WEIGHING & MEASURING IN

DISPENSING AND FILLING

PRESCRIPTIONS
Nursyuhada Azzman
Faculty of Pharmacy
UiTM Bertam
Penang, Malaysia
PHD113: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACY PRACTICE

LESSON OUTCOMES

• At the end of this lecture, students are expected to

have abilities in:
✓Identify the Balance, Measuring Apparatus &
Measurement System
✓Apply the conversion of units & Measurement
System in Pharmacy
✓Measure & Calculate accurately in Dispensing and
Filling Prescriptions
PHD113: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACY PRACTICE

INTRODUCTION
• Apothecaries' weights
☞Historically, grains (gr) were the standard unit of
weight
• The relationship between weights and volumes
☞1 fluid ounce of water weighs 1 ounce
☞110 minims of water weigh approximately 100
grains.
☞Imperial doses of oral liquid medicines were
measured using
PHD113: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACY PRACTICE

CONVERSION BETWEEN APOTHECARIES'/ IMPERIAL

AND METRIC SYSTEMS

• A more rational method of metrication was adopted

when it was introduced to dispensing.
• For example:
⇨Weight - 1 grain becomes 0.06479 grams.
⇨Volume - 1 minim to 0.06 mL
• Teaspoonful, metricated to a 5 mL dose -converted to
new dose volumes.
PHD113: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACY PRACTICE

CONVERSION BETWEEN APOTHECARIES'/ IMPERIAL

AND METRIC SYSTEMS

• Weighing and measuring - most fundamental practical

skills.
• The SI (Système International d'Unités), formerly
known as metric system, is internationally recognized
decimal system of weights and measures.
• The base unit of SI are the meter and kilogram
• Variants on the base unit are formed by 1000 times
increases / multiplications or divisions of the gram.
PHD113: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACY PRACTICE

Main weighing unit

used in pharmacy
PHD113: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACY PRACTICE

FUNDAMENTAL OF COMPUTATIONS

• To change a metric denomination to the next

smaller denomination, move the decimal point
one place to the right.
• To change a metric denomination to the next
larger denomination, move the decimal point
one place to the left.
• Eg: Reduce 1.23 kilogram to grams.
PHD113: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACY PRACTICE

FUNDAMENTAL OF COMPUTATIONS
PHD113: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACY PRACTICE

WEIGHING BALANCE USED IN PHARMACY

• Types of balance:
• The Class II balance or Electronic equivalent
• Sensitive electronic balances
• Balances for weights greater than 50 g.
• They have different accuracies, precisions and
tolerances.
PHD113: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACY PRACTICE

DEFINITION
• Accuracy
❖is a measure of the capability of a balance to approach a
true or absolute value.
• Precision
❖is the relative degree of repeatability, i.e. how closely
the values within a series of replicate measurements
agree.
• Tolerance
❖or ‘limits of permissible errors’ is the extreme value of
an error permitted by specifications for a measuring
instrument.
Accuracy & Precision
PHD113: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACY PRACTICE

CLASS OF BALANCE

• Traditional Class B balances

• Minimum weighable quantity of 100 mg
• Maximum weighable quantity of 50 g
• Increment weight of 10 mg
• Class II balances
• Minimum weighable quantity of 100 mg
• Maximum weighable quantity of 25 g
• Increment weight of 10 mg
PHD113: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACY PRACTICE

CLASS B DISPENSING BALANCE

CLASS II DISPENSING BALANCE
PHD113: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACY PRACTICE

CLASS II DISPENSING BEAM BALANCE

• The scale pan on an electronic balance is usually made

of metal rather than glass (Class II balance).
• The ingredient to be weighed is not placed directly
onto the scale pan:
• Solids are weighed onto a watch glass.
• Greasy solids onto greaseproof paper.
• Liquids into a small pot.
CLASS II DISPENSING BEAM BALANCE
PHD113: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACY PRACTICE

WEIGHING TECHNIQUES FOR CLASS II DISPENSING BEAM BALANCE

1. Before use, the balance must be set up ideally on a solid,

level, firm surface.
2. Once the balance has been set up at a particular location, it
is important that it is not moved while in use as this will
affect the accuracy of the instrument.
3. Next, check that the scale pans are clean and that the
pointer is in the centre of the scale.
4. When using the balance, the weights (which are to be found
in the balance drawer) are placed on the metal pan (on the
left), and any ingredient being weighed is placed on the glass
pan (on the right).
ELECTRONIC BALANCE
PHD113: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACY PRACTICE

ELECTRONIC BALANCES: WEIGHING PROCEDURE

1. Position the balance on a flat level surface in an

area that is away from drafts or air currents.
2. Obtain the ingredient to be weighed.
3. Press the on/ off button and wait until the display
reads 0.0000 g.
4. Place a weigh boat on the center of the pan and
close the chamber door.
5. Press zero/ tare button to zero the balance
PHD113: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACY PRACTICE

ELECTRONIC BALANCES: WEIGHING PROCEDURE

(continued)

8. Once the display reads 0.0000 g, open a balance chamber

door, and carefully transfer the sample to the weigh boat by
using spatula.
9. Read the display as soon as you see a value that does not
change over the span of 2 seconds.
PHD113: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACY PRACTICE

SENSITIVITY OF ELECTRONIC BALANCES

• To minimize error ⇨the smaller the amount to be

weighed, the bigger the inaccuracy as a percentage of
the total weight becomes.
• For example:
❑ measuring 200 mg on a Class II balance would
result in 200 mg ±10 mg (i.e. 5%).
❑When the weight to be measured is reduced to 100
mg (i.e. 100 mg ±10 mg) this increases the
percentage inaccuracy to 10%.
PHD113: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACY PRACTICE

SENSITIVITY OF ELECTRONIC BALANCES

• To weigh amounts below 150 mg ⇨use a more

sensitive electronic balance. These typically have an
accuracy of ±1 mg (10 times more accurate than the
common pharmacy balance).
• Minimum amounts that are weighed are 50 mg for
non-potent substances, increasing to 100 mg for
potent substances.
PHD113: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACY PRACTICE

MAINTAINANCE OF BALANCES
• Cleaning:
✓Use a piece of cloth which has been wet with a mild
detergent (soap).
✓After cleaning, wipe down the balance with a soft,
dry piece of cloth.
✓Carefully remove any sample residue/spilled powder
by using a brush or a hand-held vacuum cleaner.
✓Make sure that no liquid or dust enters the crevice
surrounding the pan adapter.
PHD113: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACY PRACTICE

WEIGHING PAPERS AND DISHES

PHD113: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACY PRACTICE

MEASURING LIQUID

• Liquids are universally measured in liters.

• Based around 1000 times multiplications or divisions of the base
unit.
PHD113: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACY PRACTICE

PREFIX AND RELATIVE VALUES OF THE INTERNATIONAL

SYSTEM (SI)

Main measuring unit

used in pharmacy ??
PHD113: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACY PRACTICE

TYPE OF MEASURING VESSEL

• There are two main types of vessel used

within pharmacy for measuring liquids:
❑Cylinder / Conical measures
❑Syringes -For volumes less than 1 mL, a
syringe is used although a 5 mL syringe
can be used to measure graduated
volumes up to 5 mL.
PHD113: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACY PRACTICE

CONICAL & CYLINDER MEASURES

• Advantages:
❖They are easier to fill without spilling liquid on the sides
above the required level.
❖They are easier to clean after use.
• Disadvantages:
❖It is harder to read the meniscus accurately.
❖It is more difficult to estimate volumes between graduations
(although in practice, owing to the error, this would be
considered poor professional practice and is never done).
 Cylinder or Conical Measures
• Used for measuring and transferring liquids in a
manner that is less precise than with a pipet. 

Graduated Cylinders Conical Graduates

PHD113: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACY PRACTICE

CONICAL MEASURES

• When reading volume of

liquid in a graduate, the
graduation mark, the
meniscus of liquid, & the line
of sight should be in
alignment. [minimizes errors
caused by parallax effect]
PHD113: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACY PRACTICE

CONICAL MEASURES
PHD113: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACY PRACTICE

SYRINGES
TYPE OF SYRINGES
• Tip designs/Luer-lock
•Designs for the area in which the blade locks to the
syringe body

• Standard U-100 syringe

• - Syringes for insulin users.
• - The dilution of insulin is such that 1 mL of
• insulin fluid has 100 standard "units" of insulin.
• - Since insulin vials are typically 10 mL, each vial
• has 1000 units.
 TYPE OF SYRINGES
➢Multishot needle syringes
➢There are needle syringes designed to reload from a built-in tank
(container) after each injection, so they can make several or many
injections on a filling.
➢ (e.g: insulin auto-injector)

➢Venom extraction syringes

➢Different from standard syringes, because they usually do not
puncture the wound
➢Have a plastic nozzle which is placed over the affected area, and
then the syringe piston is pulled back, creating a vacuum that
allegedly sucks out the venom. 
• Oral syringe
TYPE OF SYRINGES
•An oral syringe is a measuring instrument used to accurately
measure doses of liquid medicine which are expressed
in millilitres (mL).
•They do not have threaded tips, because no needle or other
device needs to be screwed onto them
• Dental syringes
• Used by dentists for the injection of an anesthetic.
•It consists of a breech-loading syringe fitted with a sealed
cartridge containing anesthetic solution.
 Luer-Lock U-100 syringe

Multi-shot/refilled catridge Oral syringe

PHD113: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACY PRACTICE

SYRINGE TECHNIQUE

1. Select an appropriate syringe.

2. Move the plunger up and down a couple of times to check
that it moves smoothly without sticking.
3. Draw up liquid in excess of the required volume.
4. Invert the syringe so the nozzle is pointing upwards.
5. Draw the plunger back a little further to allow all the liquid
in the nozzle to enter the main chamber.
6. Tap the syringe to allow all the trapped air to come
together at the top of the syringe.
PHD113: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACY PRACTICE

SYRINGE TECHNIQUE (continued)

7. Expel the air

8. Re-invert the syringe over the liquid and push the
plunger until the desired volume is reached (when
the measuring edge of the plunger is in line with the
desired volume mark in the syringe barrel)
9. Add the measured liquid to the preparation.
10. Do not expel the liquid left in the nozzle. The
syringe is calibrated to allow for this excess.