Key terms
What does Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient mean (API)?
any substance in a compounded preparation that confers pharmacological activity
What does calibrate mean?
to gauge a measuring instrument with a standard scale of reading
What does a compounded sterile preparation mean?
a medication prepared with aseptic technique in a sterile, cleanroom facility
What does excipents mean?
Inactive ingredients
What does cap mean?
capsule
What does Agglomerations mean?
clusters, lumps, clumps, or globs of ingredients, in a liquid, semiliquid, or powdered vehicle, which are undesired in compounding
What does Class III prescription balance mean?
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
What does compounding mean?
the process of preparing a medication for an individual patient from bulk ingredients according to a prescription from a licensed prescriber
What does extemporaneous compounding mean?
compounding products that are done for a specific patient’s immediate need but not commercially available; another name for nonsterile compounding in a community pharmacy
What does gtt mean
drop
What does autoclave mean?
a device that generates heat and pressure to sterilize objects, instruments, and measuring vessels and devices
What does comminution mean?
the act of reducing a substance to small, fine particles using particle-reducing techniques like trituration, levigation, and pulverization
What does a compounding record mean?
a printout for a specific patient, including the amounts or weights of all ingredients with national drug code calculations and instructions for compounding; used by the technician to document a compounded medication for a patient
What does forceps mean?
a stainless steel pincher instrument, like a large tweezers, used to pick up small objects, such as pharmacy weights
What does cc mean?
cubic centimeters
the date after which a drug should not be used once it has been removed from the intact container
What does component mean?
an ingredient in a compounded product
What does diluent mean?
an inactive ingredient that is added to the active drug in compounding a tablet, capsule, solution, or topical formulation
What does geometric dultion method mean?
a process that uses a mortar and pestle to gradually combine several active ingredients (drugs) with inactive ingredients (diluent) to produce a more homogenous product
What does U mean?
units
What does blending mean?
the act of combining two substances by using nongrinding techniques such as spatulation, sifting, and tumbling
What does compounded preparation?
a patient-specific medication prepared on-site from individual ingredients, often by a technician under the direct supervision of the pharmacist
What does emollient mean?
an ointment base commercially available from a wholesaler or pharmacy compounding vendor
What does a graduated cylinder mean?
a flask used for accurately measuring liquids
What does supp mean?
suppository