A 200 g compounded ointment contains 10 g of active ingredient. Which of the following strengths should the pharmacy technician place on the prescription label?

Rationale

The strength of the compounded ointment is 5%.

To find the strength of the active ingredient in the ointment, we divide the amount of active ingredient (10 g) by the total weight of the ointment (200 g) and then multiply by 100 to convert it to a percentage. This calculation yields a strength of 5%.

A (10%) YOUR ANSWER

A strength of 10% would imply that there are 10 g of active ingredient in 100 g of ointment. Since the total weight of the ointment is 200 g and only 10 g of active ingredient is present, this choice is incorrect.

B (5%) CORRECT

This is the correct choice. The calculation for strength is (10 g active ingredient / 200 g total ointment) × 100, which results in 5%. This accurately reflects the proportion of the active ingredient in the compounded ointment.

C (20%) YOUR ANSWER

A strength of 20% would mean that there are 20 g of active ingredient in every 100 g of ointment. Since the actual amount of active ingredient is only 10 g in 200 g of ointment, this option is incorrect.

D (25%) YOUR ANSWER

A 25% strength indicates there would need to be 25 g of active ingredient per 100 g of ointment. With only 10 g of active ingredient in 200 g, this choice is not feasible and therefore incorrect.

Conclusion

The strength of a compounded ointment is determined by the ratio of the active ingredient to the total weight of the ointment. In this case, the correct calculation reveals that the ointment has a strength of 5%, ensuring that the prescription label accurately communicates the concentration of the active ingredient for safe and effective use.

A 200 g compounded ointment contains 10 g of active ingredient. Which of the following strengths should the pharmacy technician place on the prescription label?

The strength of the compounded ointment is 5%.

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