36 lectures, 10 tutorials and 57 hours of practical work
The aim of the subject is to provide students with a detailed knowledge and understanding of the formulation, preparation, and basic pharmacokinetics of certain dose forms.
General objectives
In this teaching program students are expected to develop:
understanding of the factors influencing the absorption of drugs; the factors influencing the distribution and disposition of drugs in the body; the principles of drug metabolism and elimination; the production and use of powders, tablets and capsules; the formulation and use of suspensions; the principles underlying the production and use of foams; the formulation, properties and uses of aerosols;
abilities in the areas of performing pharmaceutical calculations; the preparation of pharmaceutical dose forms;
an appreciation of the need for accuracy and thoroughness in the preparation of pharmaceutical products; the factors which influence the design of pharmaceutical dose forms.
Syllabus
Biopharmaceutics. Structure and properties of membranes, mechanisms of drug transfer across membranes, effects of ionisation state, pH-partition hypothesis. Plasma protein binding of drugs, distribution and disposition of drugs, apparent volume of distribution, factors affecting drug accumulation in tissues, drug half-lives, pharmacokinetic modelling.
Tablets and powders. Particle size and distribution, particle size determination, flow properties. Mixing and mixers, granulation, tablets, manufacturing processes, special tablets, weight, content and physical uniformity, excipient interaction, in vitro disintegration and dissolution tests and requirements.
Disperse systems. Colloidal systems, kinetic, optical, electrical properties of solid-liquid dispersions, electrical and steric stabilisation of solid-liquid dispersions, nucleation and ageing.
Foams. Stability of foams, choice of surfactant, antifoaming agents.
Aerosols. Liquified and compressed aerosol propellants; two-phase aerosols; three-phase aerosols; aerosol formulation; aerosol stability; non-pressure pack aerosols, atomisers, packaging, containers.
Capsules. Hard and soft gelatin capsule walls, stability of macrocapsules, in vitro testing, in vitro/in vivo correlations. Manufacture of different types of microcapsules. Advantages and disadvantages of capsules.
Practical
Nineteen 3-hour practical sessions
Practical classes are designed to provide experience in the preparation of certain pharmaceutical dose forms and reinforcement of the principles of pharmaceutics covered in the lecture series.
Textbooks
Recommended texts
Florence A T and Attwood D Physicochemical principles of pharmacy 2nd edn, Macmillan, 1988
Martindale W The extra pharmacopoeia 30th edn, Pharmaceutical Press, 1993
Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Australian pharmaceutical formulary 15th edn, PSA, 1992
Pharmacy Board of Victoria Office consolidation 2nd edn, PBV, 1987
Pharmacy Board of Victoria Pharmacy board guidelines PBV, 1995
Shargel L and Yu A B C Applied biopharmaceutics and pharmacokinetics 3rd edn, Appleton and Lange, 1993
Shaw D J Introduction to colloid and surface chemistry 4th edn, Butterworths-Heinemann, 1992
Victorian College of Pharmacy Pharmaceutics II laboratory manuals VCP, 1995
Reference books
Avis K E and others Pharmaceutical dosage forms: Parenteral medications vol. 1, 2nd edn, Dekker, 1992
Aulton M E (ed.) Pharmaceutics, the science of dosage form design Churchill Livingstone, 1988
Collett D M and Aulton M E Pharmaceutical practice Churchill Livingstone, 1990
Gibaldi M Biopharmaceutics and clinical pharmacokinetics 4th edn, Lea and Febiger, 1991
Lachman L and others The theory and practice of industrial pharmacy 3rd edn, Lea and Febiger, 1986
Martin A N and others Physical pharmacy 4th edn, Lea and Febiger, 1993
Parrott E L Pharmaceutical technology Burgess, 1970
Pharmaceutical Press The pharmaceutical codex 12th edn, Pharmaceutical Press, 1994
USP United States pharmacopoeia 22nd revision, USP Convention, 1990
Journal references
Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Pharmaceutical Research
Assessment
Subject assessment will reflect the learning objectives outlined above. Methods of assessment will include:
Mid-year examination (June) (1 hour): 20%
Practical work: 10%
End-of-year examination (2.5 hours): 70%