Medication Concepts and Calculations Flashcards

A resident is ordered 0.5 g of a medication. The medication is available as 250 mg tablets. How many tablets should be administered?

Answer: 2 tablets

0.5 g = 500 mg; 500 mg ÷ 250 mg/tablet = 2 tablets.

Which medication classification includes drugs like metformin used to manage blood glucose levels?

Answer: Antidiabetics

Metformin is an antidiabetic (biguanide) medication used to lower blood glucose in type 2 diabetes.

A physician orders warfarin 5 mg PO daily. The pharmacy dispenses 2.5 mg tablets. How many tablets per dose?

Answer: 2 tablets

5 mg ordered ÷ 2.5 mg per tablet = 2 tablets per dose.

Which route of administration provides the fastest onset of drug action?

Answer: Intravenous (IV)

IV administration delivers medication directly into the bloodstream, producing the fastest onset of action.

A medication label reads 'take 1 tsp TID.' How many mL should the resident receive per day?

Answer: 15 mL

1 tsp = 5 mL; TID (three times a day) × 5 mL = 15 mL per day.

Which term describes an unexpected, severe adverse drug reaction that is not dose-related?

Answer: Idiosyncratic reaction

An idiosyncratic reaction is an unpredictable, unusual response to a drug that is not related to dose.

Which abbreviation on a medication order means 'immediately' or 'now'?

Answer: STAT

STAT is a Latin abbreviation for 'statim,' meaning immediately or at once.