Semisolid dosage forms and rheology Flashcards
Overview of semi solid dosage forms
Ointments, creams and gels are semisolid dosage forms intended
for topical application
• May be applied to skin, placed on the surface of the eye, used
nasally, vaginally or rectally
• Most used for the effects of the therapeutic agents they contain;
unmedicated ones are used as protectants or lubricants
• Topical applications can be used for local or systemic effects
Ointments
Semisolid preparation intended for external application to skin or
mucous membranes
• May be medicated or not
• Ointment bases may be used for their physical effects or as vehicles
for medicated ointments
Ointment bases
- Oleaginous
- Absorption
- Water-removable
- Water-soluble
Oleaginous (or hydrocarbon) bases
On application to skin, have an emollient effect, protect against
escape of moisture, effective as occlusive dressings, can remain on
the skin for long periods without drying out, and are difficult to wash
off due to their immiscibility with water
Levigation
commonly used to reduce particle size and grittiness of added powders
Oleaginous bases, when powder substances are to be incorporated
mineral oil may be
used as the levigating agent
Oleaginous bases examples
Petrolatum, USP - yellow petroleum and petroleum jelly ( vaseline)
White petrolatum- petroleum jelly ( white vaseline)
Yellow ointment- simple ointment
White ointment
Petrolatum, USP – Also known as (AKA), yellow petrolatum and petroleum jelly
Purified mixture of semisolid hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum
– Unctuous mass, varying in color from yellowish to light amber
– Melts at 38-60 C
– Can be used alone or in combination with other agents as an ointment base
– Example: Vaseline
White petrolatum, USP – AKA, petroleum jelly
Purified mixture of semisolid hydrocarbons from petroleum
– Wholly or nearly decolorized
– Considered more esthetically pleasing by some
– Example: White Vaseline
Yellow ointment, USP – AKA, simple ointment
1000 g contains: 50 g yellow wax and 950 g petrolatum
– Has a slightly greater viscosity than plain petrolatum
White ointment, USP
1000 g contains: 50 g white wax (bleached yellow wax) and 950 g white petrolatum
Yellow and white ointments are prepared by
melting the wax component, adding the
petrolatum until mixture is uniform, then cooling and stirring until congealed
Absorption bases
May be used as emollients
- are not easily removed from the skin because external phase is oleaginous, and are useful as pharmaceutical adjuncts to incorporate small volumes of aqueous
solutions into hydrocarbon bases
Two types of absorption bases
A. Those that permit incorporation of aqueous solutions resulting in water-in-oil emulsions (W/O)* (called Anhydrous)
B. Those that are water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions that permit incorporation of additional quantities of aqueous solutions
*Emulsions are
disperse systems where a liquid is dispersed in an external liquid phase
Absorption bases examples
- Hydrophilic petrolatum, USP
- Lanolin, USP – AKA, anhydrous lanolin
- Hydrophilic petrolatum, USP
Type A absorption base
- Stearyl alcohol and white wax are melted, cholesterol added with stirring until
dissolved, white petrolatum added, then cooled while stirring until congealed
– Aquaphor is a variation of hydrophilic petrolatum
Lanolin, USP – AKA, anhydrous lanolin
Type B absorption base
– Obtained from wool of sheep
– Wax-like substance that has been cleaned, deodorized and decolorized
– Contains no more than 0.25% water; additional water may be incorporated by
mixing
Water-removable bases
Oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions resembling creams
– External phase is aqueous
-More easily washed from skin, may be diluted with water or aqueous
solutions, and can absorb serous discharges
Water-removable bases example
Hydrophilic ointment, USP
-Stearyl alcohol and white petrolatum are melted together at ~75 C; the
other agents, dissolved in the purified water, are added with stirring until
mixture congeals
Water-soluble bases
Do NOT contain oleaginous components
- are completely water
washable and often referred to as greaseless
- Soften greatly with water, large amounts of aqueous solutions not
effectively incorporated
• Mostly used for incorporation of solid substances
Water-soluble base example
Polyethylene glycol ointment, NF
Numeric designations associated with PEGs refer to average molecular
weight of the polymer
• Viscosity increases with molecular weight
• <600 – Clear, colorless liquids
• 600-1000 – Semisolids
• >1000 – White, wax-like
Selection of the appropriate
base
• Depends on number of factors, including
- Desired release rate of drug substance from base
- Desirability of topical or percutaneous drug absorption
- Desirability of occlusion of moisture from skin
- Stability of drug in the base
- Effect, if any, of the drug on consistency or other features of the
base - Desire for a base easily removed by washing with water
- Characteristics of the surface to which it is applied
Effect of ointment bases on drug release
The partition of a water-insoluble (lipophilic) drug into the skin may decrease in an oleaginous phase due to the drug’s affinity toward the formulation
Lipophilic drug release can be significantly increased when
the ointment base shows
an increased water affinity
When would you recommend water-soluble and water-removable bases
- rapid release of lipophilic drugs
-also useful for drugs that undergo hydrolytic degradations,
as formulations can be made that contain no water
For hydrophilic drugs, absorption bases
(anhydrous and W/O emulsion systems) can
provide greater drug release rates, as the base has low affinity for the drug and also
absorbs water, allowing easier passage of the drug through the ointment matrix
Preparation of ointments methods
- Incorporation
2. Fusion
Incorporation
Components mixed until uniform preparation is attained
Incorporation of solids
Ointment base placed on one side of working surface and powdered components, their particle size previously reduced*, on the other side, add powder with a portion of the base and continue with geometric dilution until all is combined and uniformly blended
Incorporation of liquids
Add only after due consideration of an ointment base’s
capacity to accept the volume required
*Levigating ointments
agent in which it is insoluble in
- reduces particle size of a powder before incorporation into the ointment base
When necessary to add an aqueous preparation to a hydrophobic base
the solution first may be incorporated into a minimum amount of hydrophilic
base, and then this added to the hydrophobic base
Fusion
All or some of the components of an ointment are combined by
being melted together and cooled with constant stirring until
congealed
- Components not melted are added as it is being cooled and stirred