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FUN D > D5-D6 Liquid medicines > Flashcards

D5-D6 Liquid medicines Flashcards

1
Q

state 3 types of liquid medicines

A
  • suspensions
  • solutions
  • emulsions
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2
Q

describe a solution

A

all ingredients are dissolved and therefore present as single molecules within the liquid

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3
Q

describe a suspension

A

insoluble solid particles dispersed in the liquid

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4
Q

describe an emulsion

A
  • insoluble liquid droplets dispersed in another liquid
  • eg. oil soluble and water soluble products together
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5
Q

in liquid medicines, describe the excipient: the vehicle

A
  • the most common vehicle is water (must be BP quality)
  • thick sweet liquids eg. syrup, sorbitol solution, glycerol
  • more appetising and easier to pour and measure in a spoon
  • other liquids eg. alcohol, ether, propylene glycol
  • mainly for external medicines eg. wart remover, acne treatment etc.
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6
Q

what is the difference between the 2 liquid medicine vehicles of purified water BP and water for injection BP?

A

purified water BP
- used in liquid medicines
- low level or salts and impurities

water for injection BP
- sterile and particle-free
- used in injections and eye drops as you don’t want particles in these because they could block small blood vessels or irritate the eyes

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7
Q

in liquid medicines, describe the excipient: preservatives

A
  • type of stabiliser
  • inhibit microorganism growth
  • added to water-containing medicines to prevent food poisoning, contamination of the medicine causing reinfection and microorganisms degrading the medicine
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8
Q

what are some issues with preservatives in liquid medicines?

A
  • patients may react to them eg. allergy to skin products
  • pharmacist must select an appropriate product
  • ‘specials’ manufactured without the preservative that the patient may react to
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9
Q

state some ingredients that can act as preservatives

A
  • internal: sorbates, benzoates, benzyl alcohol, methyl, ethyl, propyl parahydroxybenzoate
  • external: benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride, thiomersal, borates, chlorocresol, chlorobutanol

other:

  • dehydrate microorganisms so they’re unable to multiply: glycerol, sorbitol, syrup (only at high concentrations)
  • alcohol >10%
  • diluted chloroform (toxic at high concentrations)
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10
Q

in liquid medicines, describe the excipient: antioxidants

A
  • type of stabiliser
  • react with dissolved oxygen
  • oxidised more easily than the drug or other excipients so they terminate oxidation and free radical reactions
  • oxygen then won’t be available to react with what you want to protect
  • can be water-soluble or oil-soluble
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11
Q

examples of water-soluble antioxidants

A
  • ascorbic acid (vitamin C)
  • sulphites
  • sulphur dioxide
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12
Q

examples of oil-soluble antioxidants

A
  • tocopherol (vitamin E)
  • butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA)
  • butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)
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13
Q

what are chelating agents?

A
  • form complexes with heavy metal ions
  • reduces their ability to catalyse oxidation reactions
  • eg. EDTA
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14
Q

in liquid medicines, describe the excipient: buffers

A
  • type of stabiliser
  • mixture of weak acid and its salt or a weak base and its salt
  • if small conc of base is added, hydroxide ions react with weak acid to form salt and water
  • if small conc of acid is added, protons react with salt to form acid and water
  • conc of protons in solution (and pH) remains the same
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15
Q

what pH range must medicines be in?

A

3-9

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16
Q

what is the pKa of a buffer?

A

the pH at which the concentration of the 2 buffering species are equal
eg. the weak acid and its salt

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17
Q

why are buffers important in liquid medicines?

A
  • pH can affect the tastes of medicines
  • alkaline will taste soapy
  • acidic will taste sour
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18
Q

what are the 4 different types of sweeteners that can be used in liquid medicines?

A
  • sugars
  • glycerol
  • sugar alcohols
  • artificial sweeteners
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19
Q

describe the common form and characteristics of sugars being used as sweeteners in liquid medicines

A
  • syrup BP (67% of sucrose in water)
  • causes tooth decay
  • preservative if undiluted
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20
Q

describe the common form and characteristics of glycerol being used as a sweetener in liquid medicines

A
  • glycerol BP
  • often used in cough medicines (demulcent: helps with irritation)
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21
Q

describe the common form and characteristics of sugar alcohols being used as sweeteners in liquid medicines

A
  • sorbitol BP (70% sorbitol in water)
  • often used in sugar-free medicines
  • no tooth decay and suitable for diabetics
  • not calorie-free
  • can cause bloating, cramps, diarrhoea
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22
Q

describe the characteristics of artificial sweeteners being used as sweeteners in liquid medicines

A
  • different taste
  • no calories or tooth decay
  • safety is unknown
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23
Q

in liquid medicines, describe the excipient: flavourings

A
  • taste mask the drugs
  • can be natural, natural identical or artificial
24
Q

what is meant by a natural identical flavouring?

A

same chemical structure as a natural product but made in a lab

25
Q

what flavouring should be used to combat a sour tasting medicine?

A

fruits
citrus

26
Q

what flavouring should be used to combat a soapy tasting medicine?

A

chocolate
caramel
aniseed

27
Q

what flavouring should be used to combat a salty tasting medicine?

A

vanilla
butterscotch
cinnamon

28
Q

what flavouring should be used to combat a bitter tasting medicine?

A

chocolate
mint
liquorice

29
Q

what flavouring should be used to combat a medicine with strong aftertaste?

A

liquorice
aniseed

30
Q

state the 5 types of traditional flavourings

A
  • oils
  • spirits and tinctures
  • concentrated waters
  • waters
  • syrups
31
Q

describe the traditional flavouring: oils
give example

A
  • the pure oil
  • very concentrated
  • straight from the plant

eg. peppermint oil

32
Q

describe the traditional flavouring: spirits and tinctures
give example

A
  • concentrated oil or flavour in alcohol
  • not suitable for those who don’t drink

eg. peppermint spirit

33
Q

describe the traditional flavouring: concentrated waters
give example

A
  • concentrated solution or emulsion in water

eg. concentrated peppermint water, concentrated chloroform water

34
Q

describe the traditional flavouring: waters
give example

A
  • the most diluted form

eg. double strength chloroform water

35
Q

describe the traditional flavouring: syrups
give example

A
  • a flavour syrup

eg. orange syrup BP

36
Q

what are the 3 different types of colours that can be used in liquid medicines?

A
  • synthetic
  • inorganic
  • natural
37
Q

describe synthetic colours used in liquid medicines

A
  • thousands available
  • commonly have an azo group (-N=N)
  • more permitted for skin use, cosmetics and clothing (there are few that are safe to ingest)
38
Q

describe inorganic colours used in liquid medicines

A
  • iron oxides (yellow, red, black) used in tablet coats (to make them a different colour or more shiny)
  • titanium dioxide (white): opacifant
39
Q

what colour is betanin and where does it come from?

A

purple
beetroot

40
Q

what colour is cochineal and where does it come from?

A

deep red
beetles

41
Q

what colour is lycopene and where does it come from?

A

red
tomatoes

42
Q

what colour is caramel and where does it come from?

A

brown
burnt sugar

43
Q

what colour is curcumin and where does it come from?

A

yellow
turmeric root

44
Q

what are the issues with colours as excipients in liquid medicines?

A
  • not essential
  • adverse effects
  • gradually being withdrawn from food / medicines in the EU
  • natural are usually safer but more likely to trigger allergy
45
Q

state some example of adverse effects that have been caused by colours in liquid medicines

A
  • azo dyes are linked to bronchoconstriction in those with asthma
  • 6 food colourings have been linked to hyperactivity in children
  • titanium dioxide may be linked to colorectal cancer
46
Q

in liquid medicines, describe the excipient: solubility enhancers

A
  • help solubilising the drug and excipients
    eg. cosolvents, surfactants
47
Q

describe surfactants

A
  • long molecules that have hydrophilic head and a hydrophobic tail that self-assemble into micelles
  • form micelles in water which helps dissolve hydrophobic drugs in water when they wouldn’t naturally do this
48
Q

what are some issues with suspensions?

A
  • poor physical stability
  • prone to caking and separation
49
Q

what is caking and separation?

A
  • over time, undissolved particles fall to the bottom of the bottle due to gravity
  • at an early stage, this is called separation and the particles can be redispersed by shaking the bottle
  • after a prolonged time, the particles at the bottom start to stick together and ‘cake’
  • this is difficult to redisperse
50
Q

why is caking dangerous?

A
  • bottom of bottle will have a very high concentration of drug
  • may cause an overdose
51
Q

how can separation and caking be prevented?

A
  • tell patient to always shake the bottle before taking
  • decrease size of suspended particles by grinding and sieving
  • increase the viscosity of the vehicle (add thickening agent)
  • flocculate
  • improve ‘wetting’ of suspended particles (add surfactant)
52
Q

in liquid medicines, describe the excipient: thickening agents

A
  • increase the viscosity of the vehicle
  • slow down the fall of suspended particles
  • can be used to increase residence time of external medicines at site of action eg. eye drops
  • tend to be long molecules
53
Q

what are some common examples of thickening agents?

A
  • cellulose ethers
  • polysaccharides
  • synthetic polymers
  • proteins
54
Q

what kinds of liquids can conical measures be used to measure?

A
  • free-flowing liquids
  • not viscous liquids
55
Q

how can you measure viscous liquids?

A
  • weigh them taking their density into account
  • small amount: weighing boat
  • large amount: beaker
  • rinse vessel afterwards and add washings
56
Q

do conical measures require rinsing?

A

no

FUN D (8 decks)

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