1/17/2023

SUSPENSION
By

Khezar Hayat
Lecturer, IPS, UVAS

Suspension
A pharmaceutical suspension may be defined as a coarse dispersion
containing finely divided insoluble material suspended in a liquid
medium or available in dry form to be distributed in the liquid when
desired.
Pharmaceutical suspensions are liquid dosage forms containing finely
divided insoluble materials distributed somewhat uniformly
throughout the suspending medium (suspending vehicle) in which the
drug exhibits a minimum degree of solubility.

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Why Suspension?
This dosage form is used for providing a liquid dosage form for
insoluble or poorly soluble drugs.
Also, it is an ideal dosage form for drugs that are unstable in an
aqueous medium for extended periods of time.
Such drugs are most frequently supplied as dry powder for
reconstitution at the time of dispensing.
Suspensions are an important pharmaceutical dosage form that are
still widely in use. Owing to their versatility they are often used in
situations where an ‘emergency’ formulation is required

Suspension

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Suspension

Suspension

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Suspension Products
Common pharmaceutical products that are suspensions include:
• Ear drops
• Enemas
• Inhalations
• Lotions
• Parental
• Mixtures for oral use.

Suspension Products

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Suspension and Solutions

A pharmaceutical suspension is defined as a preparation where at least
one of the active ingredients is suspended throughout the vehicle.

In contrast to solutions, in a suspension at least one of the ingredients

is not dissolved in the vehicle and so the preparation will require
shaking before a dose is administered.

Oral Suspension
The British Pharmacopoeia (BP) defines oral suspensions as:

‘Oral Liquids containing one or more active ingredients

suspended in a suitable vehicle. Suspended solids may
slowly separate on standing but are easily redispersed.’

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Merits and Demerits of Suspension

General Principles of Suspension

Although similar to pharmaceutical solutions in a number of ways,
pharmaceutical suspensions differ in that one or more of the solid
ingredients are suspended throughout the vehicle rather than
dissolved within it. Different pharmaceutical solids have differing
abilities to suspend throughout a vehicle.
This results in two types of pharmaceutical suspension:
*Diffusible suspensions
*Indiffusible suspensions.

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Diffusible Suspension
These are suspensions containing light powders that are insoluble, or
only very slightly soluble, in the vehicle but which on shaking disperse
evenly throughout the vehicle for long enough to allow an accurate
dose to be poured.
Examples of diffusible powders commonly incorporated into
pharmaceutical suspensions include:
* Light Kaolin BP – insoluble in water
* Light Magnesium Carbonate BP – very slightly soluble in water
* Magnesium Trisilicate BP – insoluble in water.

Indiffusible Suspension
These are suspensions containing heavy powders that are insoluble in
the vehicle and which on shaking do not disperse evenly throughout
the vehicle long enough to allow an accurate dose to be poured.
Examples of indiffusible powders commonly incorporated into
pharmaceutical suspensions include:
* Aspirin BP
* Calamine BP
* Chalk BP
* Zinc Oxide BP.

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Difference

In the preparation of indiffusible suspensions, the main difference from

diffusible suspensions is that the vehicle must be thickened to slow down
the rate at which the powder settles. This is achieved by the addition of a
suspending agent.

Suspending Agents

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Method A and Method B

The method A and B is followed in dispensing the

prescription yielding diffusible and indiffusible precipitates
respectively.

Method A
The method is followed when diffusible precipitates are formed in very
small quantity.
▪ Divide the vehicle into two equal portions.
▪ Dissolve one of the reacting substances in one of the portion and
the other in the other portion.
▪ Mix the two portions by slowly adding one portion to the other by
rapid stirring.

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Method B
The method is followed when indiffusible precipitates are formed in
large quantity.
▪ Divide the vehicle into two portions.
▪ Dissolve one of the reacting substances in one portion.
▪ Weigh a suitable quantity of compound tragacanth powder (2g per
100 ml of finished product) and transfer in a mortar and use part of
second portion of vehicle to produce smooth mucilage.
▪ Then add other reacting substances.

Method B
▪ Mix the two portions by slowly adding one portion to the other with
rapid stirring.
▪ A secondary label “shake the bottle before use” should be fixed on
the container whenever method A or method B is followed in
dispensing the prescription.

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General Method of Preparation (Diffusible)

Check the solubilities, in Calculate the quantities of Prepare any Double
the vehicle, of all solids in vehicle required to dissolve Strength Chloroform Water
the mixture. any soluble solids. BP required.

Mix any insoluble diffusible

Dissolve all soluble solids in powders in a porcelain
Weigh all solids on a Class
the vehicle in a small glass mortar using the ‘doubling-
II or electronic balance.
beaker up’ technique to ensure
complete mixing

General Method of Preparation

Add a small quantity of the
vehicle (which may or may not Add further vehicle in small
Transfer the contents of the
be a solution of the soluble quantities, and continue mixing
mortar to a conical measure of
ingredients) to the solids in the until the mixture in the mortar
suitable size.
mortar and mix using a pestle to is of a pourable consistency.
form a smooth paste.

Rinse out the mortar with more Add remaining liquid

vehicle and add any rinsings to ingredients to the mixture in
the conical measure. the conical measure.

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General Method of Preparation

Stir gently, transfer to a
Add remaining liquid
suitable container,
ingredients to the Make up to final
ensuring that all the
mixture in the conical volume with vehicle.
solid is transferred
measure.
from the

conical measure to the

bottle, and label ready
to be dispensed to the
patient.

Method B
▪ Follow book for non-definable suspension

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Packaging of Suspensions

Discard Dates
▪ The discard date of official preparations will be advised via the
relative official texts.
▪ As with solutions, for official preparations the British
Pharmacopoeia employs two definitions that are useful when
extemporaneously compounding suspensions:
▪ * ‘Freshly Prepared’ refers to a preparation that has been
compounded less than 24 hours prior to issue for use.
▪ * ‘Recently Prepared’ should be applied to compounded items that
are likely to deteriorate if stored for a period greater than four
weeks when maintained at 15–25 C

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Discard Dates

Remember that because patients frequently misunderstand the term ‘expiry’

it is suggested that a preferred method of indicating shelf-life on the label of
extemporaneously compounded products is to apply the term ‘Discard after’
or ‘Do not use after’ followed by a definite date and/or time

Discard Dates
▪ When dealing with unofficial preparations, the compounder must
consider the following. As a general rule, an expiry of 7–14 days
would be given to any of the following preparations:
▪ * A suspension that does not contain a preservative
▪ * A suspension where there are no stability data available
▪ * A new suspension or ad hoc preparation.

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Labelling
▪ In addition to the standard requirements for the labelling of
extemporaneous preparations, the following points need to be
taken into consideration:
▪ * ‘Shake the bottle’ – All suspensions will require this additional
label.
▪ * ‘Not to be taken’ – This warning must be added to the label of any
inhalations.
▪ * ‘For external use only’ – This warning must be added to the label
of any other suspension not intended for administration via the oral
route.

Difference between different terms

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