Dosage 5 — 7-topic bundle

When you look at a medication label, you'll almost always see at least two names for the drug: the generic name and the trade name (also called brand name). It's super important to know the difference because it helps you confirm you have the right medication, especially when different manufacturers make the same drug.

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When you're dealing with medication, especially liquids, three terms come up all the time: Route of Administration, Total Volume, and Amount. Getting these straight is fundamental to accurate dosing.

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Dosage Strength refers to the amount of active drug present in a specific unit of medication. It's often expressed as:
* Weight per volume: milligrams per milliliter (mg/mL), grams per liter (g/L), micrograms per dose (mcg/dose). This is common for liquids.
* Weight per unit: milligrams per tablet (mg/tablet), grams per capsule (g/capsule). This is common for solids.
* Percentage: often used for topical creams or solutions, e.g., 1% cream means 1 gram of drug per 100 grams of cream, or 1 gram per 100 mL of solution.
* Units: used for specific drugs like insulin or heparin.

The key is to keep your units consistent across the top (numerators) and bottom (denominators) of your ratios. For instance, if you have milligrams (mg) on top of one ratio, you must have milligrams (mg) on top of the other. The same goes for units like tablets, milliliters (mL), or capsules.

Here's how it generally works:

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