BREX Handouts

Solid Dosage Forms and Suppositories

• Solid dosage forms include lozenges, pills, lollipops, bolus, hypodermic tablets, pellets, cataplasm, plasters, transdermal patches, band-aids, and dressings, each serving different purposes and administration methods.
• Various techniques like electroporation, iontophoresis, phonophoresis, and high-velocity powder particles are used for transdermal drug delivery systems (TDDS).
• Suppositories are solid dosage forms that melt, soften, or dissolve for local or systemic effects and are useful for infants, debilitated patients, or those with gastrointestinal disturbances.
• Types of suppositories include rectal, vaginal, and urethral, with different sizes, shapes, and bases like fatty/oleaginous bases, water-soluble and water-miscible bases, and miscellaneous bases.
• Suppository bases like cocoa butter, Wecobee, Witepsol, and hydrogenated fatty acids are used, and preparation methods include hand-rolling, compression, and fusion methods.
• Liquid dosage forms offer homogenous doses, immediate availability for absorption, and flexible dosing, with solutions being the most commonly used type.
• Water is the most commonly used solvent for drug solutions, with different types recognized by the USP for various pharmaceutical preparations.
• Aromatic waters are used as flavored vehicles for water-soluble drugs and in some emulsions or suspensions, while syrups contain high concentrations of sucrose or other sugars.
• Sterile water for inhalation, sterile water for irrigation, and bacteriostatic water for injection are other types of liquid dosage forms with specific uses and packaging requirements.
• Syrups, also known as simple syrups, have low solvent capacity for water-soluble drugs and are inherently stable when properly prepared and maintained.
• Syrups can be prepared by solution with heat, solution by agitation without heat, percolation, and extraction, as per USP methods.

Pharmaceutical Solutions and Disperse Systems

• Parenteral solutions are injected directly into the body and must meet strict microbiological and pyrogenicity requirements.
• They are used when oral medication is not feasible, for rapid drug action, and for specific delivery to organs or tissues.
• Routes of drug administration include intravenous, intraarterial, intracardiac, intramuscular, subcutaneous, and others.
• Suspensions are liquid dosage forms with finely divided drug particles, while gels are semisolid systems with a jelly-like consistency.
• Emulsions consist of two immiscible liquids, with oil-in-water and water-in-oil being common types.
• Factors determining emulsion type include emulsifier, phase ratio, and order of mixing.
• Emulsifying agents can be natural, finely divided solids, synthetic, and are classified based on HLB (hydrophilic-lipophilic balance) values.
• Formulas for emulsions may require specific blends of emulsifiers, with calculations based on their HLB values.
• Methods of emulsion preparation include the wet gum (English) method, dry gum (Continental) method, and bottle method.
• Otic solutions are used for ear irrigation and should not be labeled for injection, with pH and isotonicity being crucial considerations.
• Irrigating solutions are sterile washes for surgical use, labeled "Not for Injection" and "For Irrigation Only".
• Disperse systems like suspensions, gels, and emulsions have specific properties, preparation methods, and applications in pharmaceuticals.