If a patient is prescribed 1.5 grams of a medication and the available concentration is 500 mg, how many tablets should be administered?

To determine the correct number of tablets to administer, the key is to convert the patient's prescribed dosage from grams to milligrams, as the available concentration is given in milligrams.

1.5 grams is equivalent to 1500 mg (since 1 gram = 1000 mg). Therefore, the patient needs a total of 1500 mg of the medication.

Next, knowing that each tablet contains 500 mg, you divide the total required dosage by the amount in each tablet:

1500 mg (required) ÷ 500 mg (per tablet) = 3 tablets.

This calculation shows that the patient should receive 3 tablets to meet the prescribed dosage of 1.5 grams. Hence, the correct answer is 3 tablets, which aligns with the provided choice that was selected. Understanding the conversion between grams and milligrams, along with the division based on tablet concentration, is crucial in dosage calculations.