It is use to prepare medications for patients or mix and pulverize ingredients for compounded recipes. Tablets are crushed into a fine powder that can easily be dissolved in liquids or can be stirred into soft foods. These mortars can easily be sterilized, cleaned with alcohol or washed with soap and water. These pestles cannot be sterilized because of the wooden handle. The mortars and pestles should not be used with flavors or scents because the porous material will retain these elements after they are cleaned.