Principles of Pharmacy Practice

Lecture 6
Reducing and Enlarging Formulas
Mohammed Deyaa

‫تقليل الصيغ وتوسيعها تقليل‬

Reducing and Enlarging Formulas

‫ ﻗﺪ ﺗﺤﺘﺎج إﻟﻰ ﺗﻘﻠﯿﻞ أو ﺗﻮﺳﯿﻊ اﻟﻤﺴﺘﺤﻀﺮ اﻟﺼﯿﺪﻻﻧﻲ ﺑﻨﺎء ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻜﻤﯿﺎت‬،‫ﻛﺼﯿﺎدﻟﺔ‬
.‫اﻟﻤﻄﻠﻮﺑﺔ أو اﻟﻤﺘﺎﺣﺔ‬
As pharmacists, you may need to reduce or enlarge a
pharmaceutical preparation based on the desired or
available quantities.
.‫ ﯾﻨﺒﻐﻲ أن ﯾﻜﻮن ﻣﻦ اﻟﻮاﺿﺢ أن اﻟﻜﻤﯿﺎت ﻓﻲ اﻟﺼﯿﻎ اﻷﺻﻠﯿﺔ واﻟﺼﯿﻐﺔ اﻟﻤﺤﺴﻮﺑﺔ ﺳﯿﻜﻮن ﻟﮭﺎ داﺋﻤﺎ ﻧﻔﺲ اﻟﻨﺴﺒﺔ وﻟﻦ ﯾﺘﻢ ﺗﻐﯿﯿﺮ اﻟﺘﺮﻛﯿﺰات‬،‫وﻣﻊ ذﻟﻚ‬
However, it should be clear that the quantities in the original
and the calculated formulas will always have the same ratio
and the concentrations will not be changed.
:‫ﺗﺘﻮﻓﺮ طﺮﯾﻘﺘﺎن ﻟﺘﻘﻠﯿﻞ اﻟﺼﯿﻎ أو ﺗﻜﺒﯿﺮھﺎ‬
Two methods are available to reduce or enlarge formulas:

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 ‫ ﺣﺴﺎب طﺮﯾﻘﺔ اﻟﻌﺎﻣﻞ‬.1

1. Calculating the Factor Method

.‫ﯾﻤﻜﻦ اﺳﺘﺨﺪام اﻟﻤﻌﺎدﻟﺔ اﻟﺘﺎﻟﯿﺔ ﻟﺤﺴﺎب ﻋﺎﻣﻞ ﺳﯿﺘﻢ ﺿﺮﺑﮫ ﺑﻌﺪ ذﻟﻚ ﻓﻲ ﻛﻤﯿﺔ ﻛﻞ ﻣﻜﻮن ﻓﻲ اﻟﺼﯿﻐﺔ ﻟﻘﯿﺎس ﻛﻤﯿﺎﺗﮭﺎ اﻟﺠﺪﯾﺪة‬
The following equation could be used to calculate a
factor which will then be multiplied by the quantity of
each ingredient in the formula to measure their new
quantities.
‫ﻛﻤﯿﺔ اﻟﺼﯿﻐﺔ اﻟﻤﻄﻠﻮﺑﺔ‬

Quantity of desired formula

Factor = ‫ﻛﻤﯿﺔ اﻟﺼﯿﻐﺔ اﻟﻤﻌﻄﺎة‬

Quantity of given formula

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 1. Calculating the Factor Method
."(EF) ‫ ﻓﺴﯿﻤﺜﻞ ﻣﻀﺎﻋﻔﺎ ﻟﻠﺼﯿﻐﺔ اﻟﺘﻲ ﺳﯿﺘﻢ إﻋﺪادھﺎ وﺳﯿﻄﻠﻖ ﻋﻠﯿﮫ "ﻋﺎﻣﻞ اﻟﺘﻜﺒﯿﺮ‬،1 ‫إذا ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﻗﯿﻤﺔ اﻟﻌﺎﻣﻞ أﻛﺒﺮ ﻣﻦ‬

If the value of the factor is greater than 1 then it will

represent a multiple of the formula to be prepared and
it will be called “Enlarging Factor (EF)”.
."(RF) ‫ ﻓﺈﻧﮭﺎ ﺳﺘﺸﯿﺮ إﻟﻰ ﺟﺰء ﺻﻐﯿﺮ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺼﯿﻐﺔ اﻟﺘﻲ ﺳﯿﺘﻢ إﻋﺪادھﺎ وﺳﯿﻄﻠﻖ ﻋﻠﯿﮭﺎ "ﻋﺎﻣﻞ اﻟﺘﺨﻔﯿﺾ‬،1 ‫ﺑﯿﻨﻤﺎ ﻋﻨﺪﻣﺎ ﺗﻜﻮن ﻗﯿﻤﺔ اﻟﻌﺎﻣﻞ أﻗﻞ ﻣﻦ‬

While when the value of the factor is less than 1 then

will indicate a fraction of the formula to be prepared
and it will be called “Reducing Factor (RF)”.

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 1. Calculating the Factor Method
‫ ﻣﻞ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺼﯿﻐﺔ؟‬60 ‫ ﻓﻜﻢ ﺟﺮاﻣﺎ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺪواء اﻟﻼزم ﻹﻋﺪاد‬،‫ ﻏﺮاﻣﺎت ﻣﻦ اﻟﺪواء‬6 ‫ ﻣﻞ ﺗﺤﺘﻮي ﻋﻠﻰ‬1000 ‫ إذا ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﺻﯿﻐﺔ‬:1 ‫ﻣﺜﺎل‬
Example 1: If a formula for 1000 mL contains 6 g of a drug,
how many grams of drug are needed to prepare 60 mL of
the formula?
Answer:
60 𝑚𝐿
Factor = = 0.06
1000 𝑚𝐿
Reducing Factor
0.06 * 6 g = 0.36 g of the drug needed to prepare 60 mL.

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Example 2: .‫ ﻣﻞ ﻣﻦ ﻏﺴﻮل اﻟﻜﺎﻻﻣﯿﻦ‬240 ‫ اﺣﺴﺐ ﻛﻤﯿﺔ ﻛﻞ ﻣﻜﻮن ﻣﻄﻠﻮب ﻟﺼﻨﻊ‬،‫ﻣﻦ اﻟﺼﯿﻐﺔ اﻟﺘﺎﻟﯿﺔ‬

From the following formula, calculate the quantity of each ingredient

required to make 240 mL of calamine lotion.
Rx
Calamine 80 g
Zinc Oxide 80 g
Glycerin 20 g
Bentonite Magma 250 mL
Calcium Hydroxide Topical Solution, to make 1000 mL

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Answer:
240
Factor = = 0.24
1000
Reducing Factor
Calamine = 80 g * 0.24 = 19.2 g
Zinc Oxide = 80 g * 0.24 = 19.2 g
Glycerin = 20 g * 0.24 = 4.8 g
Bentonite Magma = 250 mL * 0.24 = 60 mL

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Example 3: .‫ أوﻧﺼﺔ ﺳﺎﺋﻠﺔ‬12 ‫ اﺣﺴﺐ ﻛﻤﯿﺔ ﻛﻞ ﻣﻜﻮن ﻣﻄﻠﻮب ﻹﻋﺪاد ﺣﺎوﯾﺎت‬،‫ﻣﻦ اﻟﺼﯿﻐﺔ اﻟﺘﺎﻟﯿﺔ ﻟﻠﺪﻣﻮع اﻻﺻﻄﻨﺎﻋﯿﺔ‬

From the following formula for artificial tears, calculate the

quantity of each ingredient required to prepare a 12-fluid ounce
containers.
Rx
Polyvinyl Alcohol 1.4 g
Povidone 0.6 g
Chlorobutanol 0.5 g
Sterile Sodium Chloride Solution, 9% ad. 100 mL
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Answer:
30 mL * 12 (dozen) = 360 mL (Total quantity to be prepared)
360 𝑚𝐿
Factor = = 3.6 Enlarging Factor
100 𝑚𝐿
Polyvinyl Alcohol = 1.4 g * 3.6 = 5.04 g
Povidone = 0.6 g * 3.6 = 2.16 g
Chlorobutanol = 0.5 g * 3.6 = 1.8 g
Sterile Sodium Chloride Solution, 9% = 100 * 3.6 = 360 mL

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 ‫ طﺮﯾﻘﺔ ﻣﺘﻨﺎﺳﺒﺔ‬.2
2. Proportional Method
Example 4: Find the quantities required to prepare 100 mL of the following
formula: :‫ ﻣﻞ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺼﯿﻐﺔ اﻟﺘﺎﻟﯿﺔ‬100 ‫أوﺟﺪ اﻟﻜﻤﯿﺎت اﻟﻤﻄﻠﻮﺑﺔ ﻹﻋﺪاد‬

Rx
Drug M 140 g
Sucrose 450 g
Purified Water q.s. 1000 mL
Answer:
140 𝑔 𝑋
Drug M : = X = 14 g
1000 𝑚𝐿 100 𝑚𝐿
450 𝑔 𝑌
Sucrose : = Y = 45 g
1000 𝑚𝐿 100 𝑚𝐿

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 .‫ ﻏﺮام ﻣﻦ اﻟﻤﺮھﻢ‬1000 ‫ اﺣﺴﺐ ﻛﻤﯿﺔ ﻛﻞ ﻣﻜﻮن ﻣﻄﻠﻮب ﻟﺼﻨﻊ‬،‫ﻣﻦ اﻟﺼﯿﻐﺔ اﻟﺘﺎﻟﯿﺔ‬
Example 5: From the following formula, calculate the quantity of
each ingredient required to make 1000 g of the ointment.
Rx
Coal Tar 5 parts
Zinc Oxide 10 parts
Hydrophilic Ointment 50 parts

Answer:
Total number of parts (by weight) = 5 + 10 + 50 = 65 which
resembles 1000 g of the ointment.

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 5 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑠 𝑋
Coal Tar : = X = 76.92 g
65 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑠 1000 𝑔

10 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑠 𝑌
Zinc Oxide : = Y = 153.85 g
65 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑠 1000 𝑔

50 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑠 𝑍
Hydrophilic Ointment : = Z = 769.23 g
65 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑠 1000 𝑔

To check the total of the ingredients : 76.92 + 153.85 + 769.23 =

1000 g Mohammed Deyaa

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References
Ansel H.C. (2010). Pharmaceutical Calculations. 13th ed.
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins: USA. Chapter 16.

Schnaare, R.L. and Prince, S.J. (2006). “Metrology and

Pharmaceutical Calculations”. Remington: The Science and
Practice of Pharmacy. 21st ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins:
USA. Chapter 11.

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