Suppositories & Inserts Flashcards
Definition of suppositories
Solid dosage forms intended for insertion into body orifices where they melt, soften or dissolve and exert either local/systemic effects
Reasons for suppositories
- Patient may not be able to use the oral route:
- very young, old/mentally disturbed
- patients with GI tract problems
- severely debilitated (weak) - Drug is less suited for oral administration:
- GI tract side effects
- drug stability: effect of pH or enzymes
- unacceptable drug taste/smell - Parenteral route might be unstable
Advantages of suppositories
- Self administration
- Avoidance of oral and parenteral routes and their problems
- Drug causes nausea/drug restrictions
- Patient suffering from severe vomiting
- Can be targeted delivery system: localized action, get to the site at a lower dose -> reduce systemic toxicity
Disadvantages of suppositories
- Mucosal irritation
- Slow, erratic and incomplete absorption
- Diarrhea and disease states affect absorption
- Installation may trigger defecation reaction
- High cost and problems with large scale manufacturing
- Stringent storage conditions
- Development of proctitis - inflammation of the rectum
Route of administrations
Rectum, vagina and urethra
Factors affecting rectal absorption: The dosage of the drug given rectally may be greater than/less than the dose of the same drug given orally depending on:
- Physicochemical factors
- lipid-water solubility - partition coefficient
- particle size
- nature of base/release - Physiologic factors
- Colonic content
- pH/buffer capacity
- circulation route
- Part of rectum at which absorption is taking place
Physiology of rectum
Hollow with a relatively flat wall surface without villi, which secretes mucous.
Surface area of 300 cm^2
Rectal fluids are neutral - pH 7.5 without buffering capacity
Drug is usually applied at which part of the rectum
Lower part. Middle hemorrhoidal vein and inferior hemorrhoidal vein’s blood flow to lliac vein which flows to inferior vena cava (goes directly into general circulation, avoiding the liver)
Physiology of vagina
Vaginal fluids are a mixture of proteins and polysaccharides, protective mucus originate in cervix and pH is low.
Blood supply from vaginal artery and return avoids the hepatic portal system
Physiology of urethra
Short straight tube connecting the bladder to the outside; Poorly perfused by blood
Ideal suppository bases/vehicles
- Cause no irritation/inflammation - biocompatibility
- Remains solid at room temp. but melts, dissolves, softens at 37 degree celcius
- Chemically stable and inert
- Physically stable
- Melting range should be ideal for rapid solidification
- Does not affect the bioavailability of the drug
- Suitable viscosity when melted, does not leak from rectum/vagina
Classification of suppository bases
- Fatty/oleaginous - Cocoa butter, adeps solidus
- Water-soluble/water-miscible - glycerinated gelatin, polyethylene glycol
- Misc - mix of lipophilic and hydrophilic bases, mix of fatty bases and emulsifying agents
- Non-base - tablets, soft gelatin capsules
Characteristics of cocoa butter base
- Naturally occurring triglyceride
- Yellowish-white solid, mp 30-36C
- Poor water absorptive properties
- Show polymorphism (alpha - 22C, beta’ - 28-31C, beta - 34-35C, gamma - 18C)
- Beta is the most stable and desired form - mp 34-35. All forms can be converted to beta form: need beta seed crystals to get the required beta form
- Dont heat above 34.5 for long time
Disadvantages of cocoa butter base
- Insufficient contraction at cooling
- Low softening point
- Poor chemical stability
- Poor water adsorptive power
- Bad for high speed manufacture
Cocoa butter replacements
- Vegetable oils
- Wax
- Triglycerides of fatty acids
- Fatty alcohols C12- C18