To calculate insulin supply, you determine how many days a dispensed amount of insulin will last based on the prescribed daily dosage. This calculation uses the total units of insulin to be dispensed divided by the daily unit dosage.
Calculating Insulin Supply
Here's a breakdown of the calculation process, based on the provided reference:
- Step 1: Calculate Total Units to be Dispensed
- Multiply the number of units per milliliter by the number of milliliters to be dispensed.
- Example: If you have 100 units per milliliter and 10 milliliters to dispense, you would multiply 100 units/mL * 10 mL = 1000 units.
- Step 2: Calculate Days' Supply
- Divide the total number of units to be dispensed (calculated in step 1) by the number of units prescribed per day.
- Example: If a patient uses 50 units of insulin per day and has a total of 1000 units dispensed, then the supply lasts 1000 units / 50 units/day = 20 days.
Formula Summary
You can condense this into the following formula:
Days' Supply = (Units per mL * mL to dispense) / Units prescribed per dayKey Insights & Practical Considerations
- Prescription Review: Always cross-reference your calculated days' supply with the prescriber's orders.
- Patient Variance: Insulin needs can vary for individuals, and this calculation provides a theoretical estimate.
- Pen & Vial Differences: The same principle applies to calculating supplies with insulin pens or vials. The key is to find the total units.
- Refills: This calculation is essential to ensure timely refill requests and prevent gaps in insulin therapy.
- Date Consideration: The reference confirms this method is accurate as of 31-Dec-2015.
By following this process, you can accurately determine how long an insulin supply will last based on the total dispensed units and the daily dosage prescribed. This ensures patients have enough medication to maintain their treatment plan.
