What is trituration?

Trituration refers specifically to the method of decreasing particle size by grinding. This process is commonly used in pharmacy and compounding to ensure that solid substances are fine enough to be properly mixed or to enhance their solubility. By grinding the particles, one can achieve a more uniform distribution of the active ingredients in a formulation, which may be crucial for consistency, efficacy, and safety of the medication.

In the context of pharmaceutical preparations, trituration helps create homogeneous mixtures when combining powders with other ingredients, essential for proper dosing. The fine particle size can also improve the dissolution rates, which is vital for certain formulations where a quick onset of action is desired.

While the other options each describe various techniques in pharmacy practice, they do not capture the specific process embodied by trituration, which is focused solely on reducing particle size through physical grinding.