ANSC 143: Medical Dosages and Calculations for Veterinary Technicians

Discipline
Credits 3 Lecture Hours 3
Designation
FQ

Introduction to Medical Dosages and Calculation for Veterinary Technicians. This course is designed to present the information commonly referred to as posology, which is defined as the study of dose and dosage in the field of applied pharmacology. This course will include, but not be limited to, the following: general mathematics used by veterinary medical personnel involved in calculating dosages of common drugs, reading drug orders and labels, and calculating intravenous fluid rates. Students will learn systems of measure, drug orders, drug concentration, conversions and different methods of dose calculations. The goal of this course is that each student be confident and capable of calculating correct drug doses regardless of the physical form of the medication. This course requires a strong background in algebra, the metric system, and an understanding of word problems. It is intended for students entering veterinary technology, veterinary assisting or other animal-related fields.

Prerequisites

Enrolled as a Veterinary Assisting Program student; Placement in Eng 100 and Math 100 level courses.

Course Outcomes
  • Convert between standard and imperial units.
  • Calculate correct medication and drug dosages for patients based on weight.
  • Calculate appropriate Intravenous fluid drip rate.