# PUMPS....bad at math!!!



## jessieindiego (Jan 27, 2009)

Have a doctor thats doing pumps just got the invoice and it goes like this:

Fentanyl 40mg/ml in a 20ml vial

Now J3010 is per 0.1 per the code, how do I equate this to see what the quanity is per ml.

I hope I made sense because it makes no sense to me.


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## jdrueppel (Jan 28, 2009)

Ok - I'm not sure about this but this is what I'm thinking.  If J3010 = 0.1 mg  and your vial has 40 mg per ml.  If you administer 2 ml then that dose contains 80 mg (2 ml x  40 mg = 80) then it converts to J3010 800 units.  

Is there anyone out there billing drugs that can confirm or correct my math? 

Julie, CPC


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## non236 (Jan 29, 2009)

If I am interpreting what you wrote correctly, then I would think if one vial was dispensed, then that would mean 800 mg of fentanyl was dispensed b/c if there are 40 mg/ml you would have to multiply that by 20 to determine the # of mg in the vial.  Then you would multiply 800 mg x 0.1 which is for J3010 to determine the # units to bill, which would be 80 units.  We do a lot of pain pump refills where I work but I have never calculated fentanyl before.  I mostly see PF morphine sulfate, clonidine, and baclofen but we have to calculate these in a similar fashion.  I hope what I wrote makes sense!


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## jessieindiego (Jan 29, 2009)

thank you so much for your help....thats what i was coming up with but some how it didnt look right to me...


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## jdrueppel (Feb 1, 2009)

Sorry I'm still not getting this - if your code is per .1 mg how can your units reported be less than the actual of whole mg dosage?  If you gave the whole vial, which is 800 mg, wouldn't it be 8000 units?

Julie, CPC


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## non236 (Feb 1, 2009)

Because the code J3010 states that it represents 0.1 mg, which is a tenth of a mg, therefore making it less.  If the code stated it represents 1 mg then you simply would be billing 800 units, b/c 1 x 800 = 800, but b/c it represents 0.1 mg then you have to multiply 0.1 x 800, which = 80 units.  I hope this makes more sense hopefully!


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## jdrueppel (Feb 1, 2009)

Right, the code is asking you how many 'tenths of a mg' you administered and at a 800 mg dosage you are giving 8000 units.   If, as you say, it is 80 units then you are only giving 8 mg.  For example it you gave 1 mg then you would report 10 (ten tenths makes 1).

Not trying to be argumentative but I guess we have to agree to disagree.

Julie, CPC


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## non236 (Feb 1, 2009)

I'll agree to agree with you actually and be the first to admit the error of my ways!  Seems I was multiplying where I should have been dividing.  I don't know why I decided to multiply on this one since I bill J2275 all the time and that is per 10 mg and I always calculate the # mg and divide by 10 to determine the # units.  Thanks for a very good brain workout on this one!


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