Which equipment is commonly used in nonsterile compounding?

• A. Syringe pumps, deionized water, sterile gowns.
• B. Mortar and pestle, ointment mills, capsule fillers, and graduated cylinders.
• C. pH meters, spectrophotometers, incubators.
• D. Autoclave, laminar flow hood, UV sterilizer, anis.

Answer: (B)

In nonsterile compounding, the focus is on assembling and shaping dosage forms rather than maintaining a sterile environment. Mortar and pestle let you grind and blend powders to a uniform particle size, ensuring even distribution of ingredients. Ointment mills are used to reduce particle size and improve the consistency and texture of semi-solid formulations like creams and ointments. Capsule fillers streamline filling powders into hard gelatin capsules for accurate dosing. Graduated cylinders provide precise measurement of liquids and solvents during formulation. The other options include equipment reserved for sterile procedures (like gowns, autoclaves, and laminar flow hoods) or for analytical quality control (pH meters, spectrophotometers), which aren’t the primary tools for nonsterile compounding.