DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACY TECHNICIAN, ALHUDA COLLEGE OF HEALTH

SCIENCES, SOKOTO
BDT 251: BASIC DISPENSING THEORY II 3CU
LECTURE NOTE
FIRST SEMESTER 2022/2023 SESSION
BY
Dr. S. Aliyu Musawa
SYRUPS
➢ Definitions
➢ Forms/classes (medicated, flavoured and artificial syrups)
➢ Method of preparation of syrups (solution with heat and solution without heat i.e agitation)
➢ Examples of medicated and flavoured syrups
Definitions
Syrups are concentrated aqueous preparations of 85% sugar or sugar substitute with or without
flavoring agents and medicinal substances. In medical terminology, medicinal syrups are nearly
saturated solutions of 85% sugar in water in which medicinal substances or drugs are dissolved.
Due to the inability of some children and elderly people to swallow solid dosage forms, it is a
common practice today to prepare them into oral liquid dosage forms.
Forms/classes (medicated and flavoured syrups)
i. Flavoured syrups: They are mostly used to improve the taste of salty, bitter, or otherwise
unpleasant mixtures. E.g., Orange syrup BPC, lemon syrup BPC etc
ii. Medicinal syrups: They are of two types:
• Made from extractive drugs: Here, the fluid extract of the respective medicines is
mixed with the syrup.
• Made from chemicals: This can be either by simple solution or by chemical reaction.
Here the taste of the medicinal agents is greatly modified.
iii. Artificial syrups: these are used for diabetic patients. They are prepared from polyols
such as sorbitol, glycerin, propylene glycol or cellulose polymers such as methyl
cellulose, hydroxy methyl cellulose and artificial sweetener such as sodium saccharine,
sodium cyclamate. Some artificial sweeteners are 500 times sweeter than sucrose and
they are non-caloric and they do not elevate the blood glucose level.
Uses of syrups
➢ Vehicles
➢ Sweetening agents
➢ Preservatives
➢ Flavoring agents

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Advantages of syrups
i. Act as antioxidant by retarding the oxidation.
ii. Act as preservative by retarding the growth of bacteria, fungi and mould, as osmotic
pressure is 16 times greater than the isotonic solution.
iii. Good patient compliance especially paediatric patients as syrups are sweet in test.
Disadvantages of syrups
Fluctuation in storage temperature may cause crystallization of sucrose from saturated syrups
Formulation composition
➢ Vehicle: e.g., Water.
➢ Adjuncts:
• Chemical Stabilizer: Glycerin, polyethylene glycol or sorbitol.
• Solubilizing agent: Tween 80, Tween 20 like surfactants are added.
• Coloring agent: coal tar dyes such as amaranth, compound tartrazine and green S and
tartrazine.
• Flavoring agent: The following favoring agents are added to the syrups.
Tinctures: e.g. lemon tincture, ginger tincture etc.
Fruits juices: e.g. Raspberry juice, wild cherry etc.
Essence: e.g. Vanilla, orange etc.
Method of preparation of syrups
The four methods of preparation of syrups based on the physical and chemical properties of the
ingredients are:
i. Solution with heat
ii. Agitation without heat
iii. Addition of sucrose to liquid medicament
iv. Percolation method

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Solution with heat
Heat purified water to 80 - 85 C

Take off from the heat source

Then add sucrose and shake it thoroughly

Those substances that are heat sensitive and volatile agents are added after the solution attain the
room temperature (25oC)

During heating, the sucrose gets hydrolyzed, results in the formation of dextrose and fructose

These two sugars together are called invert sugar (caramel) and the process is known as
inversion (caramelization of sugar)

A dark brown syrup (caramel) is formed in this process

Agitation without heat

Added the required volume of purified water in the vessel

Then add the ingredients accordingly and mix to form the syrup first

If the formulation contains other solid ingredients, it is better to dissolve them in the water first
and then to add to the syrup. This results in easy mixing as sugar solution generally retards
mixing

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Addition of sucrose to liquid medicament
This method is generally used for fluid extracts. But those substances which are soluble in alcohol
will precipitate out as soon as the addition of water. An alternative is to first dissolve all the
ingredients in water. Now after sometime all the precipitates formed are filtered out. Sucrose is
then added. But this method is of no use if the precipitates formed has active ingredients.
Percolation method
The principle of percolation is used and a sucrose bed is prepared. Water or vehicle containing
therapeutic agent then is passed. Here the sucrose bed should be coarse and shape of percolator
must be cylindrical or cone shaped.

Examples
Rx
Sucrose……………………………………………………………………………………..66.7 g
Purified water to……………………………………………………………………………100ml
MOP:
1. Add sucrose
2. Dissolve and heat
3. Cool add more purified water
Rx
Tolu balsam…………………………………………………………………………………12.5 g
Sucrose ……………………………………………………………………………………..66.7 g
Purified water to…………………………………………………………………………….100ml
MOP:
1. Add tolu balsam to purified water in tared vessel
2. Cover vessel lightly & boil for half an hour
3. Cool add sucrose
4. Heat on water bath to dissolve sucrose

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Formulation of Paracetamol syrup 2.5% (250mg/10ml)
Batch size: 100ml

General Assignment
Prepare syrup and send 60ml Codeine Phosphate Syrup (B. P. 1993)
Hint:
➢ go to the dispensing lab.
➢ look for B.P 1993 monograph
➢ copy the official formula
➢ show your calculation
➢ write the method of preparation
➢ draw your label
Packaging of syrups
Syrup, as a pharmaceutical product requires safe, secure and tamper-proof handling while
packaging. Packaging of syrups needs to ensure complete protection from contamination and
microbial growth. Our inevitable packaging support assures the safe and secure packaging of
syrups so as to ensure their extended shelf life.
Process Involved in Syrup Packaging
➢ Empty bottle is rinsed

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 ➢ After complete cleaning, bottles are tested and pre-calibrated
➢ The bottle is then filled with the formulated syrup
➢ The filled bottle is the capped
➢ Appropriate label with is placed on bottle
Labeling of syrups
Every pharmaceutical preparation requires a label to be produced before the product can be
dispensed or sold to patient. The accuracy of the label is of paramount importance as it conveys
essential information to the patient on the use of preparation. Extemporaneously prepared syrups
should carry a correct label colour (black), name of the product, volume, direction for use storage
information, date compounded, name and address of the compounder.
Storage of syrups
All the products dispensed extemporaneously require some form of additional storage instructions
to be detailed on the label. This information can be the addition of just a product expiry date
through to a number of important additional label.