Semisolid preparations:

These preparations comprise substances and preparations where viscosity is too great for them to be considered for packaging e.g. liquid. But they are not dry enough too treated like a solid. Ointment, creams, pastes, soft extract, balms, resins all fall in this category.

Ointments:

Ointments consist usually of greasy bases containing the medicaments involved. These may be incorporated singly in solution or dispersion, or mixed with others. The bases used include vegetable oils (e.g. peanut oil), mineral oil and greases (e.g. liquid paraffin, or petroleum jell, mineral oil and greases (e.g. liquid paraffin, or petroleum jelly), and beeswax. Some ointments (e.g. those for eye) are required to be sterile