Final answer:
In pharmacy, adjusting isotonicity involves calculation methods or the use of buffering techniques to maintain osmotic pressure, utilizing principles such as elevation of boiling point and freezing point depression.
Step-by-step explanation:
The general procedure in the two method classes of adjusting isotonicity involves either calculation of the necessary amounts of isotonic agents to be added or the use of buffering agents and techniques specific to maintaining the required osmotic pressure. One technique includes the use of an isotonicity calculator, where concentrations of reactants and products at equilibrium are calculated, and another uses buffering agents in conjunction with initial concentrations to determine the composition of the equilibrium mixture.
To adjust isotonicity, two primary methods are used: elevation of boiling point and freezing point depression. These are based on colligative properties of solutions that depend on the number of particles in a solution rather than their nature. Techniques in each method class include osmometry and isosmotic concentration calculations to achieve isotonic conditions.