Common Registration Assessment, Part 1

Acarbose tablet strengths and three-times-daily titration for the GPhC assessment

Three original practice questions, with the working shown. Read the stated prescription or plan before calculating.

Published 11 November 2026. Independent revision material, not GPhC questions, not for patient care.

A plate of food being eaten with a knife and fork
Photo from Pexels, used under the Pexels licence. It is a stock image and does not show the exercise.

The manufacturer's UK product information for acarbose 50 mg and 100 mg tablets states that the recommended initial dose for adults is 50 mg three times a day, that some patients may start at 50 mg once or twice a day with subsequent titration to a three-times-a-day regimen, and that the tablets are taken with meals.

The same information states that if after six to eight weeks the clinical response is inadequate, the dosage may be increased to 100 mg three times a day, and that a further increase to a maximum of 200 mg three times a day may occasionally be necessary.

Acarbose is intended for continuous long-term treatment, so quantity questions usually combine a stated frequency with a stated number of days.

Each question fixes the values needed for its arithmetic. Write the unit beside every step and distinguish the titration step from the maximum. All prescriptions and patients here are fictional; these are revision materials, not for patient care.

The method

  1. Read the stated dose per meal and the three-times-daily frequency.
  2. Multiply the dose by three for the daily total in mg.
  3. Divide the daily total by the stated tablet strength for the daily tablet count, then multiply by the stated days.
  4. Keep mg, tablet strengths, days and the maximum separate; convert only when the question asks.

Three practice questions

Work each one on paper first, then open the answer. All patients and prescriptions are fictional.

Question 1

A fictional adult starts acarbose at the label initial dose, using 50 mg tablets. How many tablets are taken each day, and what is the daily total in mg?

Show the answer

Answer: 3 tablets; 150 mg per day

Working: The initial dose is 50 mg three times a day with meals. 3 x 50 = 150 mg per day, one 50 mg tablet per dose.

Question 2

After 8 weeks at the initial dose, a fictional adult is increased to acarbose 100 mg three times a day, as the label describes. How many 100 mg tablets are needed for the next 28 days?

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Answer: 84 tablets

Working: 3 tablets daily x 28 days = 84 tablets. Daily total: 3 x 100 = 300 mg.

Question 3

A fictional patient takes the label maximum dose of acarbose, using 100 mg tablets. What is the maximum daily total in mg, and how many tablets per day does it need?

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Answer: 600 mg per day; 6 tablets

Working: The maximum is 200 mg three times a day: 3 x 200 = 600 mg per day. At 100 mg per tablet, 200 / 100 = 2 tablets per dose, so 6 tablets daily.

eMC SmPC: Acarbose 50 mg Tablets

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/9999/smpc

Where marks are lost

  • Using the starting dose at a later step; the label can rise from 50 mg to 100 mg three times a day after six to eight weeks, and occasionally to 200 mg three times a day.
  • Forgetting that doses tie to meals; three times a day means three doses, one with each meal.
  • Splitting tablets when a matching strength exists; 100 mg tablets cover the 100 mg and 200 mg steps at one and two tablets per dose.

Frequently asked questions

Are these official assessment questions?

No. They are original revision exercises, not official GPhC questions and not for patient care.

Does this calculation decide a real acarbose titration?

No. Follow the stated step in the exercise. Real titration follows the prescriber and the product information.

How should I check the answer?

Multiply the stated dose by three for the daily total, divide by the tablet strength for the count, then multiply by the stated days.

Sources

The questions above are original and use fictional patients and prescriptions. PreRegExamPrep is not affiliated with or endorsed by the General Pharmaceutical Council.

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More calculation topics

See also the formula sheet, the eight sample questions and the approved calculator page.