A physician prescribes 125 mcg of digoxin by mouth daily. The medication label reads digoxin 0.25 mg per tablet. How many tablet(s) should be given?

A physician prescribes 125 mcg of digoxin by mouth daily. The medication label reads digoxin 0.25 mg per tablet. How many tablet(s) should be given?

• A. 0.25 tablet
• B. 0.5 tablet
• C. 0.75 tablet
• D. 1 tablet

Answer: (B)

The key is matching the prescribed dose to the tablet strength using the same unit. The tablet strength is 0.25 mg, which is 250 mcg. The doctor orders 125 mcg daily. Divide the prescribed amount by the amount in one tablet: 125 mcg ÷ 250 mcg = 0.5. So, half a tablet is required. In practice, you would give half of a 0.25 mg tablet, if the tablet is approved to be split. No rounding is needed here since the calculation yields exactly a half tablet. If splitting isn’t allowed, the clinician would adjust to a different form or strength.

The key is matching the prescribed dose to the tablet strength using the same unit. The tablet strength is 0.25 mg, which is 250 mcg. The doctor orders 125 mcg daily. Divide the prescribed amount by the amount in one tablet: 125 mcg ÷ 250 mcg = 0.5. So, half a tablet is required. In practice, you would give half of a 0.25 mg tablet, if the tablet is approved to be split. No rounding is needed here since the calculation yields exactly a half tablet. If splitting isn’t allowed, the clinician would adjust to a different form or strength.