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Make and analyse pain relievers In this project, you will make your own aspirin or paracetamol. You will then test the purity of your homemade pain-reliever and compare it to shop-bought painrelievers. Getting Started You should start this project with some research into over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers. Analysing OTC pain-relievers: When you’ve made your pain-relievers, you should try to use standard procedures to test their purity. Try using the same standard procedures to check the purity of some shop-bought painrelievers. See if they contain the stated amounts of active ingredients. You should also find out about how to use chemical tests and chromatography to identify unknown OTC pain relievers. When you’ve discovered how it’s done, try the test yourself. Get a few different tablets, mix them up, and try to work out what they are. Things to think about What are OTC medicines? Ask people what OTC pain relievers they use and why. Among the people you ask, what are the most popular OTC painreliever brands? Group various products according to active ingredient. These are written on the side of the packaging. Which ones do you think offer the best value for money? Think about the range of forms OTC pain relievers are available in - for example, tablets, capsules, liquid. Why do you think there is such a variety? What other information can you find on the labels - for example, recommended doses, instructions for storage? Useful Resources You can find standard procedures in pharmacopoeias, or you could try looking on the internet. Alternatively, you could contact an analytical chemist in industry or a university and ask for advice. Click to edit project description
