Tablet Dosage Calculator

A score line means the manufacturer intends it to be split.

Tablets per dose

–

Enter a dose and a tablet strength.

Exact division
–
Dose delivered
–

The working

      This works out the arithmetic. The order, the product in your hand and local policy still govern what is given.

      How to calculate a tablet dose

      tablets = dose prescribed ÷ strength of one tablet

      Both figures have to be in the same unit before they divide. A dose written in grams against a tablet in milligrams is out by a thousand, which the mcg to mg converter handles on its own page and this calculator does automatically.

      When the stock strength cannot make the dose

      A division that does not land on a whole or half tablet is not a rounding problem. It means the dose prescribed cannot be made from the strength in stock, and rounding it is a change to the prescription.

      DoseTabletDivides toCan it be given?
      750 mg500 mg, scored1.5 tabletsYes
      1000 mg250 mg, unscored4 tabletsYes
      375 mg500 mg, unscored0.75 tabletsNo, the nearest is 1 giving 500 mg
      125 mg250 mg, scored0.5 tabletsYes

      For a liquid preparation the same dose becomes a volume instead, which is themg to mL calculation and usually allows a dose that tablets cannot make.

      Questions about tablet doses

      How do I calculate how many tablets to give?
      Divide the dose prescribed by the strength of one tablet, making sure both are in the same unit. A 750 mg dose from 250 mg tablets is three tablets.
      What if the answer is not a whole number of tablets?
      It depends on the tablet. A scored tablet can usually be halved, so 1.5 tablets is achievable. An unscored tablet, a capsule or a modified-release preparation generally cannot be split, in which case the dose cannot be made from that strength and the prescription needs a different one.
      Can all tablets be cut in half?
      No. Modified-release, enteric-coated and film-coated tablets lose the property the coating provides when they are cut, and capsules cannot be divided at all. A score line indicates the manufacturer intends the tablet to be divided; the absence of one does not.