Common Registration Assessment, Part 1

Mesalazine tablets, granules and divided daily doses for the GPhC assessment

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

Published 31 October 2026. Independent revision material, not GPhC questions, not for patient care.

Woman holding her stomach in pain while sitting on a bed
Photo from Pexels, used under the Pexels licence. It is a stock image and does not show the exercise.

The NHS states that mesalazine tablets or granules are taken once a day or as 2 or 3 smaller doses throughout the day, depending on the brand and whether the course is short or long term.

The NHS advises swallowing the tablets whole and swallowing the granules without chewing, because some have a special coating, and leaving a 2-hour gap before and after mesalazine when taking indigestion remedies.

The NHS states that mesalazine rectal foam is used once a day before bed and that the dose is 2 full applicators, while suppositories and enemas are usually used once a day before bed.

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 course supply. All prescriptions and patients here are fictional; these are revision materials, not for patient care.

The method

  1. Identify the total daily amount and the number of divided doses stated.
  2. Divide the daily total by the dose count for the amount per dose.
  3. Multiply the daily total by the number of days for a course total.
  4. Count 2 applicators per day for the rectal foam before scaling.
  5. Keep grams, milligrams, tablets and applicators separate; convert only if 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 patient takes 3 g of mesalazine granules daily as 3 equal doses. How many grams is each dose, and how many grams is that per week?

Show the answer

Answer: 1 g per dose; 21 g per week

Working: 3 g / 3 doses = 1 g per dose; 3 g x 7 days = 21 g.

Question 2

A fictional prescription reads mesalazine 800 mg tablets, 2 tablets three times a day. How many tablets are needed for 28 days?

Show the answer

Answer: 168 tablets

Working: 2 tablets x 3 doses = 6 tablets per day; 6 tablets x 28 days = 168 tablets.

Question 3

A fictional patient uses mesalazine rectal foam once a night, 2 full applicators each time, for 14 nights. How many applicator doses is the course?

Show the answer

Answer: 28 applicator doses

Working: 2 applicators x 14 nights = 28 applicator doses.

NHS: How and when to take mesalazine

https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/mesalazine/how-and-when-to-take-mesalazine/

Where marks are lost

  • Giving the whole daily amount as a single divided dose.
  • Breaking or chewing coated tablets or granules in a real preparation.
  • Treating arithmetic as evidence that a real prescription is clinically suitable.

Frequently asked questions

Are these official assessment questions?

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

Can a divided-dose calculation justify changing a real dosing schedule?

No. Follow the schedule in the exercise. Real doses depend on the brand and the condition.

How should I check the answer?

Check the requested unit, then work backwards from the quantity to the stated dose and duration.

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

Try 15 free questions with worked answers. No sign-up required.

Try 15 free questionsSee pricing

More calculation topics

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