Safety equipment such as glasses, gloves, and masks are used to protect staff from pathogens and hazardous materials in a compounding pharmacy. A compounding slab is a hard, non-absorbent surface used to compound medications, while various glassware like graduates, balances, flasks, and pipettes are used to measure and handle liquids and substances. Tools like mortars, spatulas, funnels, and forceps are also used to transfer, mix, and handle materials in a sterile manner. Sharps containers are required for proper disposal of glass, needles and other medical waste.

1. Glass Ware and Equipments
LO3
By Samuel M. BSc

2. Safety Equipment
• Safety glasses, gloves, and masks are all used
in the compounding pharmacy setting to
enhance disease control and to prevent the
transfer of pathogens to and from the staff.
• They also protect technicians from exposure
to hazardous or potentially hazardous
materials.

4. Compounding slab
• A hard, non-absorbable flat surface used for
the compounding of different medications or
substances; usually made of ground glass

5. Conical graduate
• A container that resembles a cone—hence the
name with a wider top that tapers down to a
thinner base; it has graduated markings for
measuring liquids.

6. Cylindrical graduate
• A container that is cylindrical in shape, with
the top being of the same circumference as
the base; it also has graduated markings for
measuring liquids.

7. Electronic balance
• – A scale that use electronic components and
digital readouts to calibrate the weighing of
different substances; electronic balances are
most frequently used now.

8. Triple beam balance
• Measurements equipments used to
differentiate what amount of the active
ingredients are needed to added in the
compounding products

9. Mortar
• A vessel with a rounded interior in which drugs or
other substances are crushed by means of a pestle.

10. Spatula
• Spatulas are used to transfer solid ingredients,
such as ointments and creams, to weighing
pans. Spatulas are also used to mix powders
on an ointment slab.
• They must be clean and have indented edges.
Spatulas may be cleaned with alcohol or
detergents.
• Stainless steel spatulas may also be
autoclaved.

12. Conical graduate
• A container that resembles a cone hence the
name with a wider top that tapers down to a
thinner base; it has graduated markings for
measuring liquids.

13. Beakers
• Beakers are simple liquid containers that are
usually cylindrical in shape, with a fl at
bottom. In the pharmacy, they commonly
range in size from 25mL to 600 mL Corrosion
resistant material

14. Erlenmeyer Flask
Use borosilicate glass flasks for routine
measurement, mixing and gentle heating.
Chemically resistant to most solvents, acids and
bases

15. Volumetric Flasks
Use borosilicate glass flasks for routine measurement,
mixing and gentle heating. Chemically resistant to
most solvents, acids and bases.

16. • All Class A burettes are manufactured from
precision bore tubing for accuracy. The burettes are
calibrated on computer controlled machines to give
the most accurate results and then are rechecked at
the quality control centre.
• Class A burettes come with either conformity batch
or individual work certification.
• All Class A burettes are printed in blue colour and
have a waiting time of 30 seconds; Class B burettes
are printed in amber colour and have no waiting
time

17. Funnels
• Funnels are tubes that have a wide mouth and
a narrow bottom. They are used when pouring
liquids from one container into another,
commonly in conjunction with filter papers in
order to remove insoluble particles or
contaminants. They look like a hollow cone
with a slim tube or pipe extending from the
narrowest point. They are used for conveying
liquid substances downward. Funnels may be
easily cleaned with alcohol or detergents.

19. Meniscus
• The bottom portion of the concave surface of
a liquid that is used to measure the volume of
the liquid in a container such as a graduate.

20. Pipette
• Also spelled “pipet,” this is a graduated tube
(marked in mL) used to transport a certain
volume of a liquid or gas.

22. Dropper
• - Droppers are used to deliver small doses of
liquid medication. They are calibrated to
select the amount of liquid substance that is
to administered. Droppers are especially
useful for administering medications to infants
and children. Droppers may be easily cleaned
with alcohol or detergents.

24. Tongs
• Tongs- Laboratory tongs include crucible tongs
with or without ridges, beaker tongs, flask
tongs, and test tube holders. They are used for
the sterile grasping and maneuvering of a
variety of different types of laboratory
equipment. Tongs can be easily cleaned with
alcohol or detergents, and may be autoclaved.

26. Umber glass
• Umber Package glass is a glass materials used
to holding light sensitive medications

27. Semisolid dispersion system
• Semisolid dispersion system, where a solid
particles (> 25%) are dispersed in ointments –
mostly Oleaginous (Petrolatum)

28. Forceps
• Forceps are instruments with two blades and a
handle, resembling scissors, that are used for
handling, grasping, or compressing.
• Various types of forceps include alligator forceps
(which feature angled “jaws”), tissue forceps (a type
of tweezer), and hemostatic forceps (used for
clamping blood vessels and other structures).
• Forceps may have straight, curved, or rounded tips.
They have a variety of uses including dissection and the
grasping and holding of a variety of specimens and
pieces of equipment.
They are usually made of stainless steel and may feature
wood laminate sides.
• Forceps may be easily cleaned with alcohol and can
be autoclaved.

30. Sharps Containers
• These containers are required to be used for
the disposal of any glass equipment (such as
broken bottles, used vials, etc.), needles,
syringes, and blood-related products. Some
sharps containers are specially colored, such
as red sharps containers, which require
controlled and authorized disposal

32. Sample compounding laboratory
setting