317 - Pharmaceutics Flashcards

1
Q

What is the importance of performing calculations correctly?

A
  • prevents waiting times/workload
  • prevents patient receiving incorrect quantity
  • prevents financial impact
  • patient gets the correct product (strength)
  • patient harm/death
  • ensures product is effective
  • reduce waste
  • accurate calculations ensure product is fit for purpose - not separated out
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2
Q

Is a 3% solution of sodium chloride in water:

w/w, v/v w/v?

A

w/v

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3
Q

Is a 1 in 4 cream contatining betnovate cream mixed with aquaeous cream:

w/w, v/v or w/v?

A

w/w

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4
Q

Is a 5% solution of alcohol in chloroform water:

w/w, v/v or w/v?

A

v/v

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5
Q

Is a 10% solution of sugar dissolved in water:

w/w, v/v or w/v?

A

w/v

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6
Q

What are the units for something which is weight by volume?

A

g/ml are the units for a substance which is w/v

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7
Q

How would you calculate the percentage of sodium chloride in a sodium chloride solution if there is 1.5g of sodium chloride dissolved in 60ml of water?

A

1.5g / 60ml x 100 = 2.5%

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8
Q

How would you calculate the percentage of potassium permanganate dissolved in water if there is 400mg of potassium permanganate dissolved in 4 litres of water.

A

The units need to be in g and ml.

400mg = 0.4g

4L = 4000ml

0.4/4000 x 100 = 0.01%

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9
Q

How would you calculate how much active ingredient is in a 120g product with a ratio strength of 1 in 25?

A

120g / 25 = 4.8g

Divide the total quantity by the proportion.

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10
Q

How much coal tar solution 2% w/v would contain 140mg of coal tar?

A

How much coal tar solution 2% w/v would contain 140mg of coal tar?

2% of 100ml = 2g

2g of active ingredient in 100ml = 2000mg

total/proportion

140mg / 2000mg x 100 = 7ml

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11
Q

What calculation is used to calculate displacement values?

A

amount of base required = total weight of base - (weight of medicament (g) / displacement value)

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12
Q

How many extra should you calculate for making when making suppositories or pessaries?

A

When making suppositories or pessaries calculate to make two extra.

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13
Q

Calculate the quantity of theobroma oil (base) required to make eight hamamelis and zinc oxide suppositories.

Formula

Hamamelis 0.2g

Zinc oxide 0.1g

Theobroma oil sufficient to make 1g suppository

A

Calculate the quantity of theobroma oil (base) required to make eight hamamelis and zinc oxide suppositories.

Formula

Hamamelis 0.2g

Zinc oxide 0.1g

Theobroma oil sufficient to make 1g suppository

  • the question says make 8 so make 10 to account for loss

hamamelis 0.2g x 10 = 2g

zinc oxide 0.1g x 10 = 1g

theobroma oil 1g x 10 = 10g

amount of base = (2g / 1.5) + (1g / 4.7)

= 1.3 + 0.2127… = 1.5

= 10g - 1.5 = 8.5g of theobroma oil

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14
Q

The term ‘child’, unless specified otherwise, refers to patients of what age?

A

A child is a patient of age 12 years and younger.

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15
Q

What does a narrow therapeutic index mean?

A

There is a narrow dose between toxicity and therapeutic.

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16
Q

Why may young children require a higher dose than adults?

A

Young children may require a higher dose than adults due to their high metabolic rate.

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17
Q

When should special care be taken when doing a body-weight calculation for dose?

A

Special care should be taken when calculating for an overweight child so as not to overdose them. An ‘ideal weight’ for the child may need to be used instead.

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18
Q

Why are body weight calculations often used when calculating doses for children?

A

Body weight is used when calculating doses for children as the child may be premature or not developing as quickly.

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19
Q

What are the units used when calculating doses around body weight?

A

mg/kg are used for doses based on body weight.

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20
Q

When would body surface area calculations be used to calculate dose?

A

Body surface area calculations are used for paediatric doses and also for chemotherapy patients.

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21
Q

What is the body surface area calculation?

A

surface area of patient (m2)

——————————————- x adult dose

1.73

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22
Q

Why is 1.73 used on the bottom of the body surface area calculation?

A

1.73 is used because it is the average surface area of a 70kg individual.

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23
Q

What is the dispensary calculation?

A

what you want

————————– x ml the strength is given in

what you’ve got

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24
Q

An adult dose of paracetamol is 500mg, how would you work out a child’s dose aged 5 years?

A

An adult dose of paracetamol is 500mg, how would you work out a child’s dose aged 5 years?

  • use the body surface area calculation

surface area of pt/1.73 x adult dose

  • a 5 year old child has a surface area of 0.74m2
    0. 74 / 1.73 x 500

=214mg

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25
Q

If a child requires a 214mg dose but the dispensary only has liquid paracetamol of strength 250mg/5ml, calculate how much to give.

A

If a child requires a 214mg dose but the dispensary only has liquid paracetamol of strength 250mg/5ml, calculate how much to give.

  • use the dispensary calculation

what you want / what you have x ml the strength is in

214mg / 250mg x 5ml = 4.28ml

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26
Q

What is the weighing range for a class B balance?

A

A class B balance can weigh between 100mg to 50g.

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27
Q

What is the weighable range for an electronic top pan balance?

A

An electronic top pan balance can weigh between 100mg and 300g.

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28
Q

What is the procedure when weighing crystals to be ground down?

A

Weigh over the amount, grind down, reweigh

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29
Q

What is the procedure for using a measure?

A
  1. ensure the measure is clean
  2. bring yourself down to eye level with measurement
  3. measure on a flat surface
  4. take the reading from the bottom of the
    * *meniscus**
  5. get it checked
  6. clean the measure
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30
Q

What volume of liquid should be measured in a syringe?

A

5ml or less. Means it is more accurate.

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31
Q

What small volume can be measured in a pipette?

A

Pipettes can be used to measure down to 0.01ml.

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32
Q

What equipment is used for mixing and grinding?

A
  • pestle and mortar
  • water bath and hot plate
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33
Q

What type of pestle and mortar should be used for grinding?

A

A flat-bottomed pestle and mortar should be used for grinding.

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34
Q

What are porcelain pestle and mortars useful for?

A
  • ideal for size reduction of solids i.e grinding crystals
  • mixing of solids and liquids (i.e preparations of suspensions and emulsions)
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35
Q

Why are a flat-bottomed mortar and pestle better for grinding?

A

Using a flat-bottomed mortar and a flat-ended pestle makes it easier to grind down crystals becasue the crystaks are more likely to stay in the bottom of the mortar and not migrate up the sides.

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36
Q

How should a mortar and pestle be used for mixing?

A
  • do not overfill
  • the pestle should be rotated in both directions to ensure thorough mixing
  • do not use too much pressure or the powder will compact on the bottom
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37
Q

What is placed on a hot plate to heat items that cannot be heated directly?

A

A water bath is sat on a hot plate.

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38
Q

What equipment sits in a water bath?

A

An evaporating dish sits on a water bath.

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39
Q

What are examples of semi-solids?

A

Ointments, creams and gels are all examples of semi-solids.

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40
Q

What extra precaution should be taken when weighing opaque liquids?

A

A measure should be chosen with different coloured graduations to the opaque liquid being measured.

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41
Q

What precautions should be taken when measuring a viscous liquid?

A

Perhaps measure slightly less than the desired quantity, allow the liquid to settle and then add more once it has drained from the sides of the flask.

42
Q

What potential errors could occur when manufacturing pharmaceutical products?

A
  • incorrect measure used to measure liquids - reduced accuracy
  • incorrect amount of liquid measured - not reading from the bottom of the meniscus
  • not overweighing before grinding - some lost in the process
  • not zeroising the scale
  • measured the wrong thing - not reading the bottle
  • measuring in the inappropriate vesicle (flask vs syringe)
43
Q

Give examples of vehicles

A
  • water
  • alcohol
  • chloroform water
44
Q

What is a vehicle?

A

A vehicle is a substance/medium that contains ingredients of a medicine.

45
Q

What term is used instead of ‘vehicle’ when making semi-solids?

A

The term base is used instead of vehicles when making semi-solids.

46
Q

Why is water used as a vehicle?

A
  • non-toxic (oral)
  • neutral pH
  • palatable
  • cheap
  • unreactive
  • non-irritant
  • easy to store
47
Q

What is potable water?

A

Potable water is drinking water drawn feshly from the mains supply. It is palatable and safe for drinking.

48
Q

What are the uses of potable water?

A

Potable water is used in reconstituting antibiotic suspensions.

49
Q

What is distilled water?

A

Distilled water is purified by distillation. It is boiled & condensed to remove impurities.

50
Q

What are the uses of distilled water?

A

Distilled water is used to rinse equipment prior to manufacturing and for cleaning equipment.

51
Q

What is deionised water?

A

Deionised water has the ions removed. Ions are removed using an ion exchange process. Tap water is full of ions from the soil (Na+, Ca2+) and the pipes (Fe2+, Cu2+)

52
Q

What are the uses of deionised water?

A

Deionised water is used when testing products (deionised so won’t react with anything being tested) and for cleaning equipment used in tests.

53
Q

What is water for preparations?

A

Water for preparations is purified water that has been freshly cooled and boiled which is used in oral and external products which are not intended to be sterile.

54
Q

What are the uses of water for preparations?

A

Water for preparations is used to make creams, ointments, suspensions and solutions.

55
Q

What is water for injections?

A

Water for injections is water that is pyrogen free distilled water that is sterilised immediately after collection.

56
Q

What are the uses of water for injections?

A

Water for injections is used for reconstituting powdered vials.

57
Q

What is pyrogen free water?

A

Pyrogen free water is free from fever causing components.

(it is not sterilised unlike water for injections)

58
Q

What are the uses of pyrogen free water?

A

Pyrogen free water is used to manufacture anything parenteral. (large-scale manufacturing).

59
Q

What is comminution?

A

The breaking, crushing or grinding of crystals.

60
Q

What is the goal of mixing?

A

To ensure even distribution of all ingredients has occured.

61
Q

How are two liquids mixed together?

A

Simple stirring or shaking is usually all that is required to mix two or more liquids.

The degree of stirring or shaking will be dependent on the viscosities of the liquids.

62
Q

What are immiscible liquids?

A

Immiscible liquids do not mix.

63
Q

What is an emulsion?

A

An emulsion consists of two immiscible liquids and an emulsifying agent.

64
Q

Why is particle size important when mixing a solid with a liquid?

A

Smaller particle size = increased surface area = speeds up the dissolving process and improves the uniform distribution of the solid through the liquid..

65
Q

What is the name given to a solid dissolved in a liquid?

A

A solid dissolved in a liquid is a solution.

66
Q

What is the name that is given to a solid that does not dissolve in a liquid but is held in it instead?

A

A solid that does not dissolve in a liquid but is held in it is a suspension.

67
Q

Define homogenous.

A

Homogenous means the same.

68
Q

What is trituration?

A

Trituration is the process for mixing a small quantity of solid with a large quantity of solid.

69
Q

Define the process of the doubling up method.

A
  • the ingredient with the smallest bulk is placed in the mortar
  • approximately an equal quantity of the second ingredient is added to the mortar and mixed using the pestle
  • a further quantity of the second ingredient approximately equal in volume to the mixture in the mortar is now added
  • this process is the ‘doubling up’ method and is continued until all the powder has been added
70
Q

What equipment is used whe mixing semi-solids?

A

An ointment slab and a spatula.

71
Q

What is levigation?

A

Levigation is used when mixing in a solid also. Need to apply pressure to grind it down.

72
Q

What are creams?

A

Creams are viscous semi-solids for external use.

73
Q

What are two different types of bases for creams?

A

Creams can have a water-in-oil base or an oil-in-water base.

74
Q

What are the properties of water-in-oil bases?

A
  • oily - display oil properties
  • emollient properties
  • moisturising
  • hydrating, trap moisture
  • emulsifying agent tends to be of a natural origin - beeswax/wool fat
75
Q

What are the properties of oil-in-water bases?

A
  • aqueous
  • rapidly absorb
  • use this cream to soak into the lower layers
  • synthetic emulsifying agent - cetomacrogol.
76
Q

What are the two common mixing techniques used when preparing creams?

A

Trituration and levigation

77
Q

TRUE or FALSE

When preparing creams you should always make an excess.

A

TRUE!

You should always make an excess when preparing creams as it is never possible to transfer it all to the final container.

78
Q

What is the process for preparing a cream?

A
  1. make an excess
  2. use pharmaceutical codex or BP to determine which ingredients are soluble in aqueous phase and which are soluble in the oily phase
  3. melt fatty base in water bath at lowest possible temperature. - the temperature of the fatty base should never exceed 60oC
  4. substances soluble in the oily phase should be stirred in
  5. the aqueous phase temperature should be adjusted to 60oC
  6. the aqueous phase should be added to the oily phase - both stages need to be the same temperature
    • if oil-in-water then oil should be added to the water
    • if water-in-oil then water should be added to oil
  7. stir product until cool
79
Q

What are suitable containers for packaging creams?

A

Either wide-necked ointment jar or a metal tube.

80
Q

Why are amber jars preferable to clear jars?

A

Amber jars protect the product from the light.

81
Q

What is a solution?

A

A solution is a homogenous mixture of two or more components. They contain one or more solutes dissolved in one or more solvents, usually solids dissolved in liquids.

82
Q

What is a solvent?

A

A solvent is a liquid, capable of dissolving substances,

83
Q

What is a solute?

A

A solute is the substance being dissolved.

84
Q

When both the solvent and the solute are liquids, which of them is the solvent?

A

When both the solvent and the solute are liquids, the one with the larger volume is the solvent.

85
Q

What are some common examples of pharmaceutical solutions?

A
  • mouthwash
  • eye drops
  • nebuliser solution
  • oral solutions
  • saline/IV
  • topical solutions (iodine)
  • inhaled solutions (anaesthetics)
  • nasaldrops
  • nasal sprays
  • enemas
86
Q

What is a syrup?

A

A syrup is an aqueous solution that contains sugar.

87
Q

What is an elixir?

A

An elixir is a clear, flavoured liquid containing a high proportion of sucrose or a suitable alcohol vehicle.

88
Q

What is a linctus?

A

A linctus is a viscous liquid used in the treatment of a cough. They should be sipped and swallowed slowly and usually containing a high proportion of sucrose or alcohol.

89
Q

What is a mixture?

A

A mixture is a general term used to describe pharmaceutical oral solutions and suspensions.

90
Q

What are oral drops?

A

Oral drops are an oral solution which is administered in small volumes using a suitable measuring device.

91
Q

Where might contamination occur from?

A
  • us
  • environment
  • equipment
  • ingredients
92
Q

Give examples of preservatives

A
  • chloroform water
  • syrup
  • benzoic acid 0.1%
93
Q

What is an ointment?

A

Ointments are preparations for external use but differ from creams in that they have greasy bases. Ointments usually contain a medicament or a mixture of medicaments dissolved or dispersed in the base.

94
Q

What state is a wax at room temperature?

A

A wax is solid at room temperature.

95
Q

What state is a fat at room temperature?

A

A fat is semi-solid, soft at room temperature.

96
Q

What state is an oil at room temperature?

A

An oil is liquid at room temperature.

97
Q

The base of a traditional ointment consists of a mixture of what?

A

The base of a traditional ointment consists of a mixture of waxes, fats and oils.

98
Q

If you wanted to make an ointment thicker, what would you add more of?

A

If you wanted to make an ointment thicker, you would add more wax.

99
Q

If you wanted to make your ointment thinner, what would you add more of?

A

If you wanted to make your ointment thinner, you would add more oil.

100
Q

Define fusion.

A

Fusion is using heat or mixing to prepare an ointment base.

This involves melting the bases together over a water bath before incorporating any other ingredients.

101
Q

What is the general method for fusion?

A
  1. always make an excess due to losses during manufacture
  2. determine the melting points of the bases and then melt together. Start with the base with the highest melting point
  3. add the ingredients to the evaporating dish and melt over a water bath at the lowest possible temperature. Check the temperature using a thermometer
  4. as the first base cools, add the ingredients with decreasing melting points, stir continuously to ensure a homogenous mix before leaving to set. It is important to stir gently to avoid incorporating air which could result in a lumpy product.