MATHEMATICAL APPLICATIONS

IN PHARMACY
 Course outline
• Mathematical principles in pharmacy:
– Significant figures
– Fractions
– Exponents
– Powers and roots
– percentage
• Problem-solving methodology:
– Ratio and proportion
– Dimensional analysis
– Reducing and enlarging formulas
– Alligation alternate
– Alligation medial.
• Weights and Measures
– Metric system
– Avoirdupois imperial measure
– Percentages and concentration units.
– Inter-conversion of units.
– Calculations of drugs, mixtures, solution,
temperature and calories
• Calculations based on different concentration
presentations:
– Milliequivalents
– milliosmoles,
– molarity
– molar solutions.
– Isotonic solutions
 References
• 1. Rees, J., Smith, I. and Smith B., (2004),
Introduction to Pharmaceutical Calculations,
Pharmaceutical Press.
• 2. Howard C. Ansel, Mitchell J. Stoklosa,
AM, (2001) Pharmaceutical Calculations
•
 Scope of pharmaceutical calculations
• Varied and broad-based and encompasses
calculations performed by pharmacists in traditional
as well as specialized practice settings. These include:
– Chemical purity, physical characteristics and biological
parameters of drug substances, pharmaceutical
ingredients, dosage forms and drug delivery systems;
– Drug stability, rates of drug degradation, bodily
distribution and shelf life of pharmaceutical preparations
– Rates of drug absorption, bodily distribution, metabolism
and elimination
– Dosage based on individual patient characteristics
– Pharmaceutical formulations of various productions
batches
– Individual prescription and medication orders
requiring extemporaneous compounding
– Various parameters of drugs dynamics, clinical
effectiveness and safety in patient population,
and,
– Epidemiologic, sociologic, and economic impact of
drugs and drug therapy with statistical
presentation and analysis:
 Significant figures
• Significant figures are consecutive figures that
express the value of a denominate number
accurately enough for a given purpose
• The word significant means: having meaning
• With the number 368249, the 3 is the most
significant digit, because it tells us that the
number is 3 hundred thousand and
something. It follows that the 6 is the next
most significant, and so on.
• With the number 0.0000058763, the 5 is the
most significant digit, because it tells us that
the number is 5 millionths and something. The
8 is the next most significant, and so on.
• For 30245, the 3 is the first significant figure
and 0 the second, because of its value as a
place holder.
 Examples
• In 15.3 there are three significant figures
• In 2.6732 there are five significant figures
• In 1087.2 there are five significant figures
• In 0.02, there …….. ……. significant figures
• In 0.82, there are ………. significant figures
 Exercise
• State the number of significant figures in each
of the italicised quantities
– One gram equals 15.4324 grains
– One liter equals 1000 milliliters
– One inch equals 2.54 centimeters
– One chemical costs $1.05 per pound
– One gram equals 1,000,000 micrograms
– One microgram equals 0.001 milligram
• How many significant figures are in each?
– 22, 340, 4.1, 30008, 702.03, 450 (nearest to 1) 450
( nearest to 10)
• Round off each of the following to three
significant figures
– 32.75, 309.53, 0.03627, 2.034, 0.00256, 2.23678
• What would you get if you wrote the number
368249 correct to 1 significant figure?
• What would you get if you wrote the number
0.00245 correct to 1 significant figure?
• What would you get if you wrote
0.0000058763 correct to 2 significant figures?
• What is 0.000030456 to two significant
figures?
• What is 7.994 to two significant figures?
 PERCENT
• The percent term and its corresponding sign, %,
mean “in a hundred” or “per 100”
• 50% means 50 parts in total of 100
• 50:100, 0.50, or 50/100
• The number of parts per 100; can be written as a
fraction, a decimal, or a ratio
• Examples:
• Convert 3/8 to percent.
– 3/8 x 100= 37.5%, answer
• Convert 0.125 to percent.
– 0.125 x 100 = 12.5%
 EXPONENTS
• Exponentiation is a mathematical operation,
written as bn, involving two numbers, the base
b and the exponent n. When n is a positive
integer, exponentiation corresponds to
repeated multiplication of the base: that is, bn
is the product of multiplying n bases:
 EXPONENTS
• 121 could be expressed as 1.21 X 102
• 1210 could be expressed as 1.21 X 103
• 1st part (1.21) called coefficient, 2nd part is the
exponential factor or power of 10.
• In the multiplication of exponentials, the exponents are
added:
• (2.5 X 102) X (2.5 X 104)= 6.25 X 106
• (2.5 X 102) X (2.5 X 10-4)= 6.25 X 10-2
• (5.4 X 102) X (4.5 X 103)= 24.3 X 105= 2.4 X 106
• In the division of exponentials, the exponents are
subtracted:
• •102 / 105=10-3
• In the addition and subtraction of
exponentials, the expressions must be
changed (by moving the decimal points) and
the coefficients only are added or subtracted
• Example: (1.4 X 104) + (5.1 X 103)
5.1 X 103 = 0.51 X 104
+ 1.4 X 104
Total = 1.91 X 104 answer
• When 5 is squared we obtain 25. That is 5 2 =
25
• The reverse of this process is called finding a
square root. The square root of 25 is 5. This is
written as 25 = 5,
 POWERS AND ROOTS
• Powers are used when we want to multiply a
number by itself repeatedly.
• When we wish to multiply a number by itself
we use powers, or indices as they are also
called
• Eg 62 = 6 ×6 = 36. We say that ‘6 squared is 36’,
or ‘6 to the power 2 is 36
 FRACTIONS
• A fraction is a part of a whole, for example
1/2. Equivalent fractions are fractions that
look different but show the same amount.
Improper fractions have numerators that are
higher than the denominator, while mixed
fractions contain whole numbers and
fractions.
• A fraction is a part of a whole. There are two
numbers to every fraction:
• The top number of the fraction is called the
numerator. The bottom number is called the
denominator.
 Equivalent fractions
• Equivalent fractions are fractions that look
different but show exactly the same amount.
• You can make equivalent fractions by multiplying
or dividing the numerator and denominator by the
same number.

• You can simplify fractions by dividing the

numerator and denominator by the same number.
This is called cancelling.
 Converting a fraction to a decimal
• Another way of expressing is fractions is converting to
decimals

• We also have improper fractions. 9/4 is an improper

fraction. An improper fraction has a numerator that is
bigger than its denominator, for example 10/7
• Fractions can be added, subtracted, divided and
multiplied
 Examples and Exercises
•
•

• A pharmacist mixed 1g of ingredient A, ½ g of

ingredient B and g of ingredient C. What is the total
weight of this mixture?
• If a tablet weights ¾ g, what will be the total weight of
24 tablets
• How many capsules containing ½ g of medication can
be prepared from 35½ g of this medication powder?
• If 12 doses of 1 ½ mL are taken from a bottle that contains 40
mL, what will be the remaining quantity?
• When g of powder A, 25g of powder B, g of powder C and g of
powder D are mixed together, what will be the total weigh of
the mixture?
• A prescription calls for 1 ½ mL, 3 times a day for 2 weeks. How
many such prescriptions can be filled from a stock of 2.52 liters?
• If there are only mL measuring cylinders available to fill 105mL.
How many times will it be used to measure the desired amount
of liquid?
• If a multivitamin syrup contains ½ of riboflavin, ¾ mg of niacin,
mg of pyridoxine and mg of ascorbic acid, what is the total
amount of vitamin in the preparation?
 Percentage error
• Read up
PROBLEM SOLVING
METHODOLOGY
 RATIOS AND PROPORTIONS
• A ratio is a comparison of two numbers or like
quantities. For example the ratio of 4 to 6 can be
written as 4:6 or as a fraction 4/6
• A ratio can also be expressed as percentage or decimal
• A proportion is an equation with two ratios on each
side e.g ¾= 6/8. other forms of expressing proportions
are as follows
– a:b :: c:d
– a:b = c:d
– a/b = c/d
• Proportions are commonly used in dosage calculations
 VARIATION
• In variation generally is an relationship unlike
the direct relationship in proportions.
• Proportional relationship deals with twice the
cause, double the effect and so on
• Occasionally, we have inverse relationships,
half the effect, as when you decrease the
strength of solution by increasing the amount
of diluents. This relationship is known as
variation
 DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS
• Dimensional Analysis is a process of manipulating
units, which are actually descriptions of numbers, to
solve mathematical equations. This method of
mathematic problem solving is used in chemistry with
great success. The goal of this approach to drug
calculation problem solving is to CANCEL OUT
UNWANTED UNITS LEAVING ONLY THOSE UNITS YOU
WANT YOUR ANSWER TO BE EXPRESSED AS!
• For example: How many fluidounce are in 2.5L if there
are 1000mL in 1L and 29.57 mL in 1 fluidounce
 Examples and Exercises
1. How many milligrams of acetaminophen is present in 5mL when
there are 50mg of acetaminophen in each milliliter?
2. If 100 capsules contain 3/8 grain of active ingredient, how grains
of active ingredient will 48 grains contain?
3. A metered dose inhaler contains 225mg of metaproterenol
sulfate, which is sufficient for 300 inhalations. How many
milligrams of metaproterenol sulfate will be administered in
each inhalation?
4. How many grams of potassium permanganate should be used in
preparing 300mL of ½: 1250 solution?
5. If a tablet containing 10mg torsemide is to be taken twice a day,
how many grams of torsemide will a patient consume in two
months/
6. How many milliliters of an injection containing 20mg gentamicin
• If 10 pints of a 5% solution are diluted to 40 pints,
what is the percentage strength of the solution?
(a case of variation)
• A nurse must infuse 1000 mL of IV fluids over 8
hours. The tubing drip factor is 10 gtts/mL. How
many gtts per minute will there be?