SP17 Oral Liquids

Added: 2026-06-03

[00:00:00]Let's talk about oral liquids. These have an amount of a particular drug per volume of solution. Some examples are 10 milligrams per 2 milliliters or five milligrams per milliliter, 125 milligrams per five milliliters 1.2 grams per 30 milliliters. So it's the amount of drug per volume of solution.

[00:00:32]Frst problem - the doctor orders dicloxacillin 125 milligrams orally every six hours. You have a dicloxacillin suspension 62.5 milligrams per five milliliters. How many milliliters will you give the patient?

[00:00:53]Let's apply the three-step rule. First of all convert. We don't have to because it's milligrams to milligrams. The next thing we're going to do is think about it. So I have 62.5 and I need to get to 125 so this is about twice what this is so it should be about 10 mL. Now guys this five milliliters is the solution.

[00:01:24]It's the carrier, the conduit that carries the drug.

[00:01:29]So think about that. The next thing we're going to do is the calculation. We have 125 milligrams is the desired dose, the 62.5 milligrams is the dose on hand, and the quantity is five. Multiply that together; it's 10 milliliters. In the second problem the doctor orders digoxin elixir 0.25 milligrams orally, daily. You have on hand digoxin elixir 50 micrograms per milliliter. How many milliliters will you give? So we're going to use the three-step process. We're going to convert. Yes, we do have to because the on hand is in micrograms and the doctor ordered it in milligrams so that's the first thing we need to do. We need to convert it.

[00:02:26]Remember one milligram equals 1,000 micrograms so 0.25 milligrams equals 215 micrograms and all I did was multiply the milligrams times a thousand.

[00:02:40]The next thing I'm gonna do is think about it. I'm looking at the relationship between 50 micrograms and 250 micrograms. That's about five times what's on hand so it should be about five milliliters. You plug it into the equation. You have 250 micrograms is your desired dose, the dose on hand is 50 micrograms, and the quantity is one. When you do the calculation, it's five mL. Thank you.