KPJ HEALTHCARE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE

BPH1073 DOSAGE FORM DESIGN

AND DISPENSING II

SAQ 2

S.POONGUZHALI

NAME : SITI AMIRAH HAKIMAH BINTI MOHD FAIRUZ

STUDENT ID : 2062191008
BACHELOR OF PHARMACY (HONS)
PROGRAMME :
COHORT 7
1. Define powders, including the examples on use of powders for therapeutic
purposes or in the development of dosage form. (1+4=5 marks)

Powders are the solid dosage form which contain mixture of finely divided drugs which
are meant for internal and external use. They are available in crystalline or amorphous
forms.

As stated earlier, it can be use internally and externally. For internal therapeutic purposes,
most powders for internal uses are taken orally after mixing for local and systemic effects.
For example, dry powders are commercially packages for constitution with liquid solvent
or vehicle which is oral antibiotic. Oral antibiotic is prepared in a dry form (powder or
granules) and packed in a sealed bottle, a given amount of water is added before use.
Some administration orally, others for use as injection, and still others for use as vaginal
douche. Douche powders are intended to be used as antiseptics or cleansing agent for
body cavity. The example of it is a mixture of zinc sulphate, boric acid, lemon oil and
purified water. Douche powder formulation often include aromatic oils.

For external use, it is mainly topical applications. There are 4 types which is dusting
powders ( medical and surgical), insufflations, snuff and dentifrices. Dusting powder is a
fine powder for spreading on the skin, body cavities and wounds on the skin and has two
types which is medical and surgical. Zinc undercanoate dusting powder B.P.C is a
medical dusting powders as it applies on toes and wounds ( superficial skin) for infection
and softness, while gentamicin powders used as antiseptic is a surgical dusting powders
as they are used in body cavities and major wounds, on burns and umbilical cords of
infants.

Next is insufflations, it is finely powdered drug administered into ear, nose and throat,
vagina with the help of an insufflators. It sprays the powder into a stream of finely divided
particles all over the site of application. These are used for the administration of potent
drugs. For example, mixture of camphor, menthol, ammonium chloride and light
magnesium carbonate used as an insufflation and it is a eutectic mixture. It is defined as
mixtures of low melting point ingredients which on mixing together turn to liquid form due
to depression in melting point of the mixture below room temperature. Besides, they are
a mixture of substances that liquefy when mixed, rubbed or triturated together.

Insufflations are used to produce either local effect or systemic effect. For local effect, it
is used in the treatment of ear, nose and throat infections with antibiotics. For example,
ephedrine insufflations (asthma). For systemic effect, pituitary insufflations B.P.C is used
for drugs that are destroyed in the gut (digestive system). Other than that, snuffs are fine
solid dosage forms of medicament which are inhaled into nostrils for its antiseptic,
bronchodilator and decongestion action.
2.a) Describe therapeutic incompatibilities using at least 3 examples with its
remedies (10 marks)

Therapeutic incompatibilities may be the result of prescribing certain drugs to the patient
with the intention to produce a specific degree of action but the nature or the intensity of
the action produced is different from that intended by the prescriber.

Drug-drug interactions occur when a drug interacts, or interferes, with another drug. This
can alter the way of one or both of the drugs act in the body, or cause unexpected side
effects. In drug-drug interaction, combination of warfarin and diflunisal can increase the
risk for gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding and the anticoagulant response of warfarin and the
interaction between warfarin and diflunisal can lead to GI bleeding or even fatal
hemorrhaging, an alternative to diflunisal is suggested. To overcome the therapeutic
incompatibilities, acetaminophen is the alternative of choice to substitute diflunisal. Yet, if
an NSAID is needed, nonacetylated salicylates such as magnesium salicylate are safer
because of minimal effects on platelets and gastric mucosa.

Next is combination of bromocriptine and pseudoephedrine. The interaction can lead to

severe peripheral vasoconstriction, ventricular tachycardia, seizures, and possibly death.
To overcome the therapeutic incompatibilities, patients receiving bromocriptine should be
advised to avoid all sympathomimetics.

A drug-food interaction happens when the food we eat affects the ingredients in a
medicine we are taking so the medicine cannot work the way it should. In drug-food
interaction, benzodiazepines such as midazolam, triazolam, and alprazolam with alcohol,
caffeine, grapefruit and grapefruit juice. Caffeine increases anxiety and reduce drug's
effectiveness. Blood levels of these drugs may be increased if taken after drinking
grapefruit juice and lead to potentially dangerous side effects. Avoid alcohol use while
taking these medications and the patients should consult your physician or pharmacist
before changing your diet.

Next is levothyroxine can interact with all food and drinks, the patient should take once a
day in the morning on an empty stomach Do not eat or drink for at least 30-60 minutes
after taking. MAOIs drug such as tranylcypromine and phenelzine can interacts with food
with high in tyramine such as aged cheeses, Chianti wine, pickles herring, Brewer’s yeast
and fava beans. To overcome it, patients should avoid foods high in tyramine.

Drug-excipient interaction occurs between the API and excipient materials. In drug-
excipient interactions, Acetaminophen showed good compatibility with all the excipient
such as magnesium stearate, cellulose, citric acid or aspartame except mannitol because
mannitol can produce antagonistic effect when react with salicylic acid. To overcome it,
prevent the use of mannitol as excipient with acetaminophen. Besides that, combination
of ibuprofen with magnesium oxide can cause degradation of ibuprofen drug due to
formation of magnesium salt. Best to avoid these two.
Excipient-excipient interaction is a type of interaction occurs between two or more
excipients in a drug molecule. For example, lactose and sodium start glycolate can
causes immediately reaction endothermic peak and followed by a degradation reaction
as incompatible towards each other for the use of excipient in drug. Ways to overcome is
use another alternative excipient, avoid using them together. Other than that, combination
of lactose and pyrilamine maleate, salicylamide can causes brown colored Schiff bases
in the presence of amines with lactose. Lactose is incompatible not only with primary
amines, but also with secondary and tertiary amine. To overcome it, avoid lactose with
primary, secondary and tertiary amine excipient.