vcc.ca
PHAR 1103: Pharmaceutical Calculations 1
Effective date
January 2027
Department
Pharmacy Technician
School
Health Sciences
Description
Students will develop the skills needed to accurately perform the calculations required to accurately fill prescriptions and prepare pharmaceutical products in a community pharmacy setting. Systems of measure, conversions between systems, drug strengths, quantities and volumes required to fill prescriptions, prepare stock solutions and compound extemporaneous products are included.
Credits
1.5
Year of study
1st Year Post-secondary
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Perform basic pharmaceutical calculations with accuracy. (1)
- Identify common units of measure and their abbreviations used in pharmacy practice. (2)
- Convert from unit to unit within a system of measure for drug strength. (3)
- Convert units from one system to another system of measure for drug strength. (4)
- Identify expressions of drug strength. (5)
- Convert between expressions of drug strength. (6)
- Calculate the quantities and volumes required for prescriptions. (7)
- Calculate the quantities and volumes of stock mixtures required for extemporaneous prescriptions. (8)
- Calculate the quantities and volumes of ingredients required for extemporaneous prescriptions. (9)
- CLOs align with the following NAPRA Competencies: (1) 1.6. (2) 1.6. (3) 1.6. (4) 1.6. (5) 1.6. (6) 1.6. (7) 1.6. (8) 1.6, 1.7. (9) 1.6, 1.7.
- CLOs align with the following CPTEA Educational Outcomes: (1)-(9) 3.1, 3.3.
Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition (PLAR)
None
Hours
Lecture, Online, Seminar, Tutorial: 30
Total Hours: 30
Total Hours: 30
Instructional Strategies
Lecture, independent study
Grading System
Letter Grade (A-F)
Passing grade
B (72%)
Evaluation Plan
|
Type |
Percentage |
Assessment activity |
|
Assignments |
5 |
In-class worksheets |
|
Quizzes/Tests |
60 |
Two quizzes at 30% each |
|
Final Exam |
35 |
|
Course topics
- 1. Basic mathematical operations
- 2. Systems of measure
- 3. Conversions between systems of measure
- 4. Drug strength
- 5. Quantities required to fill prescriptions
- 6. Extemporaneous compounding
Learning resources
Course package
Notes:
- Course contents and descriptions, offerings and schedules are subject to change without notice.
- Students are required to follow all College policies including ones that govern their educational experience at VCC. Policies are available on the VCC website at:
https://www.vcc.ca/about/governance--policies/policies/. - To find out if there are existing transfer agreements for this course, visit the BC Transfer Guide at https://www.bctransferguide.ca.