PHARMACY EQUIPMENTS

Simple weighing balance/

Physical balance
o Simplest form of balance.
o Does not weigh the ingredients with much accuracy as
compared to electronic balance.
o Metallic pan is used to keep the fractional weights and
o Watch glass is used to weigh the ingredients (glass
being inert in nature does not react chemically with
ingredients).
o The minimum weighable amount should not be less
than 100 mg. Amount smaller than this must be
weighed on high quality analytical balance.
 Mortar & Pestle
 It is tool used to crush, grind and mix solid
substances (trituration).
 The pestle is a heavy bat-shaped object, the end
of which is used for crushing & grinding.
 The mortar is a bowl, typically made of hard
wood, marble, clay or stone.

The substance to be ground is placed in the mortar

and ground, crushed or mixed with the pestle.
 Graduated cylinder
 Also known as measuring cylinder
 Piece of laboratory equipment used to
accurately measure the volume of an object.
 Graduated cylinders are generally more
accurate and precise than flasks and beakers.
 Graduated cylinders are often made of
polypropylene for its excellent chemical
resistance or polymethylpentene for its clarity,
making them lighter to ship and less fragile
than glass.
 Spatula
A small implement having a broad, flat, flexible
blade that is used to mix, spread or lift material.

Generally Ebonite spatula is used since it is

chemically inert whereas metallic one chemically
reacts with chemicals.
 Pill tile
It is used to mix and measure the ingredients for
making pills and to compound ingredients for
various medications.

Pill tiles are often used as ointment slabs.

 Glass stirrer & Glass pipette
Glass stirrer is a rod-shaped equipment. It has
one rounded end and other flattened end which
is used for stirring.

Glass pipette is used for measuring small

quantities of liquids generally in microlitres.
 Suppository mould
It is a metallic mould used to give shape to medicament paste.

Multiple suppositories can be shaped at a time.

The medicament in the liquid form is put inside the moulds

and then cooled down.

This equipment gives specific shape and size and also

accurate doses of drug.

It is a quicker and time saving method.

 Dispensing bottles
1. Coloured dispensing bottle: used to dispense drugs for external
use.

2. Plain transparent bottle: used to dispense drugs for internal use.

3. Ridged bottle: used to dispense drugs for external use specifically

for blind person.

4. Plastic dispensing pouches: used to dispense drugs in solid powder

as ORS.

Caps: Generally two colored caps are used.

Golden or red cap (signifies that the drug is for external use only)
White or silver cap (signifies that the drug is for internal use)
 Reagent bottles
1. Narrow-mouthed bottle: used to keep liquids.

2. Larger-mouthed bottle: used to keep solid salts.

3. Wide-mouthed bottle: used to keep ointment base

and creams.

Some bottles have special nozzle & used to keep oils.