Solid Dosage Forms Flashcards
What does GRAS stand for and what does it describe?
Generally Regarded as Safe, refers to excipients that have been used for a long time safely even if they haven’t been tested by the FDA
GRAS refers only to what kind of doses?
Oral doses
What does PCID stand for?
Physico-chemical Identifiers
These would allow you to accurately identify that the drug you have is correct and would prevent counterfeiting of the drug
PCIDs
Elimination is the sum of which two processes?
Metabolism and excretion
Buccal tablets are meant to be used where?
Between the cheek and the gum
Certain drugs are very highly 1st pass metabolized; what are three oral dosage forms designed to get around that?
Orally disintegrating tablets, Sublingual tablets, Buccal tablets
Why does it take 25 minutes for conventional tablets to reach the minimum effective concentration in the blood?
There is a 3-step process to release: Disintegration of the tablet to granules, Dissolution of the tablet into solution (rate determining step) and absorption of the drug into the bloodstream so it can be circulated.
What is the ONLY WAY for a drug to pass through a biological membrane?
In a solution
Should tablets be kept in the bathroom cabinet?
No, because the tablets absorbs moisture from the air and starts to break apart
What should you tell your pt who is receiving tablets?
Take them with water (necessary for disintegration/dissolution) and keep them away from excessive moisture
What are some concerns about oral delivery of drug products?
If molecule too big or poorly soluble, it may not be able to be absorbed by the GI tract; there are often side effects from having the drug in the blood, because there is no way to control which tissues the blood w/ drug travels too; not all drugs can handle the acidity and enzymes of the stomach/intestines; it can take drugs a long time to dissolve and permeate the body
This solid dosage form is geared toward children, the elderly, and the infirm…
Chewable tablets
Why do chewable tablets need to be highly flavored?
Because most drugs have a bad taste, and since the pt is chewing the tablets, the taste must be improved so the pt will be willing to take it
What do you need to tell a patient receiving chewable tablets?
Make sure to chew the whole tablet and swallow, do not swallow whole (can affect drug action in some cases)
At what pH will enteric-coated tablets start to break apart?
Around pH 4
What is the difference between enteric-coated and conventional tablets?
Enteric-coated tablets are coated so that at low pH (ie, in the stomach) the pills will not dissolve, while conventional tablets do not have any protection from the acidity of the stomach
What do you need to tell a patient receiving enteric-coated tablets?
Do not take the tablet with antacids (it would raise the pH of the stomach and make the tablet dissolve too quickly)
What do you need to tell a person receiving sublingual or buccal tablets?
Don’t take the tablet with liquid or drink for about 10 minutes after taking (will wash drug into stomach and defeat the plan to avoid 1st pass metabolism as much as possible)
What are effervescent tablets?
Tablets designed to be dissolved into a solution and then drunk
What are some advantages of effervescent tablets?
Helps mask the taste of the drug, helps solubize some drugs (ie aspirin)
What do you need to tell a pt receiving effervescent tablets?
Wait til the entire tablet has dissolved before drinking (tablets themselves usually quite large, so would be difficult to swallow)
What are some differences between tablets and capsules?
Capsules have their drug product encases in a thin gelatin shell, while tablets have their drug and excipients compressed together; capsules have fewer ingredients (less need for excipients to add bulk)
What few excipients do capsules contain?
Diluents (increase capsule volume), Lubricants (make powders flow in filling machines easier), Colors (to make capsule shell easier to identify)
Why would a capsule be preferable to a tablet in some cases?
Easy to handle/swallow, tasteless and odorless so no need for extra coating, fewer ingredients so can be cheaper to make
What are some problems with capsules?
They cannot be “split” to change the dose, are sensitive to too much moisture, are 1st pass metabolized, might be poorly absorbed by GI tract
Instead of a disintegration step, what is the first step in the activation of a capsule?
The capsule rupture step (water softens the shell so enzymes can act to break open the capsule)
Is the capture rupture step or the disintegration step slower?
The capsule rupture step is slower than the disintegration step for tablets