Simplified method to study stability of pharmaceutical preparations

Data simulating zero-, first-, and simple second- and third-order kinetic reactions are employed at four elevated temperatures. The existence of a linear relationship is established between the logarithm of t0.9 (the time required for the concentration of the reactant remaining to decompose to reach 90% of its original value) and the reciprocal of the corresponding temperature in absolute degrees. The independence of the result from the order of the reaction is reconfirmed using literature data. The application of the linear relationship to predict the shelflife of dosage forms is discussed.