Solid Products 1: Powders and Granules

do excipients usually function as one thing?

they have a primary function but they can also do a bunch of other things

in order to complete a certain function do we care about the amount of ingredients we add?

we want to add the least amount of ingredients as possible

what are the different ingredients typically seen in a solid dosage form?

API, diluent/filler, glidant, lubricant, disintegrant, binder, and coating agent

when an ingredient list “inactive ingredients” what are those typically?

excipients

what does the handbook of pharmaceutical excipients tell you?

it tells you the functional category so what an ingredient is usally used for, the other names for an ingredient, and its properties

what is compressible sugar usually used to do?

provide sweetening, act as a capsule diluent, and a tablet filler

what does compressible sugar do when its being used as a diluent in a capsule or a filler in a tablet?

it provides bulk

when we see pellets what can we assume the dosage form is?

a granule

why is particle size important?

smaller particles dissolve faster so if we want to slow the release of a drug we use larger particles

if we want to slow down the release of a drug should we make it a powder or a granule?

we should make it a granule because they have bigger particles which dissolves slower

what influences how good something mixes industrially?

particle size

what is a wet granulation?

solids are added and then a liquid and a binder are added to hold the mass together

in a granule do particles demix?

no they do not demix, granules allow particles of different sizes to mix together

how are granules formed?

water comes in, a polymer dissolves and creates a bridge between all the particles

why are granules heterogenous?

because we are mixing particles of different sizes together into one

what is dry granulation?

small particles are mixed together under pressure with only a binder

what is the main difference between wet and dry granulation?

wet granulation uses both liquid and a binder to hold together particles while dry granulation uses only a binder and pressure

what is the role of cellulose, microcrystalline in tablets in capsules?

acts works as a diluent and sometimes a disintegrant

what is the most common disintegrant used in tablets?

crosprovidone

how does crosprovidone work?

it pulls in water really fast, swells up, and bursts to explode the tablet, capsule, or granule

how is poloxamer used in capsules and tablets?

it helps solubilize small molecules that dont dissolve well and helps wet it so that it likes to interact with water

what is the role of poloxamer in a capsule or tablet?

solubilizing agent and wetting agent

what do wetting agents and surfacant action do?

helps water interact better so you get dissolution of the drug

what purpose does colloidal silicon dioxide do in capsules and tablets?

they act as glidants

how does a glidant work?

coats the surface and acts like wheels and make particles move

what is the difference between a glidant and a lubricant?

gildant allows particles to move relevant to each other so particle to particle and lubricants lubricate the material or the equipment itslef

what is the most widely used lubricant?

magnesium stearate

what is the role of lubricants?

it works as a coating on whatever it is on and it sacrifices itself so your API or your other ingredients dont stick to the surface

if materials are uniform, can they overmix?

no they cant because theres no such thing as overmixing because theres nothing that will allow it to separate

why are many capsules banded or locked?

because they fall apart and to prevent tampering

what is the role of lactose in capsules?

diluent and filler

if a drug is insolulble in water, what might we add to it to make it soluble?

add a surfacant

what is the role of sodium lauryl sulfate in capsules?

anionic surfacant and a wetting agent as well as filler

what does croscarmellose sodium function as in capsules?

disintegrant in capsules

why are disintegrants important in capsules?

it allows the capsule to fall apart

can granules and tablets be easily made in a pharmacy?

no you need specific equipment

in terms of particles what is the difference between granules and powders?

granules are heterogenous particles comprised of multiple ingredients while powders have individual ingredients as particles

can one ingredient play multiple roles?

yes one ingredient can be selected but play multiple roles