Common Registration Assessment, Part 1

Colesevelam 625mg tablets and daily tablet counts for the GPhC assessment

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

Published 8 November 2026. Independent revision material, not GPhC questions, not for patient care.

White round tablets scattered on a teal fabric surface
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 Cholestagel (colesevelam) 625 mg film-coated tablets states that for combination with a statin, with or without ezetimibe, the recommended dose is 4 to 6 tablets per day, and the maximum recommended dose is 6 tablets per day taken as 3 tablets twice per day with meals or 6 tablets once per day with a meal.

The same information states that for monotherapy the recommended starting dose is 6 tablets per day, taken as 3 tablets twice per day with meals or 6 tablets once per day with a meal, and that the maximum recommended dose is 7 tablets per day.

Each tablet contains 625 mg of colesevelam.

Each question fixes the values needed for its arithmetic. Write the unit beside every step and distinguish a single dose from a daily total or a supply period. All prescriptions and patients here are fictional; these are revision materials, not for patient care.

The method

  1. Identify the stated daily tablet count and whether the plan is combination or monotherapy.
  2. Multiply the tablet count by 625 mg for the daily dose in mg.
  3. Check the count against the stated maximum: 6 tablets with a statin, 7 tablets for monotherapy.
  4. Keep tablets, mg and days 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 takes colesevelam 6 tablets per day with a statin. Each tablet is 625 mg. What is the total daily dose in mg?

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Answer: 3750 mg daily

Working: 6 tablets x 625 mg = 3750 mg daily.

Question 2

A fictional adult takes the maximum monotherapy dose of colesevelam, 7 tablets per day. What is the total daily dose in mg?

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Answer: 4375 mg daily

Working: 7 tablets x 625 mg = 4375 mg daily.

Question 3

A fictional adult takes colesevelam as 3 tablets twice per day. How many tablets are needed for 28 days?

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Answer: 168 tablets

Working: Per day: 3 x 2 = 6 tablets. 6 x 28 days = 168 tablets.

eMC SmPC: Cholestagel 625 mg film-coated tablets

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/12384/smpc

Where marks are lost

  • Mixing the monotherapy maximum of 7 tablets per day with the 6 tablets per day combination maximum.
  • Reporting the tablet count when the question asks for the daily dose in mg.
  • Forgetting to double the count for a twice per day regimen before multiplying by the number of days.

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 colesevelam dose?

No. Follow the stated prescription in the exercise. Real dosing depends on whether colesevelam is used alone or with a statin, and on response.

How should I check the answer?

Check the requested unit, then multiply the stated tablet count by 625 mg and confirm it against the stated maximum.

Sources

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

Practise until the method is automatic

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More calculation topics

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