Dosage

Dosage refers to the size or frequency of a dose of a medicine or drug. In more technical terms, it is the prescribed administration of measured amounts of medication over a given period.

Definition

A dosage is the prescribed amount of drug in mg per kg of body weight or per m^2 of body surface area. The dosage regimen is the frequency at which the drug doses are given. Examples include 2.5 mL twice a day, one tablet three times a day, one injection every week.

Factors affecting dosage

Several factors can affect the dosage of a medication that a person needs, such as body weight, other medical conditions, and other medications. If you have liver or kidney problems, your body may not clear the medication from your system as quickly, which could lead to more side effects.

Dosage forms

Dosage forms (also called unit doses) are pharmaceutical drug products in the form in which they are marketed for use, with a specific mixture of active ingredients and inactive components (excipients), in a particular configuration (such as a capsule shell, for example), and apportioned into a particular dose.

See also

• Pharmacology
• Medication
• Prescription drug
• Over-the-counter drug

References

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