Keyterms
Agglomerations
Clusters, lumps, clumps, or globs of ingredients in a liquid, semiliquid, or powdered vehicle, which are undesired in compounding.
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.
Compounding
The process of preparing a medication for an individual patient from bulk ingredients according to a prescription from a licensed prescriber.
Extemporaneous Compounding
Compounding products that are done for a specific patient’s immediate need but are not commercially available; another name for non-sterile compounding in a community pharmacy.
NPO
Nothing by mouth
Autoclave
A device that generates heat and pressure to sterilize objects, instruments, and measuring vessels and devices.
Comminution
The act of reducing a substance to small, fine particles using particle-reducing techniques like trituration, levigation, and pulverization.
Compounding Record
A printout for a specific patient that includes 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.
Forceps
A stainless steel pincher instrument like a large tweezer used to pick up small objects, such as pharmacy weights.
IM
Intramuscular
Beyond Use Date (BUD)
The date after which a drug should not be used once it has been removed from the intact container.
Component
An ingredient in a compounded product.
Diluent
An inactive ingredient that is added to the active drug in compounding a tablet, capsule, solution, or topical formulation.
Geometric Dilution Method
A process that uses a mortar and pestle to gradually combine several active ingredients with inactive ingredients to produce a more homogeneous product.
SQ
Subcutaneous
Blending
The act of combining two substances by using non-grinding techniques such as spatulation, sifting, and tumbling.
Compounded Preparation
A patient-specific medication prepared on-site from individual ingredients, often by a technician under the direct supervision of the pharmacist.
Emollient
An ointment base commercially available from a wholesaler or pharmacy compounding vendor.
Graduated Cylinder
A flask used for accurately measuring liquids.
Susp
Suspension
Calibrate
To gauge a measuring instrument with a standard scale of reading.
Compounded Sterile Preparation
A medication prepared with aseptic technique in a sterile, cleanroom facility.
Excipients
Inactive ingredients in a compounded preparation.
Levigation
A process usually used to reduce the particle size of a solid during the preparation of an ointment.
BP
Blood Pressure