Question
Posted on: March 6 2013Does anyone have experience in preparing Nembutal (pentobarbital) suppositories 30mg and 60mg for pediatrics?
We doubt that we are using the correct way of working because the pentobarbital precipitates as small particles of powder in the Suppomassa and some believe that this was not the case before. In the past, the pentobarbital would have formed a dissolved whole with the Suppomassa. Could it be a difference whether we use pentobarbital or Napentobarbital?
Answer
I think that for the preparation it gives no difference whether you use pentobarbital or its sodium salt. In my opinion, neither is soluble in the suppository basis. However, I would advise you to add 90 mg of powdered lactose per suppository to better divide the pentobarbital and to break agglomerates. Perhaps Suppocire is also ASX2 the preferred suppository basis because of the presence of a small amount of emulsifier, which promotes the humidification between the powder and the suppository base. For the rest, the usual secundum Artem is applied which means that the powder mixture with a third of the melted mass is rubbed off before blending with the melted suppository base!