FPGEE for National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) Practice Exam

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

Prepare for the FPGEE test by studying with our interactive quiz. Utilize our comprehensive flashcards and multiple-choice questions, each with detailed hints and explanations. Ace your FPGEE exam with confidence!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.

What is the primary purpose of buffers in liquid preparations?

To color the liquid
To adjust the pH for solubility or stability
To enhance taste
To increase the viscosity

The correct answer is: To adjust the pH for solubility or stability

Buffers play a crucial role in liquid preparations primarily by helping to maintain a stable pH within a formulation. This is important because many active ingredients in pharmaceuticals and other liquid preparations can be sensitive to changes in pH, which can affect their solubility, stability, and overall effectiveness. A drug that is poorly soluble at a certain pH may not be absorbed adequately by the body, leading to diminished effectiveness. Moreover, buffers can help minimize fluctuations in pH that may occur due to the presence of other components in the formulation or variations in external conditions, such as temperature or light exposure. By keeping the pH within an optimal range, buffers enable the active ingredients to maintain their desired properties, ensuring both their therapeutic efficacy and safety. While other choices may represent aspects of liquid preparations, they do not address the critical functional role that buffers play in maintaining pH stability, which is paramount for the performance of many pharmaceutical products.