Automating Physical Test On Pharmaceutical Products

Consumers judge pharmaceutical products to some extent on how the item feels to the touch. This property can be described by the term "Texture" which is considered to be a mix of related, multi-dimensional attributes. A well accepted definition is that "Texture" is the sensory and functional manifestation of the structural, mechanical, and surface properties of samples detected through the senses of vision, hearing, touch, and kinesthetics (Alina Szezesniak., 2002).

The texture of a pharmaceutical product is dictated by the quality of ingredients used in the formulation and how it is processed. It is therefore necessary to carry out routine physical tests in product development and quality control to ensure consistency within established limits. Acquiring the right texture is important as consumers/patients tend to have an expectation for the texture of a familiar product. For example:

1. Metered dose inhalers (MDIs) are designed to deliver precise/accurate and reproducible doses of the drug to the lungs or nose of a patient. Patients expect their inhaler to deliver the required medication at often crucial times when physical strength may be very low. In this instance, reliable functioning of the metering valve upon compression is most important.
2. Patients using suppositories expect them to be smooth and neither too hard to cause discomfort nor too soft. On application, the suppository is expected to be hard enough as not to break during insertion. It is therefore important that the right texture be achieved during production.