1. It should melt at body temperature or dissolve in body fluids.
2. It should be good in appearance.
3. It should be non-toxic and non-irritant.
4. It should be compatible with any medicament.
5. Suppositories should release medicament
readily.
6. It should be easily molded and removed from the mold.
It shrinks sufficiently on cooling to release itself from the mold without the
need for mold lubricants.
7. It should be stable to heat above the melting
point.
8. It should be easy to handle and should retain its
shape while handling.
9. It should be stable on storage such that it does
not change color, odor, or drug release pattern.
10. The acid value is below 0.2, the saponification
value ranges from 200 to 245, and the iodine value is less than 7.
11. The "water number" is high, i.e., a high
percentage of water can be incorporated into it.