Question

The nurse is preparing to administer levothyroxine 125 mcg to a client. The available supply is 50 mcg levothyroxine. How many tablets should the nurse administer to the client?

Answer 1

The nurse needs to administer 2.5 tablets of 50 mcg levothyroxine to meet the 125 mcg prescription, but must consult facility protocols as tablets are not typically split.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student's question involves calculating the number of levothyroxine tablets to administer based on the required dosage and tablet strength available. This is a typical drug dosage calculation commonly used in healthcare settings.

To answer the question: The nurse is preparing to administer 125 mcg of levothyroxine to a client and the available supply is 50 mcg tablets. Since one tablet contains 50 mcg, the nurse would need to administer 2.5 tablets to reach the desired dose of 125 mcg. However, tablets typically cannot be divided into fractions, the nurse must give either 2 or 3 tablets. Providing 2 tablets would only total 100 mcg, under the required dose, while 3 tablets would be 150 mcg, which is over the required dose.

The nurse should follow facility protocols, which might involve consulting with a pharmacist or the prescribing physician for the best course of action when the required dose does not precisely match available tablet strengths. Make sure to always follow clinical guidelines and avoid splitting tablets if they are not designed to be divided.