Common Registration Assessment, Part 1

Naratriptan 2.5 mg tablets and 24-hour maximum for the GPhC assessment

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

Published 13 November 2026. Independent revision material, not GPhC questions, not for patient care.

A woman sitting in a chair holding her head with both hands
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 Naramig (naratriptan) 2.5 mg tablets gives a single 2.5 mg tablet as the dose for a migraine attack, with a total of no more than two 2.5 mg tablets in any 24-hour period.

If migraine symptoms come back after an initial response, a second dose may be taken provided at least four hours have passed since the first; if the first dose gives no response, a second dose should not be taken for the same attack.

The product information positions naratriptan for treating an attack, not for preventing one.

Each question fixes the values needed for its arithmetic. Track the clock in each question: the four-hour gap and the 24-hour cap decide every answer. All prescriptions and patients here are fictional; these are revision materials, not for patient care.

The method

  1. Take one 2.5 mg tablet at the start of the attack.
  2. Repeat only after at least four hours, and only if symptoms returned after an initial response.
  3. Cap the total at two tablets (5 mg) in any 24-hour period.
  4. Do not count a second dose when the first gave no response.

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 one naratriptan 2.5 mg tablet at 08:00 for a migraine. Symptoms return at 14:00 after a good initial response. Can a second dose be taken, and what is the day's total in mg?

Show the answer

Answer: Yes; 5 mg in total

Working: Six hours have passed, more than the printed minimum of four, and the symptoms recurred after an initial response, so a second 2.5 mg tablet is allowed. The day's total is 2 x 2.5 = 5 mg.

Question 2

A fictional adult takes one naratriptan 2.5 mg tablet at 09:00 and feels no benefit at all. Can a second dose be taken for the same attack?

Show the answer

Answer: No; with no response to the first dose, a second should not be taken for the same attack

Working: The product information states a second dose may be taken only when symptoms recur after an initial response. No response means no second dose for that attack.

Question 3

A fictional adult has already taken two naratriptan 2.5 mg tablets within 24 hours when a further attack begins. What does the printed maximum allow?

Show the answer

Answer: Nothing further; the maximum is two 2.5 mg tablets in any 24-hour period

Working: Two tablets are already the printed 24-hour maximum of 5 mg, so no further naratriptan dose is allowed inside that window.

eMC SmPC: Naramig Tablets 2.5mg

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/949/smpc

Where marks are lost

  • Repeating the dose inside four hours of the first.
  • Exceeding two tablets (5 mg) in a 24-hour period.
  • Taking a second dose when the first gave no response, or using the tablets daily as prevention.

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 dose?

No. Follow the stated prescription in the exercise. Real dosing follows the prescriber and the product information for the named product.

How should I check the answer?

One 2.5 mg tablet per attack, a second only after four hours and only after an initial response, and never more than two tablets in 24 hours.

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.