Which term represents the concentration of the active ingredient in a drug?

• A. Medication Strength
• B. Administering person
• C. Dosage Form
• D. Witnessing person

Answer: (A)

Concentration of the active ingredient in a drug is described by its strength. Strength tells you how much active drug is present in each unit of the product—for example, milligrams per tablet or milligrams per milliliter in a solution. This is essential for dosing, because it lets you convert a prescribed amount in milligrams into the exact number of tablets or the exact milliliters to give. For instance, a tablet labeled 500 mg contains 500 mg of the active drug per tablet, and a liquid with a strength of 5 mg/mL has 5 mg in every milliliter. To give a specific dose, you use the strength to calculate the required quantity. The other terms relate to the form or to roles in administration (the physical form of the drug or who administers or witnesses the administration) rather than to how much active drug is present.