Question

Levothyroxing is not available commercially as a suspension but only as tablets. The pharmacy has the following strengths available: 50mg, 100mg and 200mg tablets. How would you compound this medication for a pediatric patient who has a prescription that calls for 150ml of 25mg/5ml suspension? How many tablets will be needed to make the compounded prescription?

Answer 1

As we all know that the suspensions are better dosage form than tablets in case of the pediatric patient. As it is given that the Levothyroxine is not available commercially as a suspension but only as tablets.

And the pharmacy has the following strengths available: 50mg, 100mg and 200mg tablets. Hence to fulfill the prescription order for the pediatric patient as 150ml of 25mg/5ml suspension, the required tablets=?

Thus given strength= 25mg/5ml

Means 5mg/ml

Or in 1 ml there is 5mg dose

Hence for required 150 ml dose will be=5 X 150 mg= 750 mg

Hence to fulfill this 750 mg dose required tablets:

3 tablets of 200 mg= 600 mg

1 tablet of 100 mg= 100 mg

1 tablet of 50 mg= 50 mg

Total = 600mg+100 mg+50 mg= 750 mg

It means 3tablets of 200mg, 1 tablet of 100mg and 1 tablet of 50 mg will be needed to make the compounded prescription to form suspension of given strength.