV administration sets are:
Blood drip factor – 10 gtts/mL
Standard drip factor – 15 gtts/mL
Microdrip factor – 60 gtts/mL

The formula for calculating IV flow rates is:

Total volume (mL)

---------------------------- x drop factor (gtts/mL) = gtts/min (flow rate)
time (in minutes)

As a nurse, you always follow these five steps to calculate the IV flow rate. Step

1: Write the formula with the information you are given

Step 2: Convert hours to minutes, unless time is given in minutes Step 3:
Divide the total volume by the time in minutes
Step 4: Multiple the answer in step 3 by the drop factor
Step 5: Round to the nearest whole number and write your answer in the form of gtts/min.

Example: 1500 mL IV Saline is ordered over 12 hours. Using a drop factor of 15 gtts/mL, how many drops per
minute (gtts/min) need to be delivered?

1500 (mL)
---------------------------- x 15 (gtts/mL) 12 = 31 gtts/min (flow rate)
x 60

Step 1: Write the formula with the given information.

Step 2: Convert the hours to minutes: 12 x 60 = 720 minutes
Step 3: Divide the total volume by the time in minutes: 1500 ÷ 720 = 2.0833 Step 4:
Multiply the answer in step 3 by the drop factor: 2.0833 x 15 = 31.2495
Step 5: Round to the nearest whole number and write your answer in the correct form: 31 gtts/min

Note: Since you are multiplying 2 fractions, you might find it easier to cancel first. For example, in the

above problem: _1500_ x 151 = 1500 = 31.25 = 31 gtts/min

12 x 604 48

Fundamentals of Nursing (RLE)

 Try this practice problem:

• 2500 mL of a solution is ordered to be administered over 36 hours. Using a drop factor of 20 gtts/mL,
what is the flow rate?

Fundamentals of Nursing (RLE)

 Activity #7
Using IV Flow Rate Formula

Name: _____________________________ Date: ________________________

Directions: Identify the drops per milliliter (gtts/mL) for the 3 main drop factors. Microdrip factor =
Standard drip factor =

Blood drip factor =

Directions: Use the formula and follow the steps to calculate the IV flow rate for each of the following

Total volume (mL)

---------------------------- x drop factor (gtts/mL) = gtts/min (flow rate)
time (in minutes)

1. 500 mL to run over 6 hours. The drop factor is 20 gtts/mL.

2. 1000 mL to be delivered over 12 hours. The drop factor is 15 gtts/mL.

3. 650 mL to infuse over 4 hours. The drop factor is 10 gtts/mL.

4. 100 mL to be delivered over 40 minutes. The drop factor is 20 gtts/mL

5. 250 mL to infuse over 2 hours. The drop factor is 15 gtts/mL

6. 2000 mL to run over 24 hours. The drop factor is 60 gtts/mL

7. 1200 mL to run over 12 hours using a microdrip infusion set.

8. 50 mL to be infused in 30 minutes with a drop factor of 15 gtts/mL

9. 650 mL to infuse in 10 hours with a blood drip factor.

10.750 mL to run over 5 hours using IV tubing with a drop factor of 20 gtts/mL

Fundamentals of Nursing (RLE)

 • In the hospital, you receive medical orders for your patients throughout the day. After reading the
orders, you use the formula to calculate the correct IV flow rate for the medications. Many of these
orders contain abbreviations. The chart below contains some of the most common IV solutions.

Solution Description
D5W 5% Dextrose Water
2/3D &1/3S 3.3% Dextrose/ 0.3% saline
NS Normal Saline 0.9% NaC1
Half-Normal Saline 0.45% NaC1
D51 -2.NS 5% Dextrose/0.5% NaC1
LR Lactated Ringer

• This morning, you received the following order for your patient. Order: 480 mL D5W to infuse IV over 8
hours using tubing with a drop factor of 60 gtts/mL. After selecting the correct IV set, you calculate the
flow rate. The flow rate is:
• Once you have set up the IV for the patient, you manually verify the gtts/min by counting the drops for
15 seconds and then multiplying this number by 4, because 15 seconds x 4 = 60 seconds (1 minute).
You count 15 drops in 15 seconds. 15 x 4 = 60 gtts/min. Is the IV flow correct?
• At times, you receive IV orders with the rate of milliliters per hour (mL/hr) instead of the total infusion
time. You can use this rate to calculate the IV flow rate. For example:

Sample Problems:
• Order: 1000 mL to infuse at 200 mL/hr with a drop factor of 15 gtts/mL.

200 mL x 15 1 = 200 = 50 gtts/min

1 x 60 4 4
If you need to know the total infusion time for the above problem, you can use a proportion to find the hours:
200 mL = 1000 mL
Cross multiply and solve for x.
200x = 1000
x = 5 hours
If you begin the above IV at 8 a.m., what time will the infusion end?
• Sometimes you may need to calculate the rate of milliliters per hour (mL/hr) of an infusion. You can find
this rate by dividing the total volume by the total infusion time. Calculate the mL/hr for the following
order: 1000 mL D5W with 0.45% NS to infuse in 8 hours using tubing with a drop factor of
• 15 gtts/mL. 1000 ÷ 8 = mL/hr
What is the flow rate for the above order? gtts/min.

Prepared by:

RLE Team Block 8

/rndevera

Fundamentals of Nursing (RLE)

 Activity #8
Calcumations for Medical orders

Name: _____________________________ Date: ________________________

During your 12 hour shift in the ICU today, you receive the following IV medical orders that you must set up
and administer to your patients.

Dr. Smith ordered 500 mL D5 ½ NS to infuse in 6 h; drop factor: 20 gtts/mL. What is the flow rate?
(1)

Dr. Amad ordered 1000 ml D5W with 10 mEq KCL to infuse at 100 mL/h using tubing with a drop factor of
20 gtts/mL. The infusion was started at 6:30 a.m. What is the total infusion time?
(2) What time will the infusion end? (3) What is the flow rate?
(4)

Dr. James ordered 3 L NS IV to infuse at 125 mL/h with a drop factor of 15 gtts/mL What
is the flow rate? (5)

Dr. Juan ordered 1000 D5W to run over 10 h with microdrip tubing. What is the flow rate?
(6)

Dr. John ordered 1000 mL of 0.9% NS to infuse in 12 hours with a drop factor of 20 gtts/mL. What is the flow
rate? (7) . What is the rate of mL/hr for this infusion?(8)

Dr. Sam ordered 250 mL D5W to infuse in 4 hours using blood drip tubing. What is the flow rate?
(9)

Dr. Barry ordered 500 mL of blood plasma over 4 hours at a blood drop rate of 10 gtts/mL. What is the flow
rate? (10)

Dr. Patel ordered 3000 mL 0.45% NaC1 IV for 24 h with a drop factor of 15 gtts/mL. What is the flow rate?
(11) . What is the rate of mL/hr for this infusion? (12) . When
there is 1000 mL left in the IV bag, how much time is remaining for the infusion? (13)

Dr. Leslie ordered 2500 mL of NS to infuse over 20 hours with a drop factor of 20 gtts/mL. What is the rate of
mL/hr for this infusion? (14) What is the IV flow rate? (15)

Fundamentals of Nursing (RLE)