Seriously, the apothecary system?

heron, ASN, RN · Jun 25, 2009

I've seen both codeine and phenobarbital prescribed in grains ... but not lately.

Interesting to know, but not very useful if you have a conversion chart hanging around.

VORB · Jun 25, 2009

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I've seen it once -- written by an old doc, of course.

In the real (hospital) world, you dial the pharmacy with such questions and they'll figure it out if it's in reference to a med order.

Be_Moore · Jun 25, 2009

At my old job (where orders were written, not computer-entered), I thought I saw something prescribed in grains once. It turned out that the MD had poor handwriting (Shocking, right?!) and they had actually written grams.

Penguin67 · Jun 25, 2009

Every now and then, it pops up. I see it occasionally with aspirin doses. And, the occasional old MD who refuses to order anything in metric. Given the focus on error prevention, I am somewhat surprised that JCAHO allows orders to be written in grains.

Virgo_RN, BSN, RN · Jun 25, 2009

I've seen it a couple of times.

StNeotser, ASN, RN · Jun 25, 2009

I've never seen it since graduating in 2003.

iteachob, MSN, RN · Jun 25, 2009

The apothecary system is being abandoned in favor of the metric system. At our hospital here (where I teach), apothecary measurements are on the list of DO NOT USE abbreviations.

I teach our school's dosage calculation module. I "mention" the apothecary system; it is not tested on. Students DO have to know how many mL's in a teaspoon, and how many mL's in an ounce, though. I also teach for KAPLAN and have not run into any apothecary questions (in the live course).

lsyorke, RN · Jun 25, 2009

LOL! 60mg=one grain.....4-5 cc in a dram or teaspoon...that's all I know because we had to learn a song about it in nursing school!

Haven't used is since then!

CrufflerJJ, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Jun 25, 2009

I've seen it with nitroglycerin tablets (1/150 gr).

SlightlyMental_RN · Jun 25, 2009

Seen it...helped my fellow nursing students at the time interpret....I don't know why, but the old docs in the hospital that I did my training always did the 5 grains, and it stuck in my head that it was equal (approx.) to 325 mg (which is what the pharmacy would supply).