Preparing the powder

AMOUNT OF POWDER
• Ideal : 300-500 mg/pack, smaller quantities 
difficult to handle
• If < MWQ(minimum weighable quantity)
– Add inert diluent powder (using aliquot method)
• If > MWQ but still small (< 200/300 mg/pack)
– Add diluent, such as glucose, lactose
How to divide the bulk powder into powder
papers..???

video
 PACKAGING

• Glassine paper
• Polybag
• Vegetable
parchment paper
 Other issues
• One of the main uses of divided powders is for supplying
doses for patients who cannot swallow whole tablets or
capsules
• If the dose needed is a whole unit of a tablet or capsule, there
are some convenient alternatives:
– Capsules  emptied from capsule shell
– Tablets  tablet crusher or use the back of a
spoon
 Physical change
Efflorescent Powder

• Powder that contain hydration that may be released when powder

are triturated or store in low humidity
• Strategy for handling :
– Store and dispense in tight container
– Substituted with unhydrous  need dose adjustment
– Ex: Sodium Sulfate decahydrate (gauber’s salt) MW =
322 as laxative, dose = 15 g. When substitute by
unhydrous sodium sulfate (MW 142),
how many gram should be used????
 Efflorescent Powders
Alums Morphine Acetate
Atropin Sulfate Quinine bisulfate
Caffein Quinine hydrobromide
Calcium Lactate Quinine hydrochloride
Citric acid Scopolamine hydrobromide
Cocaine Sodium acetate
Codein Sodium carbonate
Codein phosphate Sodium phosphate
Codein sulfate Strychnine sulfate
Ferrous sulfate Terpin hydrate
 Hygroscopic and deliquescent

• Absorb moisture from air

• Strategy for handling ;
– Store and dispense in tight container
– Use powder that absorb water e.g  Magnesium
oxide
– Counsel patient to store in original tight container
and in low humidity environment
– Use ‘silica gel’
 Hygroscopic and deliquescent Powder
Ammonium bromide
Ammonium chloride
Ammonium iodide
Calcium bromide
Calcium chloride
Ephedrine sulfate
Hydrastine sulfate
Hydrastine hydrocholride
Hyoscyamine hydrobromide
Hyoscyamine sulfate
Iron and ammonium citrate
Lithium bromide
Pepsin
Phenobarbital Na
Physostigmine hydrobromide
Physostigmine hydrochloride
Physostigmine sulfate
Pilocarpine alkaloid
Potassium acetate
Potassium citrate
Sodium bromide
Sodium iodide
Sodium nitrate
Zinc chloride
 Pharmaceutical eutectic mixture
• If two or more drugs are triturated together cause a mutual
lowering of the original melting point of each individual
compound
• Liquification depends on:
– Ambient room temperature
– Original melting points
– Proportion in which the substance are mixed
– Extent and degree of pressure in trituration
– Presence other ingredients that may absorb any
liquid formed
• Strategy for handling:
– Force the liquid eutectic to form then sorb with
inert, high melting powder. E.g : magnesium
carbonate, magnesium oxide ( warn!! Laxative
effect), calcium phosphate, starch, talc, lactose
– Separately triturate each potential eutectic with
inert powder, mixed together with other powder
by gentle spatulation
 Eutectic Powder
Acetaminophen Lidocaine
Acetanilid Menthol
Aminopyrine Phenacetin
Antipyrine Phenol
Aspirin Phenylsalicylate
Benzocaine Prilocaine
Betanaphtol Resorcinol
Camphor Salicylic acid
Chloral hydrate Thymol
 Data source of stability
• American Journal of Hospital Pharmacy
• Trissel’s Stability of compounded formulation
 Beyond Use Date
• Generally 6 month
• 25% time remaing until the product’s expiration date
• 1 month if there is stability problem

Data source of stability

American Journal of Hospital Pharmacy

Trissel’s Stability of compounded formulation
 Example…

40 kg

Codein phosphate 10 mg

M.F. la pulv No X

Sig. take one powder daily

• Weigh 200mg Codeine Phosphate BP using a Class II or electronic balance.
• Transfer to a porcelain mortar.
• Weigh 200mg Lactose BP using a Class II or electronic balance.
• Add the Lactose BP to the Codeine Phosphate BP in the mortar using the ‘doubling-
up’ technique.
• This is Mix X.
• Weigh 200mg Mix X using a Class II or electronic balance and transfer to a clean dry
mortar.
• Weigh 1800mg Lactose BP using a Class II or electronic balance.
• Add the Lactose BP to the Mix X in the mortar using the ‘doubling-up’ technique.
• This is Mix Y.
• Weigh 200mg aliquots of the Mix Y and wrap as individual dose powders.
• Pack the powders flap to flap and enclose with a rubber band.
• Pack into a cardboard box and label.
• Mix X 200mg (containing 100mg Codeine
Phosphate BP)
• Lactose BP to 2000mg (1800mg)