PCN Portal
Welcome to the Pharmaceutical Calculations and Numeracy (PCN) Portal
- Doses and dosage regimens
- Dosage and unit conversions
- Estimation of kidney function
- Dilutions
- Concentrations
- Pharmacokinetics
- Health economics
- Displacement
- Infusion rate
- Retrieving information from provided resources
- Quantities to supply
- Molecular weight
- Calculations based on provided formulae
Each question is provided with full answer justification to guide you through solving similar questions. The questions are designed to cover the full spectrum of pharmaceutical calculations knowledge, supporting students and professionals in this essential skill.
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Further information about the PCN Portal
Together with Dr Yousif Shamsaldeen, BPS has developed the PCN portal, where you can practise and learn Pharmaceutical Calculations and Numeracy through a user-friendly digital environment!
What is PCN?
Pharmaceutical calculations represent the mathematical foundation of pharmacy practice. It is the process of applying mathematical principles to the preparation, compounding, and dispensing of medications.
Who can benefit from this portal?
It benefits both students and professionals in the field of pharmacy, nursing, medicine, and veterinary.
Why Does It Matter?
The margin for error in medicine is often razor-thin. Pharmaceutical calculations are the primary safeguard for patient safety and optimised therapeutic outcomes.
- Precision and Accuracy: Even a misplaced decimal point can lead to a 10-fold overdose, which can be fatal, especially with narrow therapeutic index medicines like digoxin, lithium, phenytoin, methotrexate and vancomycin.
- Therapeutic Efficacy: If a dose is calculated too low, the medication may fail to treat the condition, leading to therapeutic failure, which may complicate the condition such as subtherapeutic doses of antibiotics and associated antibiotic resistance.
- Customisation: Not every patient fits a “standard pill size. Calculations allow for extemporaneous compounding, and tailored doses for paediatric, geriatric, or patients with compromised kidney functions.
