Pharmaceutical Calculations - Milliequivalents

[a504n]

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[Requiem]

I've been trying to do my homework on milliequivalents for the past day or so. Some problems are easy to me, but there are some that I just get stuck at. I don't know how to approach the problem. My worst fear is not being able to calculate this stuff when I do become a pharmacist. For those of you that are working in a pharmacy, what do y'all do when you get a prescription and you're not sure how to calcuate the correct dosage?

MEq calculations are pretty basic, you're probably just not used to the method or the units in calculating.

I'd get a practice book and just go through the formulas, do a ton of practice and it'll become second nature after you do a pile of examples.

Not being able to calculate milliequivalents when I become a pharmacist was a terrifying fear of mine as well.

 

[sdn1977]

I'm not often uncertain if the order is clear. I'm only unsure if the prescriber has written an unclear order....otherwise, it becomes second nature. Practice, practice, practice!

Remember...you can always ask a colleague to double check your calculations. Even when you work alone - learn to know those people you can call on. If I'm working as the sole phamacist in the evening, for example, I can call one of the pharmacists in a neighboring hospital....fax the order with my calculations - he/she checks it & calls me back. I do the same in retail.

I fax it so they can see what I see & I don't inadvertantly influence what their response will be.

Don't be afraid to ask for a second opinion when in practice. Now this won't work when taking an exam😀 .

 

[Requiem]

Don't be afraid to ask for a second opinion when in practice. Now this won't work when taking an exam😀 .

I'm afraid you forgot to mention that being unable to answer a MEq question was one of your biggest fears upon graduation as well.

 

[a504n]

MEq calculations are pretty basic, you're probably just not used to the method or the units in calculating.

I'd get a practice book and just go through the formulas, do a ton of practice and it'll become second nature after you do a pile of examples.

Not being able to calculate milliequivalents when I become a pharmacist was a terrifying fear of mine as well.

I'm using the pharmceutical calculations book by Howard Ansel for class. The book has a different formula for solving mEq, but our teacher told us don't learn how to use that formula provided in the book. He gave us his own formula, so it's kinda hard to use my book as a study guide, because all the examples in my book uses their formula, which my teacher told us not to use.

 

[sdn1977]

I'm afraid you forgot to mention that being unable to answer a MEq question was one of your biggest fears upon graduation as well.

Aaaah - but it wasn't! It was how to dose dopamine in a 2wk preemie!

The mEq I had down.....it was those damn neonatal doses that scared the you know what out of me!😉

 

[taken2]

I'm using the pharmceutical calculations book by Howard Ansel for class. The book has a different formula for solving mEq, but our teacher told us don't learn how to use that formula provided in the book. He gave us his own formula, so it's kinda hard to use my book as a study guide, because all the examples in my book uses their formula, which my teacher told us not to use.

We use the same book and our instructor told us the same thing. It is still confusing to me too but we just started on it, so I hope to do more practice before our next quiz.

 

[sdn1977]

I'm using the pharmceutical calculations book by Howard Ansel for class. The book has a different formula for solving mEq, but our teacher told us don't learn how to use that formula provided in the book. He gave us his own formula, so it's kinda hard to use my book as a study guide, because all the examples in my book uses their formula, which my teacher told us not to use.

Both formulas should have the same basis....sometimes its just the particulars that are different. It doesn't matter how you get the answer as long as your thought process is sound, at least in real life!

Now...if you're being graded on an exam & they want you to do it a particular way...that's different. You have to learn the professor's method. But - real work experience doesn't work that way.

 

[BillyN]

Milliequivalents is just another term for millimoles multiplied by the valance of the ion that exists in solution. For example, 1 millimole of Potassium Acetate in solution disassociates into 1 millimole of K+ with (1) positive charge and 1 millimole of Acetate- with (1) negative charge. In another example, 1 mmol of Calcium Chloride disassociates into 1 mmol Ca++ and 2 mmol of Cl-. 1 mmol of Calcium Chloride gives you 2 mEq Ca++ and 2 mEq of Cl-. So to convert from milligrams to mEq, you need to remember the molecular wt of a substance or know how to get it from adding the atomic weights from a periodic table. Divide the weight by its Molecular Weight, and you get mols. Divide the number of mols by 1000, and you get millimoles.

 

[VanduchiPharmD]

Simple solution, go into retail....im not sure the last time I use mEq...they are overrated anyway 🙂

 

[alwaystired]

I'm using the pharmceutical calculations book by Howard Ansel for class. The book has a different formula for solving mEq, but our teacher told us don't learn how to use that formula provided in the book. He gave us his own formula, so it's kinda hard to use my book as a study guide, because all the examples in my book uses their formula, which my teacher told us not to use.

do you go to my school? same thing that we were told too. haha. that book is way confusing if you learn it from prof and then go to book. if you do go to my school, get an old exam and learn how to do those problems. your exam will be very similiar with different numbers.

 

[a504n]

do you go to my school? same thing that we were told too. haha. that book is way confusing if you learn it from prof and then go to book. if you do go to my school, get an old exam and learn how to do those problems. your exam will be very similiar with different numbers.

Nah, I don't think I go to your school. I'm in Louisiana, by the way. I have the old exams from last year, and I know how to solve all of the mEq problems on the exam and I also know how to do the ones he gave us in class as examples. I can do most of the problems in the book, it's just there are a few that I just get stuck on and don't know how to solve them.

 

[a504n]

Simple solution, go into retail....im not sure the last time I use mEq...they are overrated anyway 🙂

That's where I plan on working, in retail. So they don't use mEq often in retail? That's good to hear. 🙂

 

[sdn1977]

That's where I plan on working, in retail. So they don't use mEq often in retail? That's good to hear. 🙂

I can't tell you how much I hate to hear this!!!🙁