What is the difference in mg and mcg on prescriptions?

Answer:
There are 1000 mcg to 1 mg

So 2500 mcg = 2.5 mg

5000 mcg = 5 mg

and so on.

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darlin'' you need to pop that Q'' at A drug store.''

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mg=milligram 1/1000 of a gram
mcg=microgram 1/1000000 of a gram

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mg is a milligram, a thousandth of a gram.

A mcg is a microgram (though it can be read as a millicentigram and will then be 10 micrograms). If in doubt, check with the pharmacist.

A microgram is one millionth of a gram and is a thousandth of a milligram.

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"Mg" stands for milligram. "Mcg" stands for microgram. One milligram equals 1000 mcg. Micronutrients that are required by us in higher amounts than 100 mg are usually measured and labelled in milligrams whereas nutrients or medicine which are intended for use in much smaller amounts(less than 1mg a day or per serving) may be measured and labelled using micrograms. Egs of nutrients labelled with mg include Vit C, calcium and magnesium. Egs of nutrients labelled using mcg include folic acid, Vit B12 n Selenium.

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As the provious people have answered, it is a difference of a decimal point. Usually when we write a prescription, it is expremely important to get this right, of course. If we would mess up, the pharmacist usually catches it before he/she fills it. Only certain medicines are ordered in these amounts...like synthroid (levothyrixine). Because of this, we're pretty familiar if a mistake is made. Alot of medical records are computerized currently. Scripts are printed by computers..these mistakes are very rare with these systems.

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mcg=microgram= 1/1,000,000,th or 0.000001 of a gram
mg=milligram = 1/1000th or 0.001 of a gram.

Some helpful FYI:
follow each by gram. ex ; kilogram or kg

kilo k 1,000
hecto h 100
deka dk 10
deci d 0.1
centi c 0.01
milli m 0.001
micro mc 0.000001
nano n 0.000000001

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