POWDER DOSAGE FORMS

1.
2.
3.
4.

1.
2.
3.
4.

Powders are the simplest dosage forms and the basis of many other solid dosage
forms. Divided powders are also found to be convenient for administering drugs that are
excessively bitter, nauseous, or otherwise offensive to the taste.
Powders can be administered singly (simple powders) or as a mixture of different
medicinal powders (compound powders).
Advantages
Good chemical stability compared with fluids
Useful for bulky drugs with large dose, e.g. indigestion powder.
Easy to swallow even in large bulk, especially if mixed with drink food (useful for
stomach- tube feeding)
The smaller particle size of powders causes more rapid dissolution in body fluids,
increases drug bioavailability, and decreases gastric irritation compared with tablets
Disadvantages
Not suitable for drugs unstable in atmospheric conditions
Not suitable for bitter, nauseating, deliquesnt and corrosive drugs.
Inaccuracy of dose in case of bulk powder
Inconvenient to carry.
TYPES OF POWDERS
1. Bulk Powders for internal use
2. Bulk Powders for external use
3. Divided (single dose) powders
Oral divided powder may contain one or more active ingredients together with an inert
diluent to produce a minimum quantity of 120 mg.
Oral undivided powder are usually a simple mixture of the prescribed medication without
additional ingredients.
PREPARATION OF POWDERS
1- Reduction of particle size of all ingredients to the same range to prevent stratification.
2- Sieving.
3- Weighing of each ingredient.
4- Mixing.
5- Packaging.
CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED IN POWDER FORMULATION
1- Hygroscopic and Deliquescent Powder
Problem:
Absorption of moisture from air leading to partial or complete liquefaction.
Solution:
A- Applied in a granular form to decrease the exposed surface to air.
B- Packed in aluminum foil or in plastic film packets
C- Addition of light magnesium oxide to reduce the tendency to damp
D- Addition of adsorbent materials such as starch
Examples: - halide salts (ex. Sod. Iodide)
- Certain alkaloids (physostigmine Hcl)
2- Efflorescent powders
Problem:
Crystalline substances which during storage loose their water of crystallization and
change to powder (to be efflorescent). The liberated water convert the powder to a paste
or to a liquid.
Solution:
Using the anhydrous form, and treating it in a manner similar to hygroscopic powders
Examples: Alum- atropine sulfate- citric acid- codeine phosphate

3- Eutectic Mixtures
Problem:
Mixture of substances that liquefy when mixed, rubbed or triturated together. The
melting points of many eutectic mixtures are below room temperature.
Solution:
A- using inert adsorbent such as starch, talc, lactose to prevent dampness of the powder
B- dispensing the components of the eutectic mixture separately.
Examples:
Menthol- thymol- phenol- salol- camphor.
4- Incorporation of Liquids
Solution:
A- The liquid is triturated with an equal weight of the powder and the remaining
powder is added in several portions with trituration.
B- Adsorbent is incorporated, usually light kaolin.
5- Incorporation of Extracts
Problem:
Some plant extracts are available as powders or as semisolid (e.g., liquid extract of
liquorice) .
Solution:
A- The powdered extracts have no problems and treated generally as powders
B- Semisolid extract should be mixed with an equal quantity of lactose and reduced to a
dry powder by evaporation before incorporation with other ingredients
C- Careful heating, if present, to save potency of the extract.
6- Potent Drug
Problem:
Limited precision and accuracy of the used balances to weight small amounts of potent
drugs.
Solution:
Drug triturates:
A- Suitable diluents like lactose are mixed with the potent drug to form 10 20%w/w drug triturates.
B- Very fine powders should be used in the triturates
C- Geometric dilution to prepare drug triturates
7- Incompatible salts
Problem: Chemically incompatible salts when triturated together produce discoloration,
chemical deterioration or loss of potency.
Solution:
A- Compounding such substances with minimum pressure
B- Use a convenient method for mixing the powder like tumbling in a jar or
spatulation on a sheet of paper.
C- Each substance should be powdered separately in a clean mortar and then
combined with other ingredients gently.
D- Powder and dispense separately.
8- Explosive mixtures
Problem:
Oxidizing agents(ex. Pot. Salts of chlorate, dichromate, permanganate and nitrate- Sod.
Peroxide- silver nitrate and silver oxide) explore violently when triturated in a mortar
with a reducing agent ( ex. sulfides- sulfur- tannic acid- charcoal).
Solution:
A- Comminute each salt separately.
B- Subject to a minimum pressure.

SPECIAL POWDERS
1- Effervescent Powders
Definition: Mixture of organic acid and alkali effervesces when subjected to water due
to reaction between the acid and the base with evolution of co2
Examples: Citric or tartaric acids with sodium carbonate or bicarbonate
Uses: The liberated carbon dioxide has the following advantages:
It masks the bitter and nauseous taste.
It promotes gastric secretions.
It acts as a carminative.
psychological impression at the patient..
Formulation:
1. Bulk powders or divided powders
- Packed in separate packages of contrasting colors.
- The contents are mixed in a quantity of water at the time of dosing.
- The liquid is consumed just after the reaction begin to subside.
2- Effervescent Granules
Definition: Sweetened effervescent powders formulated as granules.
Granulation:
1- Wet method: By the addition of a binding liquid (Alcohol is frequently used).
2- Dry method: Heating effloresced powder to liberate the water of crystallization
which then acts as the binding agent
2- Effervescent Granules
Wet Granulation
Procedure:
1- The powders are mixed without pressure in a suitable container.
2- Alcohol is added in portions with stirring until a dough like mass is formed.
3- The materials are then passed through sieve # 6.
4- The resulted granules are dried at a temperature not exceeding 50C.
5- The granules are packed in air tight containers
Dry granulation
Procedure:
1- All ingredients, except citric acid monohydrate, are dried and passed through
sieve # 60.
2- The powders are thoroughly mixed and citric acid crystals are added at last (uneffloresced citric acid contains one molecule of water of crystallization).
3- The mixture is spread in a shallow dish and placed in an oven previously heated
(99- 105C). Upon heating citric acid crystals, the water of crystallization effloresces and
citric acid transforms to the powder form.
4- The use of a water bath surrounding the beaker (or any container) in which the
powders are stirred is a more convenient method to prevent local over heating.
5- No stirring until the powders become moist and form doughy mass.
6- The mass is then granulated by passage through sieve # 6 and dried.
Packaging:
* Effervescent granules or powders suffer from the short shelf life, especially if they are
filled into wide-mouthed screw capped containers.
* Recently, the stability of effervescent granules and powders is greatly improved by
their packing in aluminum bags tightly closed.