PHARMACEUTICAL CALCULATION

Pharmaceutical Dosage forms & measurement

Assist. lecturer :
Hemn L.Qader
BSc., MSc. Pharmaceutics
18/4/2021 1
 Outline
1. Introduction to drug & medicine
2. Pharmaceutical preparations(dosage forms)
3. Classification of dosage forms
4. Solid dosage forms
5. Liquid dosage forms
6. Semisolid dosage forms
7. Pharmaceutical measurement of volume and
weight

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 General Considerations
 Drug substances are seldom administered alone; rather they
are given as part of a formulation in combination with one or
more non-medicinal agents( Additives, excipients)
 DRUGS are almost given as formulated preparation ( dosage
forms).

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 Dosage Form: it is a pharmaceutical product that contain a
specific mixture of active (drug) and inactive ingredients
(excipients) in a particular form.
 Excipients: (Inactive pharmaceutical ingredients) are
substances used to facilitate the manufacturing process, to
stabilize, solubilize, enhance the dissolution and flavor drug
substances

Drug Excipients

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 CLASSIFICATION

• Tablets • Ointments
• Capsules • Creams
• Pasts
• Powder
• Granules Solid Semisolid

Liquid Gas

• Solution
• Suspension • Aerosol
• Emulsion

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 SOLID DOSAGE FORMS
 The major portion of oral drug delivery systems that
are currently available are solid dosage forms
 Solid-dosage forms mainly composed of the following
formulation, namely
➢tablets
➢capsules.
➢Medicated powder and granules
➢Suppositories

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 Tablets defined as a solid preparation that containing a
single dose of one or more active ingredients and are obtained
by compression of uniform particles (BP)
 Tablets are prepared by Molding and usually by
Compression
 Tablets is the mostly used oral solid dosage form ?
 Examples are: Aspirin, paracetamol tablets

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Capsule: Capsules are solid dosage forms in which medicinal
agents and/or inert substances are enclosed in a small shell of
gelatin.
 Gelatin capsule shells may be hard or soft, depending on
their composition
 Example; Amoxicillin Capsules , Omega 3 capsule

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Granules: are a solid dosage form of medicament in which
powdered drugs are mixed with sweetening, flavoring and
coloring agents,
 Granules prepared by adding suitable fluid to the mixed
powder
 Effervescent granules: are granules that prepared for
internal use, they usually contain, citric acid, tartaric acid
and sodium bicarbonate, and other substances
 Example, ENO Granules, Uricol

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 LIQUID DOSAGE FORMS
 Are a specific mixture of active pharmaceutical
ingredient and non-active pharmaceutical ingredients
in a liquid form.
 Why liquid dosage forms ??
 Liquid dosage forms are prepared by:
1. Dissolving the drug in a suitable aqueous or non-aqueous
solvent( alcohol, glycerin) : Solution
2. Suspending the drug in appropriate vehicle : Suspension
3. Dispersing the drug in an oil or water phases: Emulsion

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Types of solutions
 Any clear liquid preparation in which the solute is
completely dissolved in the solvent is considered as
solution.
 Solution has the following types:
➢ Syrup Tincture
➢ Elixir Gargle
➢ Aromatic water
➢ Spirit
➢ Mouth wash

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 Some Familiar Liquid Dosage Forms
 Syrups : Syrups are concentrated aqueous
preparations (solution) of a sugar or sugar substitute
with or without flavoring agents and medicinal
substances.
 Types of syrup ……………. & ……………..

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 Mouthwashes: are usually aqueous solutions in a
concentrated form with a pleasant taste and flavor that used
for rinsing, deodorant, refreshing or antiseptic action.
 Medicated mouthwashes may contain astringents,
antibacterial substances.
 They are generally used after dilution with warm water
 Examples: compound sodium chloride mouthwash,
chlorhexidine mouthwash

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 Parenteral preparations
❖Is the administration of drug in a manner other than
the digestive tract,
❖Parenteral preparation may classified as following:
1. Injections ( Ampoule, Vial)
2. Infusions

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 Suspensions
 are biphasic liquid preparation of medicament that
suspended or dispersed in a liquid vehicle.
 Suspensions are mainly used for oral administration of
drug, but it can also be applied topically or parentrally
 Why suspensions ???

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 Emulsions
are biphasic liquid preparation of medicament in which two
immiscible liquids ( water & oil) are made miscible by the
addition of third substance called emulsifying agent
 Emulsions are of two types
1. Oil in water (O/W) emulsion that usually applied orally
2. Water in oil (W/O) emulsion that applied topically to the
skin

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 SEMI SOLID DOSAGE FORMS
 Semisolid dosage forms are products of semisolid
consistency intended for external application to the
skin or mucous membranes to induce therapeutic
protective and cosmetic function
 The commonly used semisolid dosage forms
are:
➢Ointment
➢ cream
➢Past
➢ gel

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 Scope of Pharmaceutical Calculations
 The use of calculations in pharmacy is varied and broad-based.
 It encompasses calculations performed by pharmacists in many
professional fields:
1. In community pharmacies and hospitals
2. Research areas in industry
3. Academia setting

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 BASIC CALCULATIONS
 Pharmaceutical calculations is the area of study that applies the
basic principles and simple mathematics for the preparation of
pharmaceuticals.
1. Decimal fraction
 A decimal fraction is a fraction with a denominator of 10 and
is expressed decimally, it is commonly used in pharmaceutical
calculation
example/ 1/10 = 0.1 , 25/100 = 0.25

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2. Percent: The term percent and its corresponding sign, %,
mean ‘‘in a hundred.’’ So,
50 percent (50%) means 50 parts in each one hundred of the
same item.
3. Ratio: the relative magnitude of two quantities is called
their ratio
is commonly used to express concentration and it
presented as below:
a:b, a:b= 1:2, means that ratio of a to b is 1to 2

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❑If a clinical study of a new drug demonstrated that the drug met the
effectiveness criteria in 646 patients of the 942 patients, express the
results as decimal fraction and percent ?

❑The concentration of Sodium acetate in an aqueous solution is

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4. Proportion
 A proportion is the expression of the equality of two ratios.
It may be written in any one of three standard forms:
1. a:b = c:d
2. a: b :: c:d
3. a/b = c/d a & c have the same unit as well as b & d
This allows us to find the missing term of any
proportion when the other three terms are known
example/ If 3 tablets contain 225 milligrams of aspirin, how many
milligrams should be contained in 12 tablets?

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 Pharmaceutical measurements
 Pharmaceutical measurements is the measure of weight and
volumes of materials in a proper way
 It is important to focuses on the equipment and methods used
in the accurate measurement of therapeutic and
pharmaceutical materials,

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 1. Volume measurement
 Common instruments for the pharmaceutical measurement
of volume range from micropipets to large, industrial-size
calibrated vessels
 In pharmacy practice, the most common instruments for
measuring volume are cylindrical and conical graduates
 For the measurement of small volumes, however, the
pharmacist often uses
a calibrated syringe or a pipette.

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 Some common glassware for volume measurement

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 As a general rule, it is best to select the graduate with a
capacity equal to or just exceeding the volume to be
measured.
 Measurement of small volumes in large graduates tends to
increase the size of the error.
 The smaller the diameter of the measuring equipment the
more accurate it measures. the following shows the accuracy
of the equipment from high accuracy to lower:
Pipette > volumetric flask > cylindrical graduates >
conical graduates

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2. Weight measurement
 The instruments available for weight measurement are ranged
from highly sensitive electronic analytic balances and
prescription balances to large-capacity scales in the
industrial manufacturing

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Sources of errors in weight measurement
1. Constant error: this is from the balance and may be
determined and corrected
2. Accidental error: occurs by accident or chance
 Failure to calibrate the balance
 Air current around the balance and vibration
 The balance is not well levelled
 Mistake in calculations

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 Percentage of Error
 Error is the deviation from the true value
 Because measurements in the community pharmacy are never
absolutely accurate, so it is important to recognize the
limitations of the instruments used and the magnitude of the
errors through the calculation of percentage of error
 Percentage of error will determine the possible deficiency
in the actual quantity obtained.

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  Percentage of error may be defined as the maximum
potential error multiplied by 100 and divided by the quantity
desired.
 The calculation may be formulated as follows

(apparently measured)
The error = the quantity desired- quantity actually obtained
 quantity actually obtained usually determined from a
device of greater precision

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  Calculating Percentage of Error in Weighing
Example / A prescription calls for 800 milligrams of a substance.
After weighing this amount on a balance, the pharmacist decides to
check by weighing it again on a more sensitive balance, which
registers only 750 milligrams.

The error = 800-750 = 50 mg error in weight

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 PRACTICE PROBLEMS
1. A graduate weighs 35.825 grams.When10 milliliters of water are
measured in it, the weight of the graduate and water is 45.835 grams.
Calculate the weight of the water and express any deviation from 10
grams as percentage of error ??

2. In preparing a certain ointment, a pharmacist used 28.35 grams of

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