Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Store and/or access information on a device. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners (vendors)
David Snyder, PharmD, BCPP, is a board-certified clinical pharmacist and psychopharmacology expert at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts.
Elaine Hinzey is a registered dietitian, writer, and fact-checker with nearly two decades of experience in educating clients and other healthcare professionals.
People often use dose and dosage interchangeably, but these terms have different meanings. By adding the suffix -age to the base dose, we are implying a regulated amount. It can be compared to the difference between the words mile and mileage.
This article describes the difference between the two terms and provides a few examples of each.
The American Medical Association (AMA) Manual of Style is the definitive guide on medical writing and style. It assigns dose and dosage specific meanings.
A dose refers to a specified amount of medication taken at one time. By contrast, the dosage is how to take the medication as prescribed: a specific amount, number, and frequency of doses over a specific period of time.
In other words, a dose is simply an amount of a medication you take at one specific time. The dosage is the dose, or amount of drug, plus when and how often to take it. A dosage guides how you take or give the medication that's been prescribed.
According to the AMA, drug doses are expressed in metric mass units (for example, milligrams or milligrams per kilogram). Some drugs (such as insulin or heparin) may be prepared as mixtures. For that reason, they have no specific molecular weight and can’t be described in mass units.
There are a few exceptions to know. Liquid medications for the eyes and ears are sometimes measured in drops. Some medications are measured in grains. And some medications are dispensed using apothecary system measurements like teaspoonfuls, ounces, or drams. These are rare.
A dosage will be expressed in the same units, but over a specific time period—for example, "500 milligrams every six hours" or "500 milligrams four times per day."
Different typesr of Tylenol (acetaminophen) come in different doses. Which type and which dose you choose depends on the condition being treated. The age of the person taking the medication can also make a difference, especially with babies and children.
Here are some different Tylenol dosages:
The words dose and dosage don't mean the same thing. A dose is an amount of medication you take at one time. Doses are usually measured in metric mass units such as milligrams. The dosage is a set of instructions for how to take the medication. It includes how much to take, when to take it, and how long to take it.
Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life.
Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up.
There was an error. Please try again.
JAMA Network Editors. AMA manual of style: a guide for authors and editors. Oxford, UK. 2020.
Tylenol. TYLENOL dosage for adults.
Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up.
There was an error. Please try again.