Question

The content of one Helicid 20 mg capsule weigh 0.89 g. How many capsules will the pharmacist need to open if she/he is tasked with preparation of 20 capsules with strength of 4 mg per capsule, intended for a paediatric patient?

Answer 1

To prepare 20 capsules with a strength of 4 mg per capsule, the pharmacist will need to open at least 1 Helicid 20 mg capsule.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the number of capsules needed, we need to determine the total amount of medication required and divide it by the strength per capsule. In this case, the pharmacist needs to prepare 20 capsules with a strength of 4 mg per capsule.

The total amount of medication required is 20 capsules × 4 mg per capsule = 80 mg.

To find out how many capsules need to be opened, we can calculate the weight of 80 mg of the medication.

Using the information provided, we know that the weight of one Helicid 20 mg capsule is 0.89 g. By using ratios, we can determine the weight of 80 mg:

0.89 g ÷ 20 mg = 0.0445 g/mg

So, 80 mg of medication would weigh 0.0445 g.

Now, we can calculate the number of capsules by dividing the weight of the required amount of medication by the weight of 80 mg:

Number of capsules = 0.0445 g ÷ 0.89 g ≈ 0.05 capsules.

Since capsules cannot be divided, the pharmacist would need to open at least 1 capsule.