Page 34 - A Guide to Dosage Form 1

PREPARATION OF FORMULATION

Active ingredients (poison and non-poison)
Poison are actives that are regulated by the Poison Act 1952 (and Regulation) and Dangerous Drug
Act 1952 (and Regulations). Thus, it is important that if a poison is required in a preparation, the amount
of the poison taken be recorded. A form will be available in the lab next to the poison.

You are also required to obtain a counter-signature from a pharmacist. The signature should be on the
prescription next to the amount of poison that you weighed. REMEMBER that the pharmacist need to
see the amount of powder that you weighed on the weighing balance, so that he/she can be sure that
you weigh the accurate amount.
Hence the process:

Go to the poison area  Fill in the form  Take the poison bottle  Weigh the exact amount on your
weighing balance (5% tolerance permitted)  Leave the weighed powder on the weighing balance 
Find a pharmacist to counter sign  The pharmacist will check the weighed amount  Counter signed
 Return the poison bottle to the designated area

Excipients
Excipients are other ingredients that is needed to prepare your formulation. These include emulsifying
agent, suspending agent, vehicles, preservatives, colouring agent and flavouring agents, among others.
In the dispensing lab, these ingredients are available in their designated racks, at the middle area of
the lab. They are arranged based on their physical characteristics (liquid and solid materials are
separated) and are alphabetically arranged.

REMEMBER that the number of bottles containing each excipient available on the racks are limited. It
is very important to return the bottle to its respective places immediately after you have taken the
necessary amount.

If you need something that is not available on the rack, please ask the lecturer in-charge or any of the
graduate assistant/lab staff available.