Lorazepam 1 mg PO at bedtime. If the patient uses 2 mg tablets, how many tablets per dose?

Lorazepam 1 mg PO at bedtime. If the patient uses 2 mg tablets, how many tablets per dose?

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

Answer: (B)

Determining how many tablets to give when tablet strength differs from the prescribed dose. If the order is 1 mg and each tablet is 2 mg, the tablets per dose = 1 mg ÷ 2 mg per tablet = 0.5 tablet. So you would administer half of a 2 mg tablet to achieve the 1 mg dose. In practice, this means cutting the tablet in half, provided it’s safe to split and appropriate for the patient. The other options correspond to 0.25 tablet (0.5 mg), 1 tablet (2 mg), or 1.5 tablets (3 mg), which do not equal 1 mg.

Determining how many tablets to give when tablet strength differs from the prescribed dose. If the order is 1 mg and each tablet is 2 mg, the tablets per dose = 1 mg ÷ 2 mg per tablet = 0.5 tablet. So you would administer half of a 2 mg tablet to achieve the 1 mg dose. In practice, this means cutting the tablet in half, provided it’s safe to split and appropriate for the patient. The other options correspond to 0.25 tablet (0.5 mg), 1 tablet (2 mg), or 1.5 tablets (3 mg), which do not equal 1 mg.