The tablet and capsule dose calculator works out exactly how many solid oral tablets or capsules to give a patient when the ordered dose and available tablet strength differ. This is the most common type of nursing drug calculation — for example, when 500mg paracetamol is ordered but only 250mg tablets are available. The formula is simply Desired ÷ Have, applied to the tablet strength rather than a liquid concentration.
If the result is more than 3 tablets for a single dose, double-check the order with the prescriber — it may indicate a transcription error or an unusual dose.
Capsules must never be split or crushed unless specifically formulated as sprinkle capsules. Scored tablets may only be halved if they have a visible score line.
If the calculated result exceeds 3 tablets for a single dose, this is a red flag. Verify the order with the prescriber before administering — it may indicate a prescribing error, an unusual dose, or a mismatch between available and required strength.
Only tablets with a visible score line are safe to split. Enteric-coated, modified-release, and film-coated tablets must never be split or crushed, as this destroys the release mechanism and can cause toxicity or ineffectiveness.