Introduction to Oral Medications

Vocabulary

t.i.d – Three times a day

b.i.d – Twice a day

PO – By mouth

IM – Inject the medicine into the muscle

stat – Immediately

prn – Latin for “pro re nata” and means depending on the pain

Oral Medication Conversions

Understanding how to calculate oral medications is essential for nurses. To accomplish this task, dimensional analysis (unit matching) is the preferred method.

Oral medications come as solid tablets; capsules; chewable tablets or orally disintegrating tablets to be swallowed whole or sucked; or as a liquid in the form of drops, syrups, or solutions. In most cases, the ingredients in oral medication don’t enter the bloodstream until they reach the stomach or bowel.

1. Dimensional Analysis Review

Rule 1. Set up the problem. What units will your answer have?

[latex]\frac{unit}{1} -or- \frac{unit}{unit}[/latex]

Rule 2. Work the problem until the unit(s) on one side match the units on the other.

Rule 3. Do your units MATCH?

Rule 4. Solve by multiplying all the top numbers and write the answer in the numerator and then multiply all the bottom numbers and write the answer in the denominator.

[latex]\dfrac{numerator}{denominator}[/latex] = Dive the top by the bottom

Rule 5. Write the number to four (4) decimals and then round and write your units appropriately.

2. Conversion Steps

Read the question carefully. Determine the desired units for the final answer. Begin with the end in mind. Then, review the question. Remember that to cancel unwanted units, one must be on top and the other on the bottom of a fraction.

Oral Medication Conversion Video Tutorial^[1]