A physician orders 800 mg of a medication. If you only have 200 mg capsules, how many capsules should you give?

A physician orders 800 mg of a medication. If you only have 200 mg capsules, how many capsules should you give?

• A. 2 capsules
• B. 3 capsules
• C. 4 capsules
• D. 5 capsules

Answer: (C)

To determine how many capsules to administer when the prescribed dosage is 800 mg and each capsule contains 200 mg, the calculation involves dividing the total needed dosage by the amount in each capsule. Specifically: 800 mg (prescribed dose) ÷ 200 mg (dose per capsule) = 4 capsules. Thus, you would need to give 4 capsules to meet the 800 mg order. This shows the importance of understanding how to perform division in dosage calculations for accurate medication administration, ensuring that patients receive the correct doses for effective treatment.

To determine how many capsules to administer when the prescribed dosage is 800 mg and each capsule contains 200 mg, the calculation involves dividing the total needed dosage by the amount in each capsule. Specifically:

800 mg (prescribed dose) ÷ 200 mg (dose per capsule) = 4 capsules.

Thus, you would need to give 4 capsules to meet the 800 mg order. This shows the importance of understanding how to perform division in dosage calculations for accurate medication administration, ensuring that patients receive the correct doses for effective treatment.