DISPENSING PRACTICALS

NOTES ON WRITING-UP DISPENSING SHEETS

1. All reports must be started on the left-hand side of your book

2. Every new product must be started on a new page; specifically on the left-hand side of the book.
When writing the date, it must be written on the top right-hand side of the page i.e. of the left
hand-side of the page

3. Copy: Make an exact copy of the prescription/order as written in the question. Record the date.

4. Draw a formula table (given formular and working formular table)

Given formula is as given in the question while working formula is gotten from the calculations that will
be made. Either to scale up the amount of ingredients or to scale them down

5. Write out your calculation of doses/ingredients

Make accurate calculations for each item of the order given

6. Method

Write out accurately the method you used to prepare the product; it should be made in reported
speech. Exactly how you prepared the product, in the order in which you added the ingredients.

7. Specimen and product labels:

Place an appropriate label including on the product (container) and another label (sample label) in your
book.

8. Storage Requirements:

Record the shelf life of the product and details of any special requirements for storage, e.g. protect from
light.

9. Uses

Write the appropriate use of the product not the individual ingredients in the preparation; the use of this
product. Usually, the uses are in the official books, so you do not need to “design” a function/use for the
product. Just go to your official book, check the use of the active ingredient in the preparation, in this
case, it is boric acid and write the use. In some instances, the product may be in the official book, if so,
the use of the product will be stated there, just copy the use.

10. Main Pharmaceutical Actions of the product

State briefly the use(s) of the prepared product

POWDERS

TRITURATION
Weighing of Small Quantities of Powders by Trituration:
This is the method employed in pharmaceutical formulations, and a trituration is a term applied
to a mixture or dilution of a substance with an inert one. Small quantities of finely powdered
solids are mixed with the triturate. For example, very potent substances could be mixed in certain
amounts with definite amounts of an inert substance. Therefore, the total amount of potent
substance and inert substance must be put into consideration when weighing in preparation for
dispensing.

For powders weighing less than 100mg a trituration must be made using lactose or other inert
diluent and an aliquot portion is taken. The trituration may be obtained by making all in 10 or 1
in 100 dilution.

PRACTICAL
Weigh 15mg of Atropine sulphate.

AROMATIC WATERS
Preparation of Aromatic Waters:
Aromatic waters are prepared by one of the following general methods:

1. Dilution from concentrated waters. The concentrated water diluted with 39 times its volume
of water.

2. Solution (There are two methods):

(a) The essential oil is shaken with 500 times its volume of water; the shaking is done at
intervals during about 15 minutes, and allowed to stand for 12 hours and filtered.

(b) The volatile oil is triturated with a sufficient quantity of purified talc or kieselguhr or
pulped filter paper and 500 times its volume of water is gradually added while stirring,
and filtered.

3. Distillation: The drug or essential oil is distilled with water until the specific volume of
distillate has been collected. The distillate is shaken thoroughly, allowed to stand for not less
than 12 hours and any excess oil removed.
PRACTICAL
1. Prepare 100ml of Chloroform Water BP
Synonym: Chloroform Water.
Preparation
Chloroform 0.25 ml
Purified water 100 ml

Method:
Chloroform water can be prepared simply by adding chloroform (0.25 ml) to purified water (100
ml) and shaking frequently until the chloroform is in solution
1. Measure the required amount of chloroform into the bottle.
2. Add the purified water into chloroform.
3. Shake well frequently until chloroform dissolves into the purified water.

USES
Used for perfuming, flavoring the formulation, as vehicle and the double strength is used as a
preservative at 50% v/v

2. Prepare 100ml of Chloroform Water BP (Double Strength)

Double strength
Chloroform 0.5 ml
Purified water 100 ml

PRACTICAL
Prepare 1 L of chloroform water double strength for BHU Pharmaceutics Lab.
How much concentrated chloroform water is required to make 2.4L of single-strength
chloroform water?
(Protect from sun light)

2. Prepare 100ml of Concentrated Peppermint Water BP

Synonym: Concentrated Peppermint Water.
Preparation
Oil of peppermint- 0.1 ml
Purified water qs 50 ml

Method:
Peppermint water can be prepared simply by adding chloroform (0.25 ml) to purified water (100
ml) and shaking frequently until the chloroform is in solution
(Protect from sun light)
USES
(Used as an antispasmodic and carminative in flatulence of the gastrointestinal tract, cramping
and bloating, flatulent colic to relieve nausea and vomiting, and as a gentle aromatic stimulant

PRACTICAL
Prepare 1 L of peppermint water for BHU Pharmaceutics Lab.
3. Prepare 100ml of Peppermint Water BP by diluting conc. Peppermint Water BP you prepared
in No. 2 above, with 39 times its volume of water. Comment on your practical note books:

The storage conditions, action and uses of the preparations.

2. Prepare Normal Saline (0.9% w/v sodium chloride)
Preparation
Sodium chloride 9.0 g
Purified water 1000 mL

Method:
Weight 9 grams of sodium chloride (NaCl), size reduce and dissolve in water to 1000 mL,
adding water in some portions and shaking intermittently until the volume is reached.
USES
Normal saline (0.9% w/v sodium chloride) is isotonic with blood serum, lachrymal secretions
(tears) and nasal secretions. It is therefore used as the vehicle for preparations that require
adjustment to iso-osmoticity such as parenteral solutions, ophthalmic solutions and some nasal
drops. (See Dispensing for Pharm. Students – 324).

PRACTICAL
Prepare 0.9% w/v sodium chloride in purified water; Send 200 mL.

PREPARATION OF POWDERS

Magnesium oxide (heavy) 1g

Sodium bicarbonate 15 g
Belladona dry extract 0.1 g
Make a powder
Label: antacid powder

Light kaolin 50 %

Magnesium carbonate 30 %

Sodium bicarbonate 20 %

Send 20 g of the powder.

Label: Take 5 g with water t.i.d

Starch powder

Zinc powder

Salicylic acid in powder

Make a powder, send 20 g

Label: For use in BHU Clinic

SOLUTIONS

SUSPENSIONS

Clobazam 10 mg/5 mL suspension 150 mL

Product directions.

Shake the Bottle Warning.

Causes drowsiness which may continue the next day.

If affected, do not drive or operate machinery.

Avoid alcoholic drink

Do not use after (2 weeks)

Each 5 mL contains:

Clobazam 10 mg (1 tablet)

Concentrated Peppermint Water BP 0.1 mL

Glycerol BP 0.3 mL

Syrup BP 1.25 mL

Compound Tragacanth Powder BP 100 mg

Freshly boiled and cooled purified water to 5 mL

Name of patient

Date of dispensing

The patient needs to take 10 mg at each dose and the prescriber wants 30 doses. Therefore, if we make
the formula as above such that each 5 mL contains 10 mg Clobazam we would need to prepare 150 mL
of suspension.

Menthol and Eucalyptus Inhalation BP

Product formula (from the British Pharmacopoeia 1980, page 577):

Menthol BP 20 g

Eucalyptus Oil BP 100 mL

Light Magnesium Carbonate BP 70 g

Potable water to 1000 mL

Method:

1 Weigh 1 g Menthol BP on a Class II or electronic balance.

2 Transfer to a glass mortar.

3 Measure 5 mL Eucalyptus Oil BP in a 5 mL conical measure.

4 Transfer to the mortar and mix with a pestle to dissolve the menthol.

Point of clarity – Steps 3 and 4 Menthol is freely soluble in fixed and volatile oils. Care should be taken as
the oil will dissolve away the graduation markings on the syringe. Alternatively, a conical measure could
be used.

5 Weigh 3.5 g Light Magnesium Carbonate BP on a Class II or electronic balance.

6 Add to the mortar and mix well.

7 Add potable water to the mixture in the mortar to form a pourable suspension.

8 Transfer the contents of the mortar to a 50 mL conical measure.

9 Rinse the mortar with potable water and add the rinsings to the conical measure.

10 Make up to volume with potable water.

11 Transfer to a 50 mL amber fluted bottle with a child-resistant closure and label.