Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms Quiz

Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms

• Dosage forms are the ways drugs are delivered to target sites in the body.
• The need for dosage forms includes:
  • Providing an accurate drug dose.
  • Protecting the drug from gastric juices.
  • Masking the taste and odor of the drug.
  • Facilitating drug placement within body tissues.
  • Providing sustained or controlled release.
  • Facilitating insertion into body cavities (e.g.,rectal, vaginal).
  • Using the appropriate vehicle for insoluble drugs.

Classification of Dosage Forms

• Dosage forms are classified by:
  • Route of Administration:
    • Oral
    • Topical
    • Semisolid
    • Rectal
    • Parenteral
    • Vaginal
    • Inhaled
    • Ophthalmic
    • Otic
  • Physical Form:
    • Solid
    • Liquid
    • Semisolid

Oral Dosage Forms: Tablets

• Tablet: A hard, compressed medication in round, oval, or square shapes.
• Types of tablets include:
  • Molded
  • Compressed
  • Multiple Compressed
  • Sugar-Coated
  • Film-coated
  • Gelatin-coated
  • Enteric-coated
  • Buccal or Sublingual
  • Chewable
  • Effervescent

Oral Dosage Forms: Other Forms

• Capsules: Gelatin containers for medications. Advantages include masking unpleasant tastes.
  • Types of capsules include: hard and soft gelatin
• Oral Thin Films (OTFs):
  • Taken orally and dissolve/applied to the oral mucosa.
  • Advantages for patients: easy, safe, accurate application; good for treating children and those who have swallowing difficulties.
  • Advantages for companies: improved bioavailability; often requires less of the active substance.
• Effervescent Tablets: Uncoated tablets containing acids (citric, tartaric) and carbonates/bicarbonates. They dissolve rapidly in water, releasing carbon dioxide. Used for rapid dispersion and dissolution and creating a pleasant-tasting drink.
• Chewable Tablets: Designed for easy administration to children and come in various flavors.
• Granules: Solid, dry aggregates often supplied in single-dose sachets; intended for dissolution in water before use, some are placed on the tongue for swallowing.

Other Dosage Forms

• Pessaries: Solid, semi-solid medicated preparations for vaginal use.
  • Types of pessaries include moulded and compressed.
• Suppositories: Small, semi-solid medicated masses typically inserted rectally for localized or systemic effects.
• Enemas: Liquid preparations introduced into the rectum and colon via the anus.
• Powders: Mixed powders of finely divided drug substances in dry form and can be in bulk, or stored in individual sachets.
• Solutions: Clear, liquid preparations that contain one or more active ingredients dissolved in a suitable vehicle.
• Emulsions: Stabilized oil-in-water or water-in-oil dispersions; they may provide better absorption rates and taste masking if the medication has a bad taste.
• Suspensions: Liquid preparations of finely divided solid particles that are dispersed but not dissolved in a liquid vehicle; patients usually shake the suspension to get a uniform dose.
• Syrups: Concentrated aqueous sugar solutions where medication is dissolved; convenient for masking unpleasant tastes
• Elixirs: Pleasant, flavored, clear liquid preparations. This preparation is potent in medicine and may contain high proportions of ethanol or sucrose for stability.
• Gels: Semi-solid systems of natural or synthetic gums. Used for medication and lubrication.

Parenteral Dosage Forms

• Injections: Infusion method of putting liquids into the body using a needle and syringe. -Types of injections include intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM), subcutaneous (SC), and intradermal (ID).

Other Dosage Forms

• Ointments: Semi-solid, greasy preparations for topical application to skin, rectum, or nasal mucosa.
• Creams: Semi-solid emulsions of oil and water—often more comfortable and cosmetically acceptable due to less greasiness.
  • Can be oil-in-water or water-in-oil types
• Lotions: are fluid preparations primarily used topically; water based.
• Gargles: Aqueous solutions designed to soothe and/or medicate the throat; often dispensed in higher concentration.
• Nasal Drops and Sprays: Nasal instillations used for local treatment in the nose; useful for medications such as antihistamines and decongestive medication.
• Eye Drops: Saline solution containing medications like steroids, antihistamines, and anesthetics to medicate the eye or provide lubrication.
• Ophthalmic Ointment and Gels: Sterile semi-solid preparations for application to the conjunctiva and eyelid margin.
• Ear Drops: Solutions, suspensions, or emulsions to medicate or treat infections of the outer ear or ear canal.

Tablet Manufacturing Methods

• Molded method: Used for creating the solid forms of a tablet.
• Compression method: Compressing powdered materials into tablets.
• Tablet manufacturing may utilize classification of manufacturing methods such as wet granulation, dry granulation, direct compression, powders, and crystal compression.

Tablet Excipients

• Diluenst: Increase volume of the tablet to desired size. Includes lactose, dextrin, cellulose, starch, etc.
• Binders: Promote adhesion of particles; commonly used agents include water, ethanol, starch, gelatin, and sugars like sucrose, glucose.
• Disintegrants: Breakup tablets into smaller components; promote dissolution and subsequent bioavailability; mainly hydrophilic; common agents include starch, cellulose derivatives.
• Lubricants: Reduce friction between the die and punch by coating the particles; common agents include talc, magnesium stearate.

Coatinig

• Coating is applied to tablets for various purposes, including masking tastes, improving appearance, and increasing tablet's stability.

8-Pastilles

• Solid medicated preparations intended for slow dissolution in the mouth. They are usually softer than lozenges.
• Their bases can be glycerol, acacia, or other similar materials.

9-Dental Cones

• Tablet form placed in empty tooth sockets after extraction to prevent bacteria growth.
• May contain antibiotics.