Suppositories are a specialized solid dosage form designed for drug delivery via various body orifices, providing either local or systemic effects. For B.Pharm students, understanding their formulation is key, as they offer a valuable alternative when the oral route is not feasible. This quiz covers the types of suppositories, the characteristics of different bases, methods of preparation, and essential calculations like displacement value, all vital for compounding and dispensing these unique preparations.
- Suppositories are solid dosage forms intended for insertion into:
- The oral cavity
- Body orifices
- The bloodstream
- Intramuscular tissue
- The most common type of suppository base, Theobroma oil, is also known as:
- Polyethylene Glycol
- Glycerinated Gelatin
- Cocoa Butter
- Lanolin
- The “Displacement Value” of a drug is used to calculate the amount of:
- Drug needed for the formulation
- Suppository base that is displaced by the active drug
- Water required for dissolution
- Excipient needed for lubrication
- Suppositories intended for vaginal administration are called:
- Bougies
- Pessaries
- Inserts
- Douches
- Which of the following is an advantage of suppositories?
- They can be used for patients who are unconscious or vomiting.
- Absorption is always uniform and predictable.
- They are preferred by most patients.
- They are easy to self-administer.
- Theobroma oil is an oleaginous base that exhibits polymorphism. What is polymorphism?
- The ability to dissolve in both water and oil
- The ability to exist in multiple crystalline forms with different melting points
- The ability to absorb large amounts of water
- The ability to resist microbial growth
- The most common method for preparing suppositories on a large scale is:
- Hand rolling and shaping
- Compression
- Fusion or molding
- Solvent evaporation
- Polyethylene Glycols (PEGs) are an example of which type of suppository base?
- Oleaginous (fatty)
- Water-soluble
- Emulsifying
- Natural gum
- Suppositories intended for insertion into the male urethra are called:
- Pessaries
- Inserts
- Bougies
- Enemas
- A major disadvantage of suppositories is:
- Erratic and unpredictable absorption
- A slow onset of action
- They cannot provide a systemic effect
- They are only for local effects
- Glycerinated gelatin bases are most suitable for which type of suppository?
- Rectal
- Vaginal
- Urethral
- Nasal
- If the displacement value of a drug is 2.0, it means that 2.0 g of the drug displaces:
- 2.0 g of the suppository base
- 0.5 g of the suppository base
- 1.0 g of the suppository base
- 4.0 g of the suppository base
- Why should Theobroma oil not be overheated during the fusion method?
- It will lose its color.
- It can convert to a metastable, lower-melting point form.
- It will become too viscous.
- It will decompose completely.
- Which of the following is a water-soluble suppository base?
- Cocoa butter
- Witepsol
- Fattibase
- Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)
- The test used to evaluate the mechanical strength of a suppository is the:
- Melting range test
- Disintegration test
- Breaking test (Hardness test)
- Dissolution test
- Which of the following is an advantage of using PEG bases over fatty bases?
- They have a lower melting point.
- They do not leak from the body orifice.
- They are less irritating to mucous membranes.
- They do not require a lubricant for the mold.
- The oldest method of suppository preparation, suitable for small-scale compounding, is:
- Fusion molding
- Compression
- Hand rolling
- Automatic molding
- A suppository is a type of ______ dosage form.
- liquid
- gaseous
- semi-solid
- solid
- If 12 suppositories containing 500mg of a drug each are to be made in a 2g mold, and the drug’s DV is 4, how much base is required?
- 24 g
- 18 g
- 22.5 g
- 20 g
- Which is a disadvantage of the glycerinated gelatin base?
- It is hygroscopic, which can cause irritation.
- It melts too quickly at room temperature.
- It does not dissolve in body fluids.
- It is an oily base.
- Suppositories are evaluated for which of the following parameters?
- Weight variation
- Disintegration time
- Melting point
- All of the above
- The shape of a rectal suppository is typically:
- Globular or oviform
- Pencil-like
- Torpedo or bullet-shaped
- Flat and circular
- The compression method of making suppositories is suitable for:
- Thermolabile drugs
- Water-soluble drugs
- Drugs that are liquid at room temperature
- All types of drugs
- When using a fatty base like cocoa butter, the suppository releases the drug by:
- Dissolving in body fluids
- Melting at body temperature
- Disintegrating
- Evaporating
- The term “pessary” is another name for a ______ suppository.
- rectal
- vaginal
- urethral
- nasal
- Which of the following is a synthetic fatty base?
- Theobroma oil
- Witepsol
- Glycerinated gelatin
- PEG 1000
- What is the primary reason for using suppositories?
- To provide a pleasant taste
- To achieve a rapid systemic effect
- To deliver drugs when the oral route is unsuitable
- For cosmetic purposes
- Lubrication of the suppository mold is necessary when using which type of base?
- Theobroma oil
- Witepsol
- PEG
- Glycerinated gelatin
- Displacement value calculations are NOT required for which preparation method?
- Fusion with a calibrated mold
- Hand rolling
- Compression
- Double casting
- A drug intended for a local effect when given as a suppository is:
- A local anesthetic for hemorrhoids
- An anti-pyretic for fever
- An analgesic for pain
- An anti-emetic for nausea
- The ‘melting range test’ is a critical quality control parameter for suppositories made with:
- Oleaginous bases
- Water-soluble bases
- Emulsifying bases
- PEG bases
- The weight of an adult rectal suppository is typically:
- 1 g
- 2 g
- 5 g
- 10 g
- A disadvantage of hand rolling is that it:
- Requires expensive equipment.
- Is not elegant and requires considerable skill.
- Can only be used for water-soluble drugs.
- Overheats the drug.
- When a water-soluble base like PEG is used, the drug is released by:
- Melting at body temperature
- Slowly dissolving in the body fluids
- Being pushed out by gas formation
- Flaking off the suppository surface
- The shape of a vaginal suppository is typically:
- Torpedo
- Bullet
- Pencil-like
- Globular or oviform
- An ideal suppository base should:
- Melt or dissolve at body temperature
- Be non-toxic and non-irritating
- Be stable on storage
- All of the above
- The ‘double casting’ technique is used to:
- Prepare suppositories without a mold.
- Calibrate the suppository mold when the displacement value is unknown.
- Prepare only urethral suppositories.
- Make suppositories by hand.
- The ‘disintegration test’ for suppositories measures the time required for the suppository to:
- Melt completely
- Dissolve or disperse in the test medium
- Release 50% of the drug
- Break under pressure
- Which base is known for its incompatibility with many drugs, including aspirin and penicillin?
- Cocoa butter
- Polyethylene glycol (PEG)
- Witepsol
- Glycerinated gelatin
- Which is an advantage of bypassing the ‘first-pass effect’ with rectal suppositories?
- The drug does not need to be absorbed.
- A greater proportion of the drug reaches the systemic circulation unchanged.
- The onset of action is always faster.
- It allows for local action only.
- The main ingredients of a glycerinated gelatin base are:
- Glycerin, gelatin, and water
- Glycerin, PEG, and cocoa butter
- Gelatin, oil, and water
- PEG, oil, and glycerin
- The “liquefaction time” test is an evaluation parameter specifically for:
- Rectal suppositories
- Vaginal pessaries
- Urethral bougies
- All types of suppositories
- Which statement about suppositories is FALSE?
- They can be used to deliver drugs for systemic effects.
- They are a convenient route for all patients.
- They can be used for drugs that are irritating to the stomach.
- They avoid the harsh pH and enzymatic activity of the GI tract.
- The final step in the fusion method, after the melt has been poured into the molds, is:
- Weighing
- Wrapping
- Cooling and congealing
- Labeling
- Which is NOT a type of suppository base classification?
- Oleaginous
- Water-soluble
- Emulsifying
- Effervescent
- What is the purpose of adding suspending agents to suppositories?
- To help the suppository melt
- To prevent the settling of insoluble drugs in the molten base
- To make the base water-soluble
- To lubricate the mold
- The weight of a urethral bougie is typically around:
- 1-2 g
- 2-4 g
- 4-8 g
- 8-10 g
- If a drug has a displacement value of 1.0, it means:
- The drug occupies the same volume as an equal weight of the base.
- The drug is twice as dense as the base.
- The drug is half as dense as the base.
- The drug does not displace any base.
- Which base is a mixture of different molecular weight polymers of ethylene oxide and water?
- Cocoa butter
- Witepsol
- Glycero-gelatin
- Polyethylene glycol
- An important counseling point for a patient using a suppository with a glycerinated gelatin base is to:
- Keep it refrigerated.
- Moisten it with water before insertion.
- Use it only at bedtime.
- Cut it in half before use.
I am a Registered Pharmacist under the Pharmacy Act, 1948, and the founder of PharmacyFreak.com. I hold a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Rungta College of Pharmaceutical Science and Research. With a strong academic foundation and practical knowledge, I am committed to providing accurate, easy-to-understand content to support pharmacy students and professionals. My aim is to make complex pharmaceutical concepts accessible and useful for real-world application.
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