Preparing for Homoeopathic Pharmacy viva voce can feel overwhelming because of the vast syllabus. From definitions and pharmacopoeia to alcohol varieties, vehicles, instruments, and legal provisions — everything is important. This blog compiles essential viva questions and crisp answers in a structured format for quick revision.

Define Pharmacy

Pharmacy is the art of collecting, preparing, preserving, compounding, combining, and dispensing medicines according to a physician’s prescription. The term originates from the Greek language.

Types of Pharmacy

• Official Pharmacy – Preparation of drugs according to an official pharmacopoeia
• Extemporaneous Pharmacy – Preparation as per physician’s prescription
• Galenical Pharmacy – Related to crude drugs

Define Drug

A drug is a substance capable of affecting the human or animal organism in health or disease.

Define Medicine

When a drug is proved on healthy human beings and its symptoms are known, it is called a medicine.

Define Remedy

An indicated medicine administered on the basis of symptom similarity is called a remedy.

Important Branches of Pharmacology

• Pharmacology – Study of drug action on living systems
• Pharmacodynamics – Study of dynamic action of drugs in health and disease
• Pharmacognosy – Study of origin and identification of natural drugs
• Pharmaconomy – Route of administration
• Pharmacopraxy – Art of converting crude drugs into medicines
• Pharmacopolaxy – Repetition of doses

Pharmacopoeia Related Viva Questions

Define Pharmacopoeia

A standard authoritative book published by a government authority containing rules for preparation, preservation, and standardization of drugs.

First Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia

German Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia (1825), published by Dr. Carl W. Caspari.

First Official Indian Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia

Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia of India (HPI), published in 1971 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.

Mother Tincture and Pharmaceutical Processes

What is Mother Tincture?

A pharmaceutically prepared solution from plant or animal substances using alcohol in definite proportion as per pharmacopoeia.

What is Menstrum?

A liquid capable of penetrating drug tissues and dissolving active principles.

What is Maceration?

Extraction process where the drug is kept in solvent for 2–4 weeks at room temperature.

What is Percolation?

Extraction by continuous flow of solvent through powdered drug in a percolator.

Potentization and Scales

Different Scales

• Decimal (1:10) – Introduced by Dr. Constantine Hering
• Centesimal (1:100) – Introduced by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann
• 50 Millesimal (LM scale) – Introduced by Hahnemann

What is Succussion?

A method of potentization involving forceful shaking of soluble substances.

What is Trituration?

Grinding of insoluble substances with sugar of milk for 60 minutes per potency.

Alcohol in Homoeopathic Pharmacy

Absolute Alcohol

99.5% ethyl alcohol, specific gravity 0.792.

Strong Alcohol

95% alcohol, used in preparation of mother tinctures.

Dispensing Alcohol

91.4% alcohol used for dilution and dispensing.

Dilute Alcohol

60% alcohol used for conversion of triturations into liquid potencies.

Proof Spirit

Contains 57.1% alcohol by volume.

Vehicles in Homoeopathic Pharmacy

Solid Vehicles

Sugar of milk, globules, pellets, tablets.

Liquid Vehicles

Alcohol, distilled water, glycerin, oils.

Semi-solid Vehicles

Vaseline, lanolin, beeswax, paraffin.

Why Alcohol is Best Vehicle?

• Excellent solvent
• Prevents fermentation
• Preserves drugs
• No medicinal property of its own

Pharmaceutical Instruments

• Mortar and pestle
• Percolator
• Hydrometer
• Alcoholmeter
• Desiccator
• Water bath
• Crucible
• Hot air oven

Chemical balance is most commonly used for preparation.

Prescription Writing

Parts of Prescription

1. Superscription
2. Inscription
3. Subscription
4. Signature

The word prescription originates from Latin.

External Applications

Liniments

Prepared using olive oil or tincture of soap.

Lotions

Drug lotion ratio 1:9; Eye lotion ratio 1:99.

Cerates

Prepared using spermaceti, wax, and almond oil.

Poultices

Used to reduce pain and promote healing.

Standardization Methods

• Organoleptic evaluation
• Microscopic evaluation
• Physical evaluation
• Chemical evaluation
• Biological evaluation
• Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC)
• Spectroscopy

Drugs and Cosmetics Acts Applicable to Homoeopathy

• Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940
• Drugs and Cosmetics Rules 1945
• Drugs and Magic Remedies Act 1954
• Medicinal and Toiletry Preparation Act 1955

Frequently Asked Practical Viva Questions

• Demonstrate preparation of 1C potency
• Show trituration method
• How to medicate globules?
• How to measure globule size?
• Labeling requirements in Homoeopathic medicines