Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology
Core Concepts
Pharmaceutics covers dosage form design, manufacturing, and quality. Candidates must know preformulation (solubility, polymorphism, stability), unit operations (mixing, granulation, drying, compression), and biopharmaceutical factors (dissolution, bioavailability). Understand excipient functions: binders, disintegrants, lubricants, glidants, and their interactions. Tablet defects (capping, lamination, picking) and sterile products (pyrogens, sterilization methods) are frequent topics.
Question Traps
- Bioequivalence vs. pharmaceutical equivalence: Bioequivalent products must have comparable rate and extent of absorption; pharmaceutically equivalent products contain the same active ingredient but may differ in excipients.
- Sterilization parameters: Moist heat (121°C, 15 psi, 15–20 min) kills spores; dry heat requires higher temperature and longer time. Ethylene oxide is for heat-sensitive items but needs aeration.
- Dissolution vs. disintegration: Disintegration is a prerequisite but not a guarantee of dissolution.
Worked Example / Rule of Thumb
A question asks: Which excipient is added to a tablet formulation to promote breakup in the GI tract? Identify disintegrants (e.g., starch, croscarmellose sodium). Rule of thumb: “BIND” – Binder holds, Disintegrant breaks, Lubricant prevents sticking, Glidant improves flow.