These free B.Pharm notes on suppositories and pessaries cover chapter 17 of General Pharmacy, a first-semester subject. Read the key points below, then study the complete chapter PDF. You can browse every chapter in the General Pharmacy category.
Table of Contents
Read the following document for full information
Chapter overview
Suppositories are solid unit doses inserted into body orifices. This chapter defines them and describes rectal, vaginal (pessaries), urethral (bougies), nasal and ear types with weights and lengths, followed by advantages, disadvantages, and formulation excipients with properties of ideal bases: oily bases like cocoa butter, water-soluble and emulsifying bases.
Key points on suppositories and pessaries
- Rectal suppositories are cone-shaped, while pessaries are used vaginally.
- Urethral suppositories are called bougies, and nasal and ear types are smaller.
- They avoid first-pass metabolism and suit patients who cannot swallow.
- Bases may be oleaginous, water-soluble or emulsifying types.
- An ideal base melts at body temperature, is non-irritant and compatible with the drug.
Relevance to pharmacy practice
Pharmacists teach correct insertion and storage, because many bases soften in warm weather and need refrigeration.
Every chapter in this subject builds on the one before it, so do not skip topics that look simple. Definitions, classifications and official examples are the parts that examiners return to most often, and a clear understanding here will also make later subjects such as pharmaceutics and pharmacology much easier to follow in the coming semesters.
Frequently asked questions
What is a pessary?
A pessary is a vaginal suppository used for local or systemic effect.
Why is cocoa butter used as a base?
It melts near body temperature and is non-irritant, but it needs careful handling because of polymorphism.
What is a bougie?
A bougie is a thin suppository for insertion into the urethra.
Quick revision checklist
Use this self-test after reading the chapter on suppositories and pessaries. If you can do all of the following without looking at your notes, you are ready for the exam.
- I can explain: the definition of suppositories
- I can explain: types and sites
- I can explain: advantages and disadvantages
- I can explain: suppository bases
- I can explain: properties of an ideal base
Study and exam tips
Start by reading the chapter once for the overall idea, then revise suppositories and pessaries using headings, definitions, classifications and examples. Short-answer questions in the university exam usually ask for definitions, advantages, disadvantages and examples, so write these in your own words and practise drawing tables and flow charts where the chapter has them.
For wider reading, standard textbooks and open resources such as the NCBI Bookshelf help you confirm terms and see more worked examples. Revise suppositories and pessaries again a day later and again a week later, because spaced revision improves long-term memory.
This page is part of the General Pharmacy series for first-semester B.Pharm students on B.Pharm Guru, where every chapter has a short summary and a full PDF. Bookmark this page and share it with classmates who are preparing for the same exam.
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