W2 Dosage Forms

Question 1

What are the 3 types of solid oral dosage forms?

Answer 1

Tablets (and caplets):
Capsules
Powders & Granules

Question 2

What are tablets/caplets?
-which part of the body do they disintegrate?

Answer 2

– Very widely used dosage form formed from compacted powders or granules
– Tablet must disintegrate in the gastro-intestinal (GI) tract and the drug then enter solution

Question 3

What are powders/granules?

Answer 3

– Typically mixed with water prior to taking
– “Bulk” or “single-dose”

Question 4

What are capsules?

Answer 4

– Drug in loose powder form is held within a 2-piece hard-shelled gelatin (usually) capsule
– Capsule shell quickly dissolves in the stomach and
releases the drug
– Liquids / emulsions / pastes may be incorporated in 1-piece soft gelatin capsules

Question 5

What are Solutions?

Answer 5

– Drug and other excipients are completely dissolved, i.e. as a molecular dispersion, in a liquid (solvent)
– Faster acting than an equivalent tablet formulation –disintegration and dissolution steps are absent.

Question 6

What are Suspensions?

What keeps the particles dispersed?

Answer 6

– Drug and/or other excipients remain as solid particles dispersed in the “vehicle”
– Usually employ a suspending (thickening) agent to keep the particles dispersed

Question 7

What are Emulsions?
Give some pharmaceutical examples:

Answer 7

– Dispersions of (at least) two immiscible or partially miscible liquids
– Medicinal oils, supplements, lipophilic drugs

Question 8

What are the 3 types of liquid oral dosage forms?

Answer 8

• Solutions
• Suspensions
• Emulsions

Question 9

What are examples of rectal and vaginal dosage forms? (5)

Answer 9

• Suppositories
• Enemas
• Foams
• Pessaries
• Vaginal creams and gels

Question 10

What is a suppository?
What is it incorporated into?

Answer 10

– Drug is incorporated into a water-soluble/
dispersible base or a base which melts at body temperature

– Once inserted the drug will be released to
exert a local or (sometimes) systemic effect

Question 11

What is an enema?
(&what state)

Answer 11

Liquid preparations formulated for rectal delivery

Question 12

What is a foam?

Answer 12

– Two-phase system administered from a pressurised container
– Drug dissolved in the liquid phase

Question 13

What are pessaries?
What dosage forms do they come in?

Answer 13

– Vaginal tablets, suppositories or capsules

Question 14

What are examples of topical and transdermal dosage forms?

Answer 14

Creams
Ointments
Gels
Pastes/Foams/Lotions/Sprays
Transdermal therapeutic systems (patches)

Question 15

What are creams?

Answer 15

Semi-solid emulsion preparations usually
applied topically to the skin, but
formulated for other delivery routes
– May contain a drug or sometimes the
cream “base” has a therapeutic effect

Question 16

What is an ointment?

Answer 16

– Single-phase semi-solid base in which a drug can be dispersed
– Have excellent emollient properties

Question 17

What is a gel?

Answer 17

– Single-phase semi-solid preparations, usually aqueous in nature

Question 18

What are transdermal patches?

Answer 18

Applied to the skin but for a systemic effect

Question 19

What is a parenteral dosage forms?

Answer 19

Drug that is administered via a hollow metal needle

Question 20

What are examples of parenteral dosage forms?.

Answer 20

Injections and Infusions

Question 21

What are injections?

Answer 21

Sterile liquid preparation drawn up and injected from
a vial, ampoule or pre-filled syringe
– Typically IV, IM or SC, but many other routes
– Can utilise a syringe driver (or pump)

Question 22

What are infusions?
What are they a source of?

Answer 22

– For delivery of larger volumes IV
– Source of calories/ nutrients/ hydration but drugs can also be added
– Can be solutions or emulsions, e.g. Intralipid®

Question 23

What are the different types of pulmonary drug delivery systems?

Answer 23

• Inhalers
• Nebulisers
• E-cigarettes

Question 24

What are 2 types of different inhalers?
What effect?

Answer 24

• pMDIs (pressurised metered dose inhalers)
• Dry powder inhalers

Drugs are typically delivered for a local effect e.g. salbutamol, beclomethasone but can also be given for a system effect.

Question 25

What are nebulisers?

Answer 25

– Convert liquids to aerosols (dispersion of a liquid or a solid in a gas)
– Useful for delivering larger doses of drug

Question 26

What are some formulations of ocular dosage forms? (5)
What must be considered? (3)

Answer 26

Formulations: solutions, suspensions, gels, emulsions, injections
* Consider: osmolarity, pH, surface tension

Question 27

What are some formulations of nasal dosage forms? (8)

What must be considered?

Answer 27

• Formulations: Solutions, Suspensions, Emulsions (Dropper bottles, sprays); Gels, Creams, Ointments; Powders (pMDIs)
• Consider: irritancy, residence time
• Systemic and delivery to the brain are possibilities

Question 28

What are sublingual/buccal dosage forms?

Answer 28

Small porous tablets enabling faster disintegration & drug release
* Sprays (sublingual)
* Orodispersible/ “melt”
tablets?

Question 28

What are sublingual/buccal dosage forms?
What 2 forms?

Answer 28

Small porous tablets enabling faster disintegration & drug release
* Sprays (sublingual)
* Orodispersible/ “melt” tablets?

Question 29

What are aural dosage forms?

Answer 29

Topical drug delivery: drops, gels, foams.
* Middle/ inner ear: often require other approaches,
e.g. implants/ injections

Question 30

Give 4 examples of advanced dosage forms & technologies:

Answer 30

• Needle-free technology, e.g. jet injection systems and micro needles
• Implantable delivery systems
• Nanotechnology
• Cell-based therapies

Question 31

What are the different routes of administration?

Answer 31

Oral
Transdermal and Topical
Nasal/Ocular/Aural
Parenteral
Pulmonary
Rectal/vaginal routes
Buccal/Sublingual etc…