Pharmaceutical Calculations: 1001 Questions with Answers

Pharmaceutical Calculations: 1001 Questions with Answers

Performing pharmaceutical calculations accurately and expeditiously is pertinent for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians and ensures that patient safety is not compromised. Pharmaceutical Calculations: 1001 Questions with Answers serves as a resource to provide guided additional practice most students desire. This book assists students gain mastery of pharmaceutical calculations and helps them acquire the calculations skill needed in their professional practice.

 

Contents

Acknowledgements

Contributors

Introduction

Part 1

Review of Pharmaceutical Calculations Math Basics

1 Ratio, Proportion and Dimensional Analysis

2 Density

Part 2

Patients’ Nutritional Needs and the Content Nutrient Sources

3  Total Parenteral Nutrition

Part 3

Drug Concentrations, Ratio Strengths, and/or Extent of Ionization

4 Ways of Expressing Concentration

5 Dilution and Concentration

6 pH and Buffers

Part 4

Quantities of Medication to be Compounded, Dispensed, or Administered

7 Dosage Calculations

8 Milliequivalents

9 Osmolarity

10 Isotonicity

11 Reconstitution of Powders

12 Radiopharmaceuticals Calculations

Part 5 

Quantities of Ingredients Needed to Compound Preparations

13 Reducing and Enlarging Formulas

14 Aliquot

Part 6

Rates of Administration

15 Flow Rate Calculations

 

Pharmaceutical Calculations: 1001 questions with answers is a compilation of multiple choice pharmaceutical calculations questions. The questions in this book have been strategically developed to prepare the user for the rigor of the calculations questions that frequently appear on the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX^®).

Consequently, this book is organized into six main parts. Part 1 is a review of the fundamental math needed for pharmaceutical calculations. The remaining parts of this book are based on the sections pertaining to calculations delineated in the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) NAPLEX^® blueprint. Chapter topics in part 2 through part 6  have been logically arranged under the appropriate sections. This arrangement provides the reader with a workable structural framework for mastering pharmaceutical calculations in regards to the NAPLEX^® exam.

Pharmaceutical Calculations: 1001 questions with answers is not a textbook. It is not designed to compete with the numerous excellent pharmaceutical calculations textbooks already available on the market. Rather, the intent of this book is to serve as a resource to provide guided additional practice that several students seek at a level comparable to the NAPLEX^®.

The chapters in Pharmaceutical Calculations: 1001 questions with answers contain a healthy mix of what may be considered easy, medium and difficult questions.
Therefore this book can help cement concepts imbibed during personal or class study and can aid in gaining mastery in pharmaceutical calculations if used correctly. Since accuracy and speed are critical for the NAPLEX^® exam and in practice, the reader is encouraged to revisit concepts when an incorrect answer is obtained. Furthermore, each question should ideally be correctly solved in less than 90 seconds once a decent level of proficiency is attained in prior studies. Additionally, it is recommend that not more than a single section of the book be completed in one sitting. Instead sufficient time should be allowed so that concepts  worked on in a section can be mastered.

To help with mastery, answers to questions are provided at the end of each chapter. Also, step by step video solutions for several questions and an online test bank are available on https://rxcalculations.com. Additionally, you may download the companion NAPLEX^® Calculations Prep App so you can practice pharmaceutical calculations on the go. The app is available for free on the Google Play and Amazon App stores.

 

About the Author:

Michael Danquah is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Chicago State University where he teaches Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms and Pharmaceutical calculations. He holds a Master’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY and PhD in Pharmaceutics from The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN. He has published several peer reviewed articles and book chapters as well as edited a book on “Emerging Trends in Cell and Gene Therapy”.