A child has been prescribed loratadine 5 mg to be taken orally once a day. The bottle is labeled “Loratadine for Oral Suspension, USP 5 mg per 5 mL.”. How many teaspoons should the nurse instruct the parent to give with each dose?

Step 1 is: Identify the prescribed dose, which is 5 mg. Step 2 is: Identify the concentration of the medication, which is 5 mg per 5 mL. Step 3 is: Calculate the volume to administer using the formula: (Prescribed dose ÷ Concentration) × Volume. So, (5 mg ÷ 5 mg/5 mL) = 5 mL. Since 1 teaspoon is approximately 5 mL, the nurse should instruct the parent to give 1 teaspoon with each dose.