Put Your DA Skills to the Test!

[bjwojcik]

Are you tired of answering the same old DA questions here that can solved in a minute or two? Do you want something a bit more challenging? This was written for my pharmacy technician students, but just pretend you are working in a pharmacy.

A new miracle drug has just hit the market which will reverse aging by 20 years, restore hair loss, and reduce body weight to ideal body weight.

The dosage is 0.8 mg/kg/day for 30 days.

The drug is quite expensive at $850/10 mL vial which is labeled 10 mg/mL.

A patient comes into your pharmacy when you are very busy and asks about the drug. He states that he is 67 years old, bald, and weighs 245 lb. He shares information about his dismal love life, which you try to ignore.

He states that he works down the street at the Dairy O clearing $10/h and asks you how long he will have to work to pay for a course of therapy in years, weeks, days and hours.

Assume:

• Patient works 8 hours/day and 52 weeks/year. No vacation.
  
• Patient must pay for full vial price for any partial vial used.
  
• Exactly 52 weeks/year.
  

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

Is this a homework question?

[Sour Lemon]

Is this a homework question?

Doubt it!

[bjwojcik]

No, I am too old for homework! It is a problem I added for fun in my pharmacy calculations book.

Brad

[Wuzzie]

I love your posts. Just too darn lazy to work them out.

[Sour Lemon]

I love your posts. Just too darn lazy to work them out.

Yep, not my idea of fun.

[bjwojcik]

Glad to hear that you like them.

[chare]

1 year,11 weeks,3 days,6 hours

DA Response.pdf

[bjwojcik]

Hi Chare,

I figured you would do it! You got the correct answer if you started with a new vial each day. The way I did it was use the leftover solution the next day and make him pay for the partial vial on the last day. I should have made that point a little more clear in the problem. I say we are both right!

Calculate number of vials needed for 30 days of therapy. Note that any partial vial will be rounded up to a full vial.

245 lb((1 kg)/(2.2 lb))((0.8 mg)/(kg day))((30 days)/)((1 mL)/(10 mg))((1 vial)/(10 mL))=26.7 vials= 27 vials

Calculate number of weeks of work to pay for the 27 vials.

27 vials($850/vial)((1 h)/$10)((1 week)/(40 h))=57.375 weeks

Subtract out 52 weeks and note 1 year.

1 year, 5.375 weeks

Change 0.375 weeks into hours using 40 h/week.

0.375 wk ((40 h)/wk)=15 h

Change 15 h to 1 day, 7 hours.

Total work time is 1 year, 5 weeks, 1 day, 7 hours.

Now the patient hands you his insurance card because his copay is only $10.

-Brad

[bjwojcik]

FYI, here is a book I wrote on the subject. Let me know what you think.

-Brad

Dosage Calculations PDF-B.Wojcik.pdf

[Julius Seizure]

But how many days does he work each week?

[TriciaJ, RN]

Hi Chare,

I figured you would do it! You got the correct answer if you started with a new vial each day. The way I did it was use the leftover solution the next day and make him pay for the partial vial on the last day. I should have made that point a little more clear in the problem. I say we are both right!

Calculate number of vials needed for 30 days of therapy. Note that any partial vial will be rounded up to a full vial.

245 lb((1 kg)/(2.2 lb))((0.8 mg)/(kg day))((30 days)/)((1 mL)/(10 mg))((1 vial)/(10 mL))=26.7 vials= 27 vials

Calculate number of weeks of work to pay for the 27 vials.

27 vials($850/vial)((1 h)/$10)((1 week)/(40 h))=57.375 weeks

Subtract out 52 weeks and note 1 year.

1 year, 5.375 weeks

Change 0.375 weeks into hours using 40 h/week.

0.375 wk ((40 h)/wk)=15 h

Change 15 h to 1 day, 7 hours.

Total work time is 1 year, 5 weeks, 1 day, 7 hours.

Now the patient hands you his insurance card because his copay is only $10.

-Brad

He works at the Dairy O for $10/hr but has that kind of insurance. Are they hiring?