Enhancing pharmaceutical analysis laboratory classes via the measurement of minerals in Berocca® effervescent tablets

Abstract

The improvement of teaching to support students' self-directed learning skills in pharmacy should include a professional approach. This relates the academic theoretical knowledge to the challenges in real working life. In pharmacy, these viewpoints are easily allied. Examples of real pharmacy practices give students opportunities to understand the significance and meaning of the theoretical aspects. This article describes the analysis and quantitation of minerals (sodium, calcium, magnesium and zinc) present in the Berocca® effervescent tablets using the atomic absorption (AAS) and atomic emission spectrophotometric (AES) methods. The concentrations of the minerals can be examined feasibly in the pharmacy undergraduate laboratories as the experiment is straightforward, logistically unchallenging, inexpensive and utilizes a pharmaceutical product that is readily available at the retail pharmacy. As the scope of the practical experiment is applicable to the real life pharmaceutical quality control process, students gain the academic, psychomotor and affective knowledge domains of the subject matter.