suppositories Flashcards
What are two base types for suppositories?
Oleaginous and Water soluble
What is the common name for Theobroma Oil?
Cocoa Butter
What type of base is Theobroma Oil
Oleaginous Base
Physical Characteristics of Theobroma Oil
Yellowish-White solid with an odor of chocolate
What is theobroma oil a mixture of?
glyceryl esters of unsaturated fatty acids
Advantages of using theobroma oil as stated in the slides
At room temperature it is solid, and at 86-95 degrees (body temperature), it melts to a bland and non-irritating oil
What are some things we need to consider when we’re formulating a suppository with theobroma oil?
It cannot be heated above 35 degrees celsius because it will convert into a different structure that then has a much lower melting point (25-30 degrees)
Some drugs may lower the melting point of theobroma oil. What can we do to combat this?
Add in spermaceti, or beeswax to raise the melting point
Synthetic Triglycerides- common name
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils
What is an advantage of using Synthetic triglycerides over theobroma oil?
It does not exhibit polymorphism. This means that even if heated to 35 degrees Celsius, it will not convert to another form that then has a lower melting point/
What is an disadvantage of using Synthetic triglycerides over theobroma oil?
it’s more expensive
Name brands for Synthetic triglycerides
Fattibase® , Wecobee®, Dehydag®, Hydrokote®, Suppocire®, and Witepsol®.
Glycerinated Gelatin
Water Soluble / Water Miscible base
Physical attributes of glycerinated gelatin
Translucent, resilient, gelatinous solids
Action of glycerinated gelatin as a base?
They tend to dissolve and disperse slowly in mucous secretions to provide a prolonged release of active ingredients
What is glycerinated gelatin made of?
Glycerol, gelatin and water.
How should glycerinated gelatin be stored?
well-closed containers in a cool place since they absorb and dissolve in atmospheric moisture.
If we want to create a suppository with glycerinated gelatin as the base, and we want it to have an extended shelf life, what should we add to it?
A preservative
What needs to be done to gelatin suppositories just before use?
Dipped in water.
Polyethylene Glycol Polymer base type
Water Soluble/Water Miscible Bases
Properties of Polyethylene Glycol Polymers:
Chemically stable, nonirritating, miscible with water
Advantages of formulating with Polyethylene Glycol Polymers:
Can be formulated by molding or compression
Can also be used to make a wide variety of hardness (soft-hard suppositories) and melting point
Does glycerinated gelatin or polyethylene glycol polymers melt at body temperature?
They do not.
If glycerinated gelatin or polyethylene glycol polymers don’t melt at body temp, how are they released in the body?
They are released after dissolving in bodily fluids and mucous secretions the body
Which provides a more prolonged release: Theobroma Oil or Polyethylene glycol polymers?
Polyethylene glycol polymers.
Makes sense b/c it does not melt at body temperature
Commonly, do formulas call for Polyethylene glycol polymers by themselves as a base, or in combination?
Usually asks for combination. Formulas will ask for compounds of two or more molecular weights to get the desired hardness and dissolution time
Because glycerinated gelatin or polyethylene glycol polymers (just water miscible suppsoitories in general) don’t have to melt at body temperature, what makes this advantageous?
They can be formulated with much higher melting points (dont need to melt @ body temp), and can safely be stored at room temperature
Hand Rolling method
Is used to prepare a small number of suppositories
Kind of like making dough. Roll out a log of the suppository and cut it to size
Compression Molding
Cold mass of base that contains the drug is compressed using a hand operated machine
Fusion Molding
First melting the suppository base & then dispersing the drug in the melted base. Mixture can then be removed from the heat and then poured into the suppository mold, and once it congeals, it is removed from the mold.
Automatic Molding Machine
All operations are done by automatic machines. Using the machine, 10,000 suppositories can be made per hour
Shape of a suppository mold
Bullet shaped
