Routes of administration - oral (tablets) Flashcards
Describe the physiology of stomach.
Acid secretion: pH 1-2 (fasted), 4-5 (fed)
Surface area: ~0.05m2
Transit time: 0- >3h (depending on food intake)
Describe the physiology of the small intestine.
Pancreatic and biliary secretions: pH 5-7
Surface area: ~200m2
Transit time: 3-4h (independent of food intake)
Describe the physiology of the large intestine.
pH 6-7.5
Surface area: ~0.35m2
Transit time: highly variable
Compare the GI tract when fasted vs fed
Increase in pH (less acidic)
Increase in fluid volume
Increase in bile salt (solubilisation)
State the advantages of oral route
Most common route - 60% of medicines are orally administrated
Simplest, convenient & safe - no associated infection risk
Modified release formulations available
High surface area with good absorptive capacity - good blood supply
State the disadvantages of oral route
Slower onset of action - dissolution is often the rate limiting step
Variable absorption - absorption changes with age, gender, food etc
- disease state
Hostile environment - GI secretions, enzymes, pH
First pass metabolism
Difficult to reverse therapy
GI irritation
Define tablets.
Solid preparations each containing a single dose of one or more active substances.
How are tablets obtained?
By compressing uniform volumes of particles or by another suitable manufacturing technique such as extrusion, moulding or freeze-drying.
State the advantages of tablets.
- Convenient to take and handle
- Better chemical, physical and microbiological stability, compared to liquid dosage form - longer shelf life
- Precise dosing of drug
- Relatively cheap to mass produce with consistent quality
What are the quality attributes of tablet?
- Include the correct dose of drug
- Be consistent in weight, size and appearance
- Release drug in a controlled and reproducible manner
- Be biocompatible and not cause harm to patients
- Be of sufficient mechanical strength
- Be chemically, physically and microbiologically stable
- Be a product acceptable to patients
- Be packed in a safe manner
- Be resistant to attrition and fracture
What is the most common type of tablet.
Disintegrating tablets
How do disintegrating tablets work?
Intended to be swallowed and to release the drug in a relatively short time to aid fast and complete drug release once in digestive fluids.
Describe gastro-intestinal tablets.
- They are delayed-release tablets
- Intended to resist the gastric fluid and to release the drug in the intestinal fluid.
- Prepared by covering the tablets with a gastro-resistant coating/from granules/particles already covered with a gastro-resistant coating
Describe modified-release tablets.
- Coated or uncoated tablets that contain special excipients or are prepared by special procedures, or both, designed to modify the rate, the place or the time at which the drugs are released.
Describe the release the modified-release tablets.
- Prolonged-release - drug is released slowly at a constant rate
- Delayed-release - drug is released some time after administration
- Pulsatile-release - drug is released from the formulation in two or more pulses.
What are the three dispersible tablets?
- Dispersible
- Orodispersible
- Soluble
Describe dispensible tablets.
Can be coated or uncoated - intended to be dispersed in water before oral administration, giving a homogenous dispersion
Describe orodispersible tablets
Uncoated tablets - intended to be placed in the mouth where they disperse rapidly before being swallowed