A nurse is preparing to administer aspirin 650 mg PO every 12 hours. The medication is available as 325 mg tablets. How many tablets should be administered per dose?

A nurse is preparing to administer aspirin 650 mg PO every 12 hours. The medication is available as 325 mg tablets. How many tablets should be administered per dose?

• A. 1 tablet
• B. 2 tablets
• C. 3 tablets
• D. 4 tablets

Answer: (B)

The calculation tests how many tablets are needed by dividing the prescribed milligrams by the milligrams provided per tablet. With a 650 mg dose and each tablet being 325 mg, you do 650 ÷ 325 = 2. So two tablets are needed to deliver the correct amount per dose. This also checks out because 2 × 325 mg equals 650 mg. In cases where the division isn’t even, you’d adjust using a different tablet strength or dose, but here the dose is an exact multiple of the tablet strength.

The calculation tests how many tablets are needed by dividing the prescribed milligrams by the milligrams provided per tablet. With a 650 mg dose and each tablet being 325 mg, you do 650 ÷ 325 = 2. So two tablets are needed to deliver the correct amount per dose. This also checks out because 2 × 325 mg equals 650 mg. In cases where the division isn’t even, you’d adjust using a different tablet strength or dose, but here the dose is an exact multiple of the tablet strength.