A nurse is caring for a client who has a new prescription for lithium 900 mg PO daily divided equally every 8 hr. Available is lithium 150 mg capsules. How many capsules should the nurse administer in each dose? (Round the answer to the nearest whole number. Use a leading zero if it applies. Do not use a trailing zero.)

Step by step calculation: Determine the total daily dosage: 900 mg Determine how many doses per day: Every 8 hours means 3 doses per day Calculate the dosage per administration: Dose per administration=Total daily dose (mg)/Number of doses per day=900 mg/3 Dose per administration=300 mg Available capsule strength: 150 mg per capsule Calculate the number of capsules: Number of capsules per dose=Required dose per administration (mg)Capsule strength (mg/capsule)=300 mg/150 mg/capsule Number of capsules per dose=2