Increased Viscosity for Stability of Suspension Preparations

Every day you often meet with materials such as honey, oil, lubricants, and syrup, right? The consistency of the honey will be different from that of the syrup, as well as the viscosity of the oil, which is different from honey and lubricants. The medicine you take, such as liquid drugs, is also very concerned about the level of viscosity. 

People who cannot take tablets or capsules like children and the elderly usually look for the liquid form of medicine to make it easier for them to absorb nutrients. The manufacture of liquid medicinal preparation is concerned with the level of viscosity in addition to the large sedimentation volume, ease of pouring into serving bottles, dispersibility, and particle size.

The Importance of Suspension Preparations

With the increasing modernity in society, the threat to our health and fitness is rising. People are competing to be at the forefront by minimizing sleep time, adding nutritious intake, and maintaining health with supplements. 

They also do exercise as a modern habit. If they are already sick, many people choose drugs that work quickly so that the pain can be cured to return to being productive again as usual. Unfortunately, most drugs are chemically unstable in solution but are stable when suspended. 

The manufacture of suspensions is also important for releasing therapeutic properties, storage stability, and releasing aesthetic elements because the preparations usually have an attractive appearance. 

So, what does the pharmaceutical industry expect in the manufacturing process of suspension preparations? They expect a suspension that settles slowly and is redispersed when the bottle is shaken. Therefore, it is important to maintain the stability of the suspension to slow down the accumulation of particles.      

Various Types of Suspension

You may not always get detailed information about the drugs you are taking. Doctors only prescribe medicines that you have to pay for at the pharmacy. Meanwhile, the pharmacist may only explain how it is used daily and the risks that may arise for long-term use. You better know the types of suspension preparations that you may take home from the pharmacy. So, you can store drugs with a certain viscosity in the proper way. 

Suspension preparations consist of three kinds that circle in the market.

• Oral suspension. This is a liquid medicine that you usually take at least three times a day. This suspension has fine solid particles and is dispersed in the liquid phase using a suitable flavoring material. Since it is consumed by drinking, the viscosity of the oral suspension is adjusted to the suction power of the throat organ. The throat is connected to the sense of smell, so flavoring materials must also be used in this kind of suspension.
• Suspension for injection. It is a type of sterile suspension in which the preparation is solid and dry, with the carrier being adjusted to form a sterilizing solution.
• Eardrop suspension. The outer ear can be treated using a liquid ear drop suspension containing fine particles. The viscosity of this suspension is different from the oral one. It’s lighter than the oral suspension. 

The Effect of Viscosity on The Suspension Preparation

We know that liquid drug preparation should have a viscosity that is not too thick so that the particles they contain can be slowed down and the flow velocity is as required. Suspension stability can be maintained in several ways like the following:

· Avoid precipitation by reducing the particle size. When the particle size gets smaller, the larger the surface area, then the compressive force on the liquid will slow down the movement of the particles.

· Avoid collisions between particles that can cause a precipitate to form. This can be done by reducing the number of particles or concentrations in a container. If the number of particles is high, the particles will be difficult to move freely. This activity will have the potential to cause high deposition.

· Last but not least, pay attention to the viscosity of a liquid. The increase in viscosity will affect the downward movement of a particle. When you make suspension preparation with high viscosity, the suspension will be difficult to shake and pour. The purpose of shaking the suspension preparation is to make preparation redispersed. The viscosity of a suspension should be increased properly so that the particle descent can be slowed down.