Final answer:
To convert the required 50.0 μg dose to milligrams, divide by 1,000 resulting in 0.050 mg. Since each tablet contains 0.025 mg, the patient should take 2 tablets per day to meet the required dosage.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question involves the conversion of medication dosage units from micrograms to milligrams and the calculation of the number of tablets needed based on the given dosage strength. To calculate the correct amount of tablets, a conversion between micrograms (μg) and milligrams (mg) is required because the patient needs 50.0 μg of Synthroid each day, and the pharmacy stocks Synthroid as 0.025 mg per scored tablet.
Since there are 1,000 micrograms in 1 milligram, 50.0 μg is equivalent to 0.050 mg (50.0 μg / 1,000 μg/mg = 0.050 mg). If one tablet contains 0.025 mg of Synthroid, then the patient would need to take 2 tablets to reach the required daily dose of 50 μg (0.050 mg / 0.025 mg per tablet = 2 tablets).
How many tablets should be taken each day by the patient?
The patient should take 2 tablets of Synthroid daily to meet the prescribed dosage of 50.0 μg.