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Books for GPAT preparation / GPAT books

GPAT BOOKS Often students ask about the books for GPAT preparation. There are several books available for each subject in pharmacy and also as a compilation of all the subjects. Books for only MCQ practices are also available. But before you use such MCQ books, try to understand fundamental concepts, clear your doubts. I would like to differentiate such books into general reference books and books for GPAT preparation. In my previous article on GPAT preparation tips  list of reference books for respective subjects is given. Here in this article I will suggest some GPAT books. All the books out there are full of information and numerous MCQs. But it is a wise choice to select a single or two books to avoid information overload and frustration. ¶The most widely used book for GPAT preparation is GPAT: A Companion by Nazma N. Inamdar and Milind P. Wagh (Career Publications). ¶Why GPAT: A Companion by Inamdar and Wagh is popular among GPAT aspirants? - A simple ans...

PHARMACEUTICS GPAT SHORT NOTES III

1. Capsule number and their approximate capacity in mg and ml No.  : mg  : ml 000 : 950 : 1.37  00  : 650 : 0.95    0  : 450 : 0.68    1  : 300 : 0.50    2  : 250 : 0.37    3  : 200 : 0.30    4  : 150 : 0.21    5  : 100 : 0.13 ¶  Remember that  000 is the largest capsule size while 5 is the smallest size . 2. Sucrose based diluents 1. DiPac : 97% sucrose + 3% modified dextrose 2. Nutab : 95% sucrose + 4% invert sugar 3. Sugar tab : 90-93% sucrose + 7-10% invert sugar 3. Proportions (of respective oil) required for a primary emulsion                              ( Oil: water: gum) Fixed oils     --  4 : 2 : 1 Mineral oils --  3 : 2 : 1 Volatile oils --  2 : 2 : 1 Oleoresins   --  1 : 2 : 1...

PHARMACEUTICS GPAT SHORT NOTES II

1. What is Draves test? Draves test is used for measuring the efficacy of wetting agent. Procedure: In this test, 5 gm cotton skein is attached to a 3 gm hook, which is tied by means of a thread to a weight. The skein is placed into a cylinder containing the surfactant solution to be tested and is held submerged by the hook and the thread is attached to the weight.  As soon as most of the air is displaced by the liquid, the skein sinks to the bottom. The shorter the sinking time, the better the wetting agent. The gray cotton skein used for this purpose contains natural waxes and oil that make it hydrophobic and wetting is not instantaneous, hence the test measures the rate of wetting . 2. General terms of solubility phenomenon There are four general terms used to define solubility of system viz. Cosolvency, solubilization, complexation and hydrotrophy. a) Cosolvency : It is the phenomenon of increasing the solubility of weak electrolytes and non-polar molecules by a...

CAPSULES II

To read the article on formulation of hard  gelatin capsule and soft gelatin capsule<-----click he re. I) Physicochemical properties of the gelatin. The two most important physicochemical properties of the gelatin  a) bloom strength & b) viscosity are considered while preparing capsule shells. a) Bloom strength: It is an empirical gel strength measure. It is a molecular weight of gelatin which gives an indication of firmness of the gel. i.e. internal cross linking or cohesive strength among the molecules. It is measured in bloom gelometer. It determines the weight in grams required to depress a standard plunger (diameter 0.5 inches) at a fixed distance (4mm deep) into 6.66% w/w gel held at 10°C for 17 hrs . The bloom strengths in the range of 150-280 gram are considered suitable for manufacturing of capsule shells. b) Viscosity: Viscosity of the gelatin solution is a critical factor in order to maintain the proper thickness of gelatin shell...

PARENTERALS II

Parenteral formulations and Quality control tests In previous article on parenterals (Parenteral I) we have seen some of the basic concepts. In this article, additives used in parenteral preparations, types of formulations and quality control tests are given shortly. To view previous article on basics of parenteral preparations <<---click here. In previous GPAT exams, questions on the antioxidant examples, organism used for LAL test, pyrogen test, osmolarity, isotonicity were asked. FORMULATION OF PARENTERALS Parenteral formulations include water, co-solvents and several additives. In previous article on basics of parenterals, we have seen first two components i.e. solvents (aqueous and non-aqueous). In this point, we are going to see some of the important additives/excipients used in the parenteral formulations. Additives/ Excipients   ¶ Local anesthetics : Benzyl alcohol & Procaine HCl ¶Antioxidants : These prevent oxidation of active ingredie...

PARENTERALS I : Basics, route of administration, solvents used

Basics of parenteral dosage forms Parenteral route: para- other, -enteral- intestine. Parenteral dosage form: It can be defined as a sterile drug product , which is presented in the form of solution, suspension, emulsion or reconstituted lyophilised powder, suitable for administration by injection. [Ref-  https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/parenteral-drug-administration ] Routes of administration of parenterals: 1. Intravenous 2. Subcutaneous 3. Intramuscular 4. Intradermal 5. Intraspinal 6. Intrathecal 7. Intraarterial 8. Intraepidural 9. Intra-vitreous Maximum volume for single dose container: upto 1000 ml. Maximum volume for multi-dose container: up to 30 ml  Maximum volume for intradermal administration: 0.2 ml Maximum volume for subcutaneous administration: 1 ml Maximum volume for intramuscular administration: 2 ml/ 5 ml (for gluteal muscles). Maximum volume for intraarterial, intracardiac and intraspinal ...

CAPSULES I

Capsules are solid unit dosage forms in which the drug substance is enclosed within either a hard or soft gelatin shell. Hard gelatin capsules (HGC) : Hard Gelatin Capsules Contain two parts: a cap and other is a body. Widely used for the filling of powders, granules and pellets. Manufactured by dipping method, which involves steps: Dipping, Rotation, Drying, Stripping, Trimming & Joining . These are less plasticised than soft gelatin capsules. Soft gelatin capsules ( SGC): Soft Gelatin Capsules (Softgels) Referred as softgels as these are made from the more plasticised gelatin film. These are completely sealed dosage form & cannot be opened without destroying the shell. Generally, suspensions or the solutions of drug that do not solubilize the gelatin shell are enclosed in SGC. The most common methods for preparation of SGC is Rotary die process, Plate process, Bubble method, Accogel  (powder or granules filling). HARD GELATIN CAPSUL...