8. A beclomethasone dipropionate inhaler contains 10 mg of active ingredient and delivers 200 doses. How much of the drug, in mcg, is delivered per dose?
Answer: C
Each dose of the beclomethasone dipropionate inhaler delivers 50 mcg of the drug.
To find the amount of drug delivered per dose, divide the total amount of the active ingredient (10 mg) by the number of doses (200). This calculation results in 0.05 mg per dose, which converts to 50 mcg.
A) 5
This option is incorrect because it significantly underestimates the amount of drug delivered per dose. A dose delivering only 5 mcg would imply a total of 1 mg in 200 doses, which contradicts the provided total of 10 mg.
B) 20
This option is also incorrect as it suggests that each dose delivers 20 mcg. If this were true, the total would amount to only 4 mg across 200 doses, which again does not align with the total active ingredient of 10 mg.
C) 50
This option is correct because it accurately reflects the calculation of the active ingredient per dose. Dividing 10 mg by 200 doses gives 0.05 mg, which is equivalent to 50 mcg, confirming that this is the correct amount delivered per dose.
D) 100
This option is incorrect as it implies that each dose delivers 100 mcg. If this were the case, the total would be 20 mg for 200 doses, which exceeds the actual amount of 10 mg present in the inhaler.
Conclusion
The correct answer is 50 mcg per dose, as determined by dividing the total amount of active ingredient by the number of doses. All other options either underestimate or overestimate the dosage, failing to adhere to the given total of 10 mg. Hence, option C is definitively the accurate choice.