Pharmaceutical Industry II Flashcards
Dr. Cardoso (11 cards)
Describe the compression process in tableting.
The formulated powders or granules are fed into the die section (i.e. in the space between the lower and upper punches) from the hopper on the tablet press.
The volume of space occupied by the granules/powders is defined by the position of the lower punch and the die plate (also where the feed shoe of the hopper resides).
Accordingly, the mass of solid material within this space (and hence the size of the tablet) is altered by increasing/decreasing the position of the lower punch.
The upper and lower punch come together to compress the powder within the die cavity and the tablet is ejected.
Mention 5 tablet defects.
- Picking and sticking
- Capping
- Lamination
- Mottling
- Chipping
- Double Impression
Draw the diagram of a single punch machine.
[Learn Diagram]
What are picking and sticking. What are the causes and solutions?
In picking, a small surface of the tablet material is removed by the punches and adheres to the surface of punches, causing a pitted surface on the tablet
In sticking, the granules adhere to the die wall and thus the lower punch can not move freely.
Causes:
1. Worn out die and punches
2. Excessive moisture in granules.
3. Insufficient lubricant granules.
Solutions:
1. Adequate drying of granules
2. Replacing worn out dies and punches
3. Using adequate lubricant
4 Using less adhesive type binder
What is capping? State its causes and solutions.
In capping, the upper and lower surface of the tablet partially or completely separates out from the main body of the tablet.
Causes:
1. Overdrying of the granules
2. Excess of fine powder in granule or less amount of fine powder in granules.
3. The wear and tear of punches may also be responsible for capping
4. The wrong setting of dies and punches
5. Inadequate binder
Solutions:
1. Water should be added in the form of spray to the granules
2. Reduce amount of fine powders in granules by seiving
3. Replace worn-out punch and die
4. Use proper die and punche settings
What is lamination? State its causes and solutions.
In lamination, the tablet separates into two or more layers horizontally.
Causes:
1. Excessive moisture or dryness in granules.
2. Incorrect compression pressure.
3. Air entrapment during compression.
4. Excess fine powder in granules
5. Insufficient binder
Solutions:
1. Adjust drying parameters to ensure optimal moisture content
2. Altering the Pressure adjustment to let out entrapped air
3. Adjust compression speed
4. Reduce the amount of fine powders in the granules
5. Using adequate binder in the formulation.
What is mottling? State its causes and solutions.
This is uneven colour distribution on a coloured tablet.
Cause:
1. Migration of dyes during drying of granules
Solutions:
1. Changing the solvent system
2. Drying granules at a lower temperature
What is chipping? State its causes and solutions.
Chipping is the breaking of tablet edges.
Causes:
1. Worn out dies or punches
2. Excess moisture in granules
3. Insufficient lubricant
4. Insufficient or improper binders
5. Improper setting of feed frame.
Solutions:
1. Replace worn out dies or punches
2. Adjust moisture content in granules
3. Use adequate lubricant
4. Use adequate binder
5. Proper setting of the feed frame.
What is double impression? State its causes and solutions.
A dark and a lighter impression on tablet surface is called double impression.
Cause:
Uncontrolled free rotation of the lower punch during ejection of the compressed tablets.
Solution:
Fit an anti turning device with lower punch, which prevents the rotation of the lower punch.
What are the advantages and uses of rotary tablet presses?
Advantages:
1. They can independently control weight, thickness and hardness of tablets, if equipped with available peripheral devices
2. They can produce up to 1,000,000+ tablets per hour, depending on press size and tooling configurations.
3. They can precisely control and manage the filling of die cavities, through an induced feeder
4. Greater cost efficiency than single punch presses
Uses:
- Rotary presses have pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, confectionery and veterinary applications.
-They are also used to produce catalysts, ceramics, powdered metals and other materials deemed suitably compressible.
Discuss the effect of COVID on the pharmaceutical sector
The COVID-19 international travel ban severely challenged Nigeria’s pharmaceutical care system due to the country’s heavy reliance on imported medicines and raised concerns about whether the local pharmaceutical industry could meet the population’s medicine needs and whether the travel ban would disrupt the availability of essential drugs.
Diruption in access to medicine threatened the SDG goals 1, 3, 8 and 9.
Reduced imports led to drug shortages and price hikes, intensifying pressure on local supplies. However, the crisis also created an opportunity to strengthen Nigeria’s pharmaceutical sector by boosting local drug production and reducing dependency on imports.
