FREE Master of Pharmacy: Pharmaceutical Formulations and Dosage Forms Questions and Answers

Question 1

As soon as the punch goes into the die, the first step in making a tablet is elastic deformation.

Accepted Answer

FALSE

Answer

The first step in tablet compression, as the punch enters the die, is typically particle rearrangement, where powder particles move and reorient to fill the die space more efficiently. Elastic deformation, where particles temporarily change shape, occurs after this initial rearrangement. This process precedes plastic deformation or fragmentation, which are more permanent changes to the particle structure under higher pressure.

Question 2

Even though direct compression keeps a drug from being exposed to heat and moisture, it doesn't really cut down on the number of steps needed to make a tablet.

Accepted Answer

FALSE

Answer

Direct compression is a tablet manufacturing method that significantly reduces the number of processing steps compared to wet or dry granulation. It involves directly compressing a blend of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and excipients into tablets, eliminating stages like granulation, drying, and milling. This simplification not only minimizes drug exposure to heat and moisture but also offers substantial time and cost efficiencies.

Question 3

When making low-dose tablets of highly potent drugs by direct compression, the biggest problem is getting the drug content to be uniform and homogeneous enough.

Accepted Answer

TRUE

Answer

When formulating low-dose tablets of highly potent drugs using direct compression, achieving uniform drug content and homogeneity is indeed the biggest challenge. Since the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) constitutes a very small proportion of the tablet, any segregation or inadequate mixing can lead to significant variations in drug concentration between tablets. This variability can compromise both the efficacy and safety of the medication.

Question 4

In general, the amount of force used to make a tablet is directly related to how hard it is and how easily it breaks.

Accepted Answer

FALSE

Answer

While increasing compression force generally increases tablet hardness, the relationship is not always directly proportional or simple. Excessive compression force can lead to issues like capping, lamination, or reduced disintegration and dissolution rates, rather than just increasing hardness. Furthermore, tablet friability (how easily it breaks) is influenced by hardness but also by the material's inherent properties and the tablet's structural integrity, which can be negatively impacted by over-compression.

Question 5

True lubricants reduce the force needed to eject a tablet by lowering the force left in the die wall.

Accepted Answer

FALSE

Answer

True lubricants, such as magnesium stearate, primarily function by forming a thin, low-friction film between the tablet and the die wall. This film reduces the adhesive forces and friction encountered during the tablet's ejection from the die. Their main role is to decrease the *ejection force* required, rather than lowering the force *left* in the die wall, which is not a precise description of their mechanism.

MPharm Master of Pharmacy Practice Test

MPharm Master of Pharmacy Practice Test

FREE Master of Pharmacy: Pharmaceutical Formulations and Dosage Forms Questions and Answers