Ch. 10 Keyterms

Agglomerations

Clusters, lumps, clumps, or globs of ingredients in a liquid, semiliquid, or powdered vehicle, which are undesired in compounding.

Autoclave

A device that generates heat and pressure to sterilize objects, instruments, and measuring vessels and devices.

Beyond Use Date (BUD)

The date after which a drug should not be used once it has been removed from the intact container.

Blending

The act of combining two substances by using non-grinding techniques such as spatulation, sifting, and tumbling.

Calibrate

To gauge a measuring instrument with a standard scale of reading.

Class III Prescription Balance

A two-pan balance used to weigh material (between 120 mg and 120 g) with a sensitivity rating of ± 6 mg; also known as a Class A prescription balance.

Comminution

The act of reducing a substance to small, fine particles using particle-reducing techniques like trituration, levigation, and pulverization.

Component

An ingredient in a compounded product.

Compounded Preparation

A patient-specific medication prepared on-site from individual ingredients, often by a technician under the direct supervision of the pharmacist.

Compounded Sterile Preparation

A medication prepared with aseptic technique in a sterile, cleanroom facility.

Compounding

The process of preparing a medication for an individual patient from bulk ingredients according to a prescription from a licensed prescriber.

Compounding Record

A printout for a specific patient that includes the amounts or weights of all ingredients with national drug code calculations and instructions for compounding; used by the technician to document a compounded medication for a patient.

Diluent

An inactive ingredient that is added to the active drug in compounding a tablet, capsule, solution, or topical formulation.

Emollient

An ointment base commercially available from a wholesaler or pharmacy compounding vendor.

Excipients

Inactive ingredients in a compounded preparation.

Extemporaneous Compounding

Compounding products that are done for a specific patient’s immediate need but are not commercially available; another name for non-sterile compounding in a community pharmacy.

Forceps

A stainless steel pincher instrument like a large tweezer used to pick up small objects, such as pharmacy weights.

Geometric Dilution Method

A process that uses a mortar and pestle to gradually combine several active ingredients with inactive ingredients to produce a more homogeneous product.

Graduated Cylinder

A flask used for accurately measuring liquids.

Levigation

A process usually used to reduce the particle size of a solid during the preparation of an ointment.

Meniscus

The moon-shaped or concave appearance of a liquid in a graduated cylinder; the center of the curve is the accepted level for accurate measurement.

Mortar and Pestle

Equipment used for mixing and grinding pharmaceutical ingredients.

Non-Sterile Compounding

The preparation of a medication from several pharmaceutical ingredients in an appropriate quantity and dosage form in response to a prescription written by a physician.

Ointment Slab

A flat, hard, nonabsorbent surface used for mixing compounds; also known as a compounding slab.

Percentage of Error

The acceptable range of variation above and below the target measurement; used in compounding and manufacturing.

Pipette

A long, thin, calibrated, hollow tube used for measuring small volumes of liquids.

Punch Method

A method for filling capsules in which the body of a capsule is repeatedly punched into a cake of medication until the capsule is full.

Spatulation

A process used to blend ingredients with a spatula, often used in the preparation of creams and ointments.

Trituration

The process of reducing particle size by grinding with a mortar and pestle to produce fine particles.