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Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API)
Any substance in a compounded preparation that confers pharmacological activity.
Agglomerations
Clusters, lumps, clumps, or globs of ingredients in a liquid, semiliquid, or powdered vehicle, which are undesirable in compounding.
Autoclave
A device that generates heat and pressure to sterilize objects, instruments, and measuring vessels and devices.
Beyond Use Date (BUD)
The date after which a drug should not be used once it has been removed from its intact container.
caps
capsule
Blending
The act of combining two substances using nongrinding techniques such as spatulation, sifting, and tumbling.
calibrate
To gauge a measuring instrument with a standard scale of reading.
The act of reducing a substance to small, fine particles using particle-reducing techniques like trituration, levigation, and pulverization.
Component
An ingredient in a compounded product.
iv
intravenous
compounded preparation
A patient-specific medication prepared on-site from individual ingredients, often by a technician under the direct supervision of the pharmacist.
compounding
The process of preparing a medication for an individual patient from bulk ingredients according to a prescription from a licensed prescriber.
diluent
An inactive ingredient that is added to the active drug in compounding a tablet, capsule, solution, or topical formulation.
forceps
Tools used to pick up small objects, such as pharmacy weights.
im
intramuscular
graduated cylinder
A narrow, cylindrical container used for measuring the volume of liquids.
mortar and pestle
Tools used to grind or crush substances for compounding.
ointment slab
A flat, hard, nonsorptive surface used for mixing compounded ointments.
percentage of error
The acceptable range of variation when measuring pharmaceutical ingredients, often given as a percentage.
daw
dispense as written
Class III Prescription Balance
A two-pan balance used to weigh material (between 120 mg and 120 g) with a sensitivity rating of +/- 6 mg; also known as a Class A prescription balance.
Extemporaneous Compounding
Compounding done in a pharmacy setting for a specific prescription, often made from nonsterile or sterile ingredients.
excipients
Inactive ingredients.
emollient
An ointment base commercially available from a wholesaler or pharmacy compounding vendor that is used to moisturize the skin.
ec
enteric coating