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ABSTRACT:
Pharmaceutical calculations are the area of study that applies the basic principles of mathematics to the preparation and safe and effective use of pharmaceuticals. A pharmacist should have a thorough knowledge on weights and measures to have a complete understanding of various types of calculations involved in dispensing of dosage form. Therefore, the use of calculations in pharmacy is varied and broad-based. Calculations are performed by the pharmacists in traditional as well as in specialized practice settings. Whether a pharmaceutical product is produced in a large scale or a small scale pharmacist engage in calculations to achieve standards of quality. The preparation of various dosage forms and drug delivery systems containing carefully calculated, measured, verified, and labeled quantities of ingredients enables accurate dosage administration.
KEYWORDS: Weights, Ratio, Proportion, Density, Alligation Method, Proof Spirit.
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INTRODUCTION:
Scope of Pharmaceutical Calculations:
The use of calculations in pharmacy is varied and broadbased. It encompasses calculations performed by pharmacists in traditional as well as in specialized practice settings and within operational and research areas in industry, academia, and government. In the broad context, the scope of pharmaceutical calculations includes computations related to:
* Chemical and physical properties of drug substances and pharmaceutical ingredients;
* Biological activity and rates of drug absorption, bodily distribution, metabolism and excretion (Pharmacokinetics);
* Statistical data from basic research and clinical drug studies;
* Pharmaceutical product development and formulation;
* Prescriptions and medication orders including drug dosage, dosage regimens, and patient compliance;
* Pharmacoeconomics; and other areas
Whether a pharmaceutical product is produced in the industrial setting or prepared in a community or institutional pharmacy, pharmacists engage in calculations to achieve standards of quality. The difference is one of scale. In pharmacies, relatively small quantities of medications are prepared and dispensed for specific patients. In industry, large-scale production is designed to meet the requirements of pharmacies and their patients on a national and even international basis. The latter may involve the production of hundreds of thousands or even millions of dosage units of a specific drug product during a single production cycle. The preparation of the various dosage forms and drug delivery systems (defined in Appendix C), containing carefully calculated, measured, verified, and labeled quantities of ingredients enables...