A nurse is preparing to administer buspirone 7.5 mg PO every 12 hr to a client. The amount available is buspirone 15 mg/tablet. How many tablets should the nurse administer per dose? (Round the answer to the nearest tenth. Use a leading zero if it applies. Do not use a trailing zero.)

To calculate the number of tablets to administer, use the standard dosage calculation formula: dose desired divided by dose on hand, multiplied by the quantity per unit. The desired dose is 7.5 mg, the available dose is 15 mg per tablet, and the quantity is 1 tablet. The calculation is: 7.5 mg ÷ 15 mg × 1 tablet = 0.5 tablet. Rounding to the nearest tenth gives 0.5. A leading zero is required before the decimal point when the answer is less than one, so the correct written answer is 0.5. A trailing zero (such as 0.50) is not used because it could be misread and cause a tenfold dosing error if the decimal is missed. This is a straightforward ratio calculation: 7.5 is exactly half of 15, so half a tablet delivers the prescribed dose. Nurses must be comfortable splitting scored tablets and verifying that the tablet formulation is appropriate for splitting; buspirone is commonly available in scored tablets that allow for accurate halving. Administering one full tablet would deliver 15 mg, doubling the prescribed dose, which could intensify side effects. Administering any other fraction would also result in an incorrect dose, making the arithmetic verification step essential before administration.