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DOSAGE FORMS
1.What is a formulation?
It is a recipe by which a drug is prepared. It contains the list of active ingredients and other
substances like vehicles, flavoring agents and preservatives, with the amount contained.
2. What is a dosage form?
It is the form in which a drug can be administered to a patient.
E.g. as tablet or capsule or injection
3. What are excipients?
These are pharmacologically inert substances which are added to the pharmaceutical
preparation either to add to bulk to the active drug or to mask the unpleasant taste.
E.g. lactose, starch
4. What are vehicles?
The substances which are used to dissolve or suspend the drug, in a pharmaceutical
preparation, to make them better applicable or more palatable.
E.g. sugar syrup, gum acacia, petroleum jelly
5. Name some solid dosage forms.
Tablets
Capsules
Granules,
Effervescent powders
Powders
6. Name some liquid dosage forms.
Syrups
Drops
Linctus
Injections
Mixtures
Emulsions
7. What is a tablet?
Powdered or granulated form of drug compressed under heavy pressure into a round or
disk like shape suitable for swallowing.
Eg. Tab. Paracetamol
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8. What are effervescent powders?
These are powdered drugs mixed with sodium bicarbonate, citric acid or tartaric acid.
When dissolved in water, they effervesce with evolution of carbon dioxide and thus make
the mixture more palatable.
E.g. Eno fruit salt.
9. What is enteric coated tablet? Give some examples.
Tablets are coated with certain substances like cellulose acid thalate, shellac, keratin . This
coating is resistant to gastric acid but dissolves at intestinal alkaline pH. Thus the incidence
of gastric irritation is reduced.
E.g. Diclofenac enteric coated tablet, Dynaspirin enteric coated tablet
10. What are controlled release tablets? What are the advantages?
Drug particles are coated with different type of inert resins so that each type of coating
dissolves at different time intervals.
Advantages:
Uniform and sustained release of drug
Prolonged duration of action
Lower incidence of side effects
11. What are capsules, spansules? Give examples.
Capsules:
Tasteless gelatin containers, of appropriate size, having powdered drug and are meant for
swallowing.
E.g. Cap. Amoxicillin, Cap. Tetracycline
Spansules:
In these, gelatin containers have coated drug particles which dissolve at different time
intervals. Thus these are longer acting capsules.
E.g. Fefol iron preparation
12. What are lozenges?
It is a tablet containing drug with sugar and a gum, and is meant for chewing or sucking for
providing local effects in mouth or throat
E.g., cough lozenge - Strepsil
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13. What are scored tablets?
Tablets which have a groove which allows them to be easily broken.
Tablets that are not scored must not be broken or cut as they have special coatings or drug
release features. Breaking them would compromise the tablet’s physical integrity.
14. What is syrup? What are drops? Give suitable examples.
Syrup:
These contain drugs in concentrated solution of sugar plus flavoring agents and permitted
colors.
E.g. Cough syrup, vitamin syrup
Drops:
These are mainly pediatric formulations which contain small amount of highly
concentrated solutions of drugs.
E.g. Vitamin drops
Eye/ ear drops are also included in this category. These are sterile, isotonic buffered
solutions of the drug supplied in a vial with a dropper.
E.g. Gentamicin ear drops
15. What is linctus?
Viscous syrupy liquids containing the drug with some demulcent like menthol. These are
to be sipped without dilution to provide soothing effect in sore throat.
E.g. Linctus codeine
16. What is tincture?
These are alcoholic extracts of plant drugs. Many tinctures are used as flavoring agents.
E.g. Tincture Cardomom.
Hydro alcoholic solutions of inorganic substances are also called as tinctures.
E.g. Tincture Iodine – used as an antiseptic
17. Name some dosage forms which are meant for external use.
Liniments
Lotions
Ointments
Paste
Gels
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18. Define lotion, liniment, ointment.
Lotion:
These are liquid medicaments meant for local application. They are generally used for soothing,
astringent and antipruritic effects.
E.g. Zinc calamine lotion
Liniment:
These are liquid medicaments to be rubbed on skin with friction. One ingredient is
usually camphor which serves as counter-irritant. These are mainly used as pain relievers
or as rubefacient (making skin red).
E.g. Turpentine liniment
Ointment:
These are soft, semi-solid masses containing the drug in a greasy base like soft paraffin
or wool fat.
E.g. Silver sulfadiazine ointment
19. What is a suppository? Pessary? Bougie? Give suitable examples.
These preparations contain the drug mixed with glycerine / gelatin/ hard soap or cocoa
butter. These remain solid at room temperature but become slippery and melt at body
temperature.
Suppository: these are bullet shaped and are meant for rectal application
E.g. Dulcolax suppository
Pessary: conical shaped. Used as vaginal preparations
E.g. clotrimazole vaginal pessary
Bougie: Pencil shaped. Used for male and female urethral applications
20. What is enema? What are the types of enema?
These are medicated liquid preparations for used for evacuation of colon.
E.g. soap and water enema
Types of enema:
Evacuation enema
retention enema
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21. Mention some special drug delivery systems.
Transdermal patches: Devices in the form of adhesive patches of various shapes and sizes which
deliver the contained drug at a constant rate into the systemic circulation via the stratum
corneum.
E.g: G.T.N – angina , Estradiol – HRT
Ocuserts: Thin elliptical micro units that contain the drug in a reservoir, from which the
drug is slowly released through a membrane by diffusion at a steady a state.
E.g. Pilocarpine ocusert used in glaucoma. It is placed under the lower eyelid to deliver
pilocarpine for a period of 7 days .
Progestaserts: It is an intrauterine contraceptive device which is inserted into the uterus
where it delivers progesterone constantly at a specified rate for a period of one year.
Computerised miniature pumps: These are programmed to release drugs at a definite
rate , either continuously as in the case of insulin or intermittently in pulses as in the case
of GnRH analogues.
22. What are genetically engineered drugs?
These drugs are prepared by blending molecular biology, recombinant DNA technology,
DNAalteration, gene splicing , immunology and immunopharmacology.
E.g. Monoclonal antibodies, Recombinant vaccines, Interferons
