Week 5 and 6 (Ointments) Flashcards
Legal considerations in the type of animal
- Companion pets = drug use is least restricted
- Performance animals = service, military/police, competitive sports
- Food-producing animals = drug use in these is strictly regulated and carries serious penalties if violated
How to avoid veterinary dispensing errors
- Collect and consider all pertinent patient info
- Utilize veterinary drug resources
- When in doubt, ask the prescribing vet
Uses of Ointments
- Protect the skin/mucus membrane
- Provide skin hydration (emollient(
- Vehicle for medication (local and systemic effects)
Levigating Agent
Preparations that make it easier to incorporate solids into semisolid ointment bases, resulting in smooth, elegant preparation
- Solid must be insoluble in the levigating agent
- Viscous, low surface tension to adequately wet the solid
- Use minimal amount
Converting oz to g
1 oz = 28.35 g
Ideal properties of ointments (7)
- Spreads easily
- Compatible with topical administration
- Stable
- Smooth and pliable
- Softens/melts at body temp
- Readily releases medication
- Easily removed (doesn’t stain skin or clothing)
Properties that impact drug release (5)
- More pressure = more drug release
- Larger surface area = greater drug release
- Healthy intact skin = less drug penetration
- Using occlusive dressing = adds pressure = more drug release
- Type of base used
Levigating vs Dissolution
Levigating agents make it easier to incorporate solids into semisolid ointment bases (solid must be insoluble in the levigating agent)
Dissolution involves dissolving the solid ingredient into solvent prior to incorporation into ointment base (solid must be soluble with the solvent) –> an absorption base is then used to absorb aqueous solution
Types of ointment bases (5)
- Oleaginous/hydrocarbon
- Anhydrous absorption bases
- Water/oil emulsion ointment bases
- Oil/water emulsion ointment bases
- Water-soluble ointment bases
Example of oleaginous/hydrocarbon ointment base
- White petrolatum
- White ointment
Example of anhydrous absorption base
- Hydrophilic petrolatum
- Anhydrous lanolin
- Aquabase
- Aquaphor
- Polysorb
Example of water/oil emulsion ointment base
- Cold cream
- Hydrous lanolin
- Hydrocream
- Eucerin
Example of oil/water emulsion ointment base
- Dermabase
- Velvachol
- Unibase
Example of water-soluble ointment base
- PEG ointment
- Polybase
Drug incorporation and drug release potential of oleaginous/hydrocarbon ointment base
- Solids or oils
- Poor release