Which term describes the measurement of a drug per administration?

Which term describes the measurement of a drug per administration?

• A. dosage
• B. dosage unit
• C. concentration
• D. potency

Answer: (B)

Understanding how a drug is described for one administration hinges on the unit used to express the dose. The amount given per dose is the dosage, but the measurement per administration is defined by the unit in which that dose is expressed—the dosage unit. For example, a dose can be described as 500 mg or 5 mL, where mg or mL is the dosage unit. Concentration, on the other hand, tells you how much drug is present per a volume or weight of solution (like mg/mL), which relates to strength of a solution rather than the dose per administration itself. Potency refers to the drug’s effect relative to a standard, not how the dose is measured. So the term that describes the measurement of a drug per administration is the dosage unit.

Understanding how a drug is described for one administration hinges on the unit used to express the dose. The amount given per dose is the dosage, but the measurement per administration is defined by the unit in which that dose is expressed—the dosage unit. For example, a dose can be described as 500 mg or 5 mL, where mg or mL is the dosage unit. Concentration, on the other hand, tells you how much drug is present per a volume or weight of solution (like mg/mL), which relates to strength of a solution rather than the dose per administration itself. Potency refers to the drug’s effect relative to a standard, not how the dose is measured. So the term that describes the measurement of a drug per administration is the dosage unit.