Pharmacy Technician how-to
How to Calculate Days’ Supply
Insurers pay based on days’ supply, so getting it right prevents rejections and audits.
Insurers pay based on days’ supply, so getting it right prevents rejections and audits. In short: read; multiply; divide, then complete the remaining steps below.
Step by step
Read the sig to find the dose per administration, for example, “1 tablet twice daily.”
Multiply to find the total daily dose: 1 tablet × 2 times = 2 tablets per day.
Divide the quantity dispensed by the daily dose: 60 tablets ÷ 2 = 30 days.
For liquids, convert to milliliters: 5 mL three times daily = 15 mL per day; 150 mL ÷ 15 = 10 days.
For inhalers, insulin and eye drops, use the product’s labeled number of doses or units and the prescribed amount per day.
Enter the days’ supply and have the pharmacist review any unusual quantities.
Safety reminders for pharmacy technicians
- Verify every product by barcode or NDC before it reaches the pharmacist
- Use gloves and proper ventilation when handling hazardous drugs such as chemotherapy agents (USP <800>)
- Follow DEA rules for receiving, storing and counting controlled substances
- Report errors and near-misses: they help prevent future harm
Key terms
Sig · NDC · DAW · Prior authorization (PA) · Controlled substance · Compounding: see the full pharmacy technician glossary.