DOSAGE FORMS

DEFINITION

Formulation
It is a recipe by which a drug is prepared. It contains
• Active Ingredients
• Excipients/ Vehicles/ FlavouringAgents/Preservative

(with the amounts contained there in)

Dosage Forms
It is the form eg: tablets / capsules/ injections/ oral
liquid in which the above formulation can be
administered to a patient

Excipients
Pharmacologically inert substances which are added
to pharmaceutical preparations either to add to the
bulk or to mask the unpleasant taste. Eg lactose ,
calcium lactate, starch.
Vehicles
• Dissolve or suspend the drugs
• Better applicable or more palatable.
sugar syrups, cherry syrups, gum acacia
petroleum jelly.
 TYPES

SYSTEMIC TOPICAL TARGETED

DOSAGE DOSAGE DRUG
FORMS FORMS DELIVERY
 SYSTEMIC DOSAGE
FORMS
• ORAL
1)Solid – Tablets, Capsules, Lozenges, Powders
2)Liquid – Mixtures, Draught, Syrups, Linctus,
Emulsions, Drops

• PARENTERAL
1)Solid – Pellets, Sialistic Implants,
Suppository, Transdermal Patch
2)Liquid – Solution, Suspension, Aerosol
 Mixtures
• A liquid preparation for internal administration
containing one or more solids or liquid ingredients
dissolved or suspended in a vehicle several doses
of which are contained in a single bottle
• Two types – Simple/ Compound
• Eg : carminative mixtures for dyspepsia
 Draught
• A liquid preparation for internal
administration containing one or more solid/
liquid ingredients dissolved or suspended in a
vehicle dispensed as a single dose
• Eg: Milk of magnesia for evacuation prior to
surgery
 Linctus
• A sweet viscous liquid preparation
having demulcent and expectorant
properties
• Soothening effect in sore throat
eg : linctus codeine for dry cough
 Syrups

• A thick sweet liquid preparation containing the

drug usually with a flavouring agent
• Eg : cough syrups
Paracetamol syrups
 Emulsions
• Suspension of two immiscible
liquids one of which is in a finely
divided state and is dispersed
throughout the other
• Eg : cod liver oil emulsion
Castor oil emulsion for
constipation
 Drops
• Paediatric formulations
• Highly concentrated solutions
of drugs.
• Eg : vitamin drops
Paracetamol drops
 Tablets
• Circular or oval disc containing medicaments
in solid state made by compression or
moulding
 Enteric coated tablets

• Tablets with special coating that

dissolves only in alkaline ph of
intestinal juice
• To protect the drug from acid
environment
• To protect the stomach from drug
• To release the active drug in the
intestine
• Eg : diclofenac
ecospirin
 Chewable tablets
• Tablets that disintegrate
Gelusil
slowly and smoothly on Vitamin C
chewing
Retard tablets/ extended
release /sustained
release tablets

• Tablets that release the drugs slowly

and hence have a long duration of
action
Advantages:
• Uniform and sustained release of drug
• Reduction in frequency of uptake
• Lower incidence of side effects
• Better patient compliance
• Eg: deriphyllin retard
nifedipine retard
• Dispersible tablets – Uncoated or film coated
that can be dispersed in water before
administration giving a homogenous dispersion
• Orally disintegrating tablets – Tablets designed
to disintegrate rapidly on contact with saliva
• Sublingual tablets – Tablets that are placed under
the tongue to get rapidly absorbed through
mucous membrane of the mouth
 Capsules
• Ovoid or oblong dosage form which
contain drug in solid or liquid form
enveloped by covering made of gelatin
• Gelatin dissolves in GI fluids to release
drugs. Hard capsules –
enclose powdered
drugs. E. g :
amoxycillin

Soft capsules –
enclose oily drugs
e.g : vit E
 Spansules
• Longer acting capsules
• Coloured beads of drug granules
inside a capsule
• These granules are coated with
different resins which dissolve at
different time intervals
• Eg : iron formulations
 Lozenges
• Flavoured tablets for
dissolution in the mouth
• Local effects in mouth or
throat
• Eg : cough lozenges -
strepsils
 Powders
• Solid dosage forms containing mixtures of
drugs in finely divided dry state
• Eg : ORS
Granules
• Small aggregates of powder held
together by a binding agent
( starch or alcoholic spray)
e.g : vitamin D 3 granules.
 PARENTERAL
• LIQUIDS – Solutions, Suspensions, Aerosol
• SOLIDS – Pellets, Sialistic Implants,
Suppository, Transdermal patches
 Liquids
• Solutions
Clear sterile dosage forms in aqueous or oily
vehicles meant for introduction into the body by
injection
• Suspensions
Drug suspended in suitable solvent, sterile and
meant for introduction into the body usually by
i/m injection
• Aerosols
Liquid preparations containing volatile ingredients
meant for systemic effect or local action on nasal
 Pellets
• Small sterile discs containing the
drug meant for implantation under
the skin which release the drug
slowly to produce a prolonged and
continous effect
• Eg : testosterone pellets
 Sialistic Implants
• Drug is packed in sialistic tubes and implanted
subcutaneously
 Suppositories (rectal),
pessaries (vaginal)
• Drug mixed with glycerine or gelatin or hard
soap or cocca butter.
• Solid at room temperature but melts at
body temperature.
• Suppositories - bullet shaped
• Pessaries- conical
• Eg : dulcolax suppositories
Miconazole + tinidazole vaginal
pessaries
 Transdermal adhesive
patch
• Drug is held in a reservoir which
passes through a porous
membrane
• Sites : chest , abdomen, upper
arm, mastoid region.
• Eg: hyoscine
nitroglycerine
nicotine
estradiol
 LIQUIDS
Lotion,
liniments,
paint, tincture,
enema

TOPICAL
DOSAGE
SEMISOLIDS
Ointment,
FORMS SOLIDS
Dusting
Paste, Gel powder
 Lotions
• Liquid suspensions for
external use and applied
without friction
• Without rubbing.
• Eg : zinc calamine lotion
 Liniments
• Mixture of various substances in
oil or alcoholic solutions for
external use
• Applied on skin with friction.
• Act by counter irritant
mechanism
eg : liniment camphor , liniment
turpentine.
 Paint
• Liquid preparation of medicinal substances
in viscid solvents like glycerin, liquid paraffin
• Applied to skin or mucosa
Eg: Mandl’s paint
 Shampoo
• Head or hair wash with a cleaning preparation
and medicament. eg. Ketoconazole shampoo
 Tincture
• Alcoholic liquids containing active
medicaments
• Tincture of iodine
 Gargle
• Aqueous solutions containing medicaments
for treating throat infections
• Brought in close contact with the mucous
membrane of throat ,allowed to remain there
for some time after which it is spit out
• Saline gargle
 Drops
• Solutions of medicaments in water, glycerine
or diluted alcohol for instillation into eye, ear,
nose.
 Enema
• Medicated liquid preparations
for rectal administration
• Evacuation enema – meant for
removal of fecal matter from
the rectum eg: soap and water
enema
• Retention enema – meant for
retaining drugs in the rectum
for local action eg:
hydrocortisone enema
 Dusting powder
• Mixture of two or more substances which has
been reduced to fine particles intended for
external use
• Eg: antibiotic powder
 Ointments
• Soft or semi solid preparations
containing the drug in a greasy base
(soft or hard paraffin or wool fat )
• Apply without friction
• Preferred in dry scaly lesions( greasy
base acts as emollient
• Emollient – bland oily substance that
forms occlusive film over the skin,
preventing evaporation, restoring
elasticity of dry skin
eg : soframycin skin ointment.
 Paste

• Like ointment but does not have

a greasy base.
• Apply without friction
• Contain adsorbants – Inert
insoluble substances which bind
to the surfaces to form an
occlusive covering on the skin
(dermal protectives)
• Eg : zinc oxide paste for sun
burns
 Gels
• Colloid dispersion of a solid with
a liquid
• Eg : aluminium hydroxide gel.
 TARGETED DRUG DELIVERY
SYSTEMS
• Required amount of drug is delivered at the
required site
• Reduces adverse effects
• Eg: monoclonal antibodies,liposomes
THANK
YOU