Lorazepam 1 mg PO at bedtime. The amount available is lorazepam 2 mg tablets. How many tablets should the nurse administer per dose?

Lorazepam 1 mg PO at bedtime. The amount available is lorazepam 2 mg tablets. How many tablets should the nurse administer per dose?

• A. 0.25 Tablet
• B. 0.5 Tablet
• C. 1 Tablet
• D. 1.5 Tablets

Answer: (B)

The amount to give is found by dividing the desired dose by the amount each tablet provides. Here, 1 mg is needed and one tablet contains 2 mg, so you need half a tablet. In practice, the 2 mg tablet can be split to deliver exactly 1 mg. Giving a whole tablet would double the dose, and a quarter would underdose, so the half-tablet approach matches the prescription precisely.

The amount to give is found by dividing the desired dose by the amount each tablet provides. Here, 1 mg is needed and one tablet contains 2 mg, so you need half a tablet. In practice, the 2 mg tablet can be split to deliver exactly 1 mg. Giving a whole tablet would double the dose, and a quarter would underdose, so the half-tablet approach matches the prescription precisely.