SOLID DOSAGE FORMS

Can you describe the pictures above? What do they depict?

What do these pictures have in common?

Vocabulary
To score - to make notches, cuts, lines.
Tablet scoring - tablets often contain an indented line that runs across the surface of the tablet that
assists in the practice of cutting or breaking the tablet into smaller portions so that a lower dosage can
be administered. Scored tablets must contain an equally distributed percentage of active ingredient in
each portion when they are divided.
Shelf life - the term or period during which a stored commodity remains effective, useful, or suitable
for consumption.
Inert substances - having only a limited ability to react chemically; unreactive.
Controlled release of medication - a controlled-release drug or preparation which is released into the
body in specified amounts over a specified period of time.
Sustained release of medication - designed to slowly release a drug in the body over an extended
period of time especially to sustain therapeutic levels.
Delayed release of medication - designed to delay release of a drug in the body (as through the use of
enteric coatings) usually until it passes through the stomach into the small intestine.

SOLID DOSAGE FORMS

Solid dosage forms include tablets, capsules, caplets, lozenges/troches, pastilles,
powders, and granules. Solid dosage forms offer several advantages: increased stability,
ease of packaging, storage, and dispensing, convenience, little or no taste or smell, solid
dosage forms also allow for accurate dosing. The entire dose is contained within the
dispense=

contents of the solid dosage form, which minimizes measuring errors. Solid dosage forms may, however,
be difficult to swallow, have a slow onset of action, and may be degraded by the acidic contents in the
stomach.
Tablets are available in variety of sizes, shapes, colors, thicknesses, and surface markings. They are
formed in molds or produced by compression, and are composed of one or more active ingredients and
one or more inert substances. Coatings can be used to protect the stability of the ingredients in tablets;
improve appearance, flavor, or ease of swallowing; or provide for controlled (sustained or delayed)
release of medication. Tablets are extremely convenient because of the ease with which various doses can
be delivered. Some tablets are available in a scored form so they may be easily broken in halves or
quarters. Scoring of a tablet is designed to equally divide the dose in each section. If a tablet is not
scored, then it is generally recommended that it should not be broken because the dose may not be equal
in each piece. Tablets can be formulated with delayed-release characteristics to allow for less-frequent
dosing and/or side effects.
A caplet is an oblong tablet that is a hybrid of the capsule and tablet, shaped like a capsule, but smooth-
sided like a tablet. It is often easier to swallow than large tablets, and is more stable than capsules. The
inside of the caplet is solid, whereas the inside of a capsule is often powder or granular material. The
caplet offers the advantage of easier swallowing than a large tablet, more stability and longer shelf life
than a capsule. Most tablets and caplets are designed to be swallowed whole and dissolve in the
gastrointestinal tract, but some are also made to be administered sublingually, buccally, or vaginally.
Capsules are a solid dosage form in which the drug is enclosed within a hard or soft gelatin shell. The
gelatin shell dissolves in the stomach, releasing the drug. The gelatin shell may be transparent,
semitransparent, or opaque. A capsule may contain powders, granules, crushed tablets, or liquids with one
or more active ingredients and one or more inert ingredients. Capsules can be formulated with delayed-
release characteristics to allow for less-frequent dosing and/or side effects. Several categories of capsules
may be distinguished and they include: hard capsules, soft capsules, gastro-resistant capsules, modified-
release capsules, cachets.
Spansules are capsules that are filled with granules that dissolve at different spaced intervals for long-
acting medication.
Sprinkles or sprinkle capsules are similar to spansules but unique in that they are designed to be pulled
apart and the contents sprinkled onto food, making it easier to administer the medication. The medication
inside a sprinkle capsule is specially coated to allow the medication to be delivered after the contents have
been ingested. They are convenient for patients who have difficulty swallowing large capsules or for
children who are unable to swallow capsules.
Lozenges, troches, or pastilles. Lozenges, also known as troches or pastilles, are hard, oval, or discoid
solid dosage forms with a drug contained in a flavored sugar base. They are dissolved in the mouth and
generally have local therapeutic effects. Over-the-counter lozenges for relief of sore throat are a common
example of this dosage form. Prescription drugs as antibiotics, analgesics, cough suppressants, and
antiseptics are also available as lozenges. Troche sizes vary. They usually have a chalky consistency in
order to dissolve in the mouth.
Pills are solid dosage form consisting of one or more medicaments incorporated in a spherical or ovoid
mass.
Powders and Granules. Powders are finely ground mixtures of dry drugs and inactive ingredients that can
be used topically or internally. When used internally, they should be dissolved in water prior to ingestion.
Commonly dispensed powders include antacids, brewer’s yeast, laxatives, douche powders, dentifrices
and dental adhesives, and powders for external application to the skin.
Granules are larger than powders and are wetted, allowed to dry, and ground into coarse, irregularly
shaped pieces. Granules are generally more stable than powders and are more suitable for use in solutions
because they are not as likely to float on the surface of a liquid Tablets are often prepared by compressing
granules, and capsules are often filled with granules.
Cachets are oral preparation consisting of dry powder enclosed in a shell of rice paper (wafer capsule)
formerly used by pharmacists for presenting unpalatable drugs.

I. Comprehension check. Answer the following questions:

1. What are the advantages of solid dosage forms?

2. What are tablets composed of?
3. What are caplets?
4. What are capsules?
5. What therapeutic effects do lozenges have?
6. What is the difference between powders and granules?

II. Match the words from column A with the words from column B:

A B
inert life
scored drugs
shelf substances
gelatin medication
long-acting shell
prescription tablets

III. Find in the text the equivalents of the following words:

exact, precise
whole, complete
to diminish, to lessen
to break down, to decompose
component parts
smell, scent
adverse reactions
period of validity
to encircle, to encompass
to separate
to splash
distasteful

IV. True /False:

1. Solid dosage forms have only advantages. T/F
2. Tablets have the same sizes, shapes, colors, thicknesses, and surface markings. T/F
3. Tablet scoring allows cutting or breaking the tablet into smaller portions so that a lower
dosage can be administered. T/F
 4. A caplet is a round tablet. T/F
5. Capsules are a solid dosage form in which the drug is enclosed within a plastic shell. T/F
6. Spansules are capsules that dissolve at different spaced intervals. T/F
7. Lozenges contain a bitter base. T/F
8. Powders and granules have the same characteristics. T/F

V. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word:

dosage, compression, scored, tongue, chewable, effervescent, coatings, whole, taste,

markings, dissolve, pharmaceutical

Tablets are solid (1) ………………………. forms containing one or more medicinal substances with or
without added (2) ………………………. ingredients. Among the pharmaceutical agents used are
diluents, disintegrants, colorants, binders, solubilizers, and (3) ………………………. Tablets may be
coated for appearance and stability, to mask the bitter (4) ………………………. of the medication, or to
provide controlled drug release. Most tablets are manufactured on the industrial scale by (5)
……………………... Tablets have distinctive shapes, sizes, and surface (6) …………………. Most
tablets are intended to be swallowed (7) ………………... Some tablets are (8) ……………………… and
have a pleasant taste. Other tablets (9) …………………………. in the mouth - buccal tablets, or under
the (10) …………………… - sublingual tablets, whereas (11) ……………………. tablets are intended to
be dissolved in water before taking. Many tablets are (12) ……………… or grooved to be broken in half.

VI. Use the appropriate forms of the words in brackets:

Effervescent tablets are (coat) ………………… tablet preparations (contain) …………………. mixtures
of medicinal agents with acid substances and carbonates or hydrogen carbonates, which react (rapid)
……………………… in the presence of water to release carbon dioxide. They are solid dosage forms
which are (intend) …………………. to be dissolved or dispersed in a glass of water before (administer)
…………………………. Effervescent tablets have specific (character) …………………. that allow
rapid (adsorb) …………………. and dissolution of the intended drug. The (available) …………………
of dosage forms based on effervescence technology gained much importance with the technology of
Alka-Seltzer in the 1930s. The widespread use of effervescent tablets has been achieved as a result of
their (convenient) ……………………………. and also the ease in which they can be consumed.

VII. Match the names of solid dosage forms with the pictures:

scored tablets, powder, lozenges, granules, tablets, effervescent tablets, capsules, spansules,
sprinkle, troches, capsules, sachets
a. ________________ b. _______________ c. _________________ d. __________________

e. ______________ f. _________________________________________________________

g. _____________________ h. __________________ i. _____________________

j. ____________________ k. __________________ l. ______________________

Speaking

Speak about the advantages and disadvantages of solid dosage forms.

 Disadvantages
Advantages

Writing

Carry out a comparative analysis of two solid dosage forms, analyze and compare them.

 Look at the diagram and guess the keyword

small

disk-
thin
shaped

thick
? solid

colored flavored

bitter

Vocabulary
 Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) - the active ingredient which is contained in medicine.
Triturate /ˈtri-chə-ˌrāt/ - a powdered drug.
Tamper-evident - made so that you are able to see if anything has been changed, opened, removed,
or damaged.
A double-blind study – a study in which neither the participants nor the experimenters know who
is receiving a particular treatment; this procedure is utilized to prevent bias in research results.
Text 2 Types of tablets

attempt =
effort, endeavor

to break down
=decompose, Tablets constitute approximately 90% of all dosage forms
disintegrate
clinically used to provide systemic administration of therapeutic agents. This
ingestion = widespread use of tablets has been achieved as a result of their convenience and also
intake, the diversity of tablet types.
consumption Compressed tablets represent a significant proportion of tablets that are clinically used
medication= to provide systemic administration of therapeutic agents either in an uncoated state
medicine, drug (i.e., in their simplest form) or in a coated state. These tablets are designed to provide
caregiver= rapid disintegration in the gastric fluid following ingestion hence, allowing rapid
health release of the drug and, ultimately, systemic absorption of the dosage form.
professional Compressed tablets are formed by compression of powdered, crystalline, or granular
to mask=
materials into the required geometry by the application of high pressures, utilizing steel
to hide, to punches and die. Examples of compressed tablets include tablets for oral, buccal,
conceal sublingual, or vaginal administration.
Chewable tablets are designed to be chewed. They contain a base that is flavored or
lining=
membrane
colored. They are convenient for patients who have difficulty swallowing tablets or for
children who are unable to swallow large tablets.
to break down = Orally disintegrating tablets (ODT) are designed to dissolve in the mouth without
disintegrate
water. These tablets are useful for pediatric and geriatric patients who have difficulty
to crush= swallowing medication and in patients who are experiencing nausea and vomiting.
to press, to
squeeze
Another benefit of ODTs is that they cannot be “cheeked” by patients who may attempt
to be non-compliant with medication therapy that is administered by a caregiver, as
medication= with a nursing home patient.
medicine, drug Effervescent tablets are granular salts that release gas and so disperse active ingredients
deterioration into solution when placed in water or juice. Effervescent tablets and powders are
=damage, widely used to deliver medicines contained antacids, pain medications, and cough or
breakdown cold medicines. They dissolve quickly, are stable, convenient and easy to carry.
pouch= Enteric-coated tablets may have a coating applied to the outside to mask unpleasant
pocket flavor or odor, or to protect the drug from stomach contents. Enteric-coated tablets are
coated with a substance that prevents dissolution of the drug in the stomach. They are
moulded= meant to dissolve in the intestine to protect the drug from being broken down in the
shaped stomach or to protect the stomach lining from the drug. Enteric-coated dosage forms
should not be chewed, broken, or crushed. Examples of drugs that are available in
to compound= to
blend, to enteric-coated formulations include aspirin and potassium chloride.
compose Film-coated tablets are coated with a thin outer layer of water-soluble material that
dissolves rapidly in the stomach. The coating is designed to cover the unpleasant taste
circumvent=to
avoid

counterfeit =
or smell of the medication or protect sensitive drugs from deterioration due to air and light. Erythromycin
is an example of a medication available as a film-coated tablet.
Sugar-coated tablets are coated with an outside layer of sugar that protects the medication and improves
the taste and the appearance of the medication.
Buccal and sublingual tablets are small, flat, oval tablets that are intended to be dissolved in the buccal
pouch (buccal tablets) or beneath the tongue (sublingual tablets) for absorption through the oral mucosa to
produce a systemic effect. These tablets are employed to achieve either rapid absorption into the systemic
circulation e.g. glyceryl trinitrate sublingual tablets or, alternatively, to enable oral absorption of drugs
that are destroyed by the gastric juice and/or are poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract.
Tablet triturates are small, usually cylindrical, moulded, or compressed tablets containing small amounts
of usually potent drugs mixed with a combination of sucrose and lactose or any suitable diluent. They are
prepared from moist material, using a triturate mould that gives them the shape of cut sections of a
cylinder. Since tablet triturates must completely and rapidly dissolve in water, only a minimal amount of
pressure is applied during their manufacture. A typical example of tablet triturate is NTG tablets.
Dispensing tablets also referred to as compounding tablets are tablets supplied primarily as a convenience
for extemporaneous compounding. These tablets contain large amounts of highly potent active
pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), and thus are used by a pharmacist to compound prescriptions that can
be incorporated readily into powders and liquids, thus, circumventing the necessity to weigh small
quantities of these potent drug substances.
Gelatin-coated tablets are compressed tablets coated with either one or two-toned colour gelatin. The
gelatin coating impacts the same general characteristics as sugar coating and film coating with the added
advantage of improving the stability of photosensitive APIs. The gelatin coating also facilitates
swallowing, enables custom branding, and prevents counterfeit since they are more tamper-evident than
unsealed capsules. Gelatin-coated tablets are also ideal for double-blind clinical studies, or for drug
substances that can irritate the esophageal mucosa when they are incorporated in an immediate-release
tablet such as bisphosphonates.
Multiple compressed tablets, also called multi-compressed tablets are tablets that are composed of two or
more layers. These tablets are prepared by subjecting the fill material to more than one compression
cycle. The result may be a multiple-layer tablet or a tablet within a tablet, the inner tablet being the core
and the outer portion being the shell. This process is best used when separation of active ingredients is
needed for stability purposes or if the mixing process is inadequate to guarantee uniform distribution of
two or more active pharmaceutical ingredients. Multiple compressed tablets can also be used when there
is a need to mask the bitter taste of a drug substance or where the drug substance in question is irritant to
the stomach. There are three subclasses of multiple compressed tablets and they include compression
coated tablets, layered tablets and inlay tablets.
Compression coated tablets also referred to as dry-coated tablets or press-coated tablets, are tablets with
two parts; internal core and surrounding coat.
Layered tablets are tablets composed of two or more layers of ingredients. Layered tablets are prepared
by compressing additional tablet granulation on a previously compressed granulation to form two-layered
or three-layered tablets, depending on the number of separate fills. Each layer may contain a different
medicinal agent, separated for reasons of physical or chemical incompatibility, staged drug release, or
simply the unique appearance of the layered tablet.
Unlike conventional tablets where there is a single piece of substance moulded to shape, layered tablets
have the appearance of a sandwich because the edges of each layer are exposed.
Implantation Tablets/ Implants. These are long-acting sterile tablets designed to provide continuous
release of drugs, often over a period of months or a year. They are placed subcutaneously for systemic or
local delivery. Implants are mainly used for the administration of hormones such as testosterone steroids
for contraception. They usually contain rate-controlling excipients in addition to the active ingredient(s).
Several types of implants are available including pellets, resorbable microparticles, polymer implants, in
situ–forming gel/solid implants, metal/plastic implants, and drug-eluting stents.

I. Comprehension check. Answer the following questions:

1. What patients are chewable tablets convenient for?

2. What do effervescent tablets contain?
3. Why are enteric-coated tablets coated?
4. How are multi-compressed tablets prepared?
5. What do dispensing tablets contain?

II. Find in the text the equivalents of the following words:

a. medicinal products a. …………………………

b. covered b. …………………………
c. stomach juice c. …………………………
d. are used d. …………………………
e. avoiding e. …………………………

III. Choose the suitable word:

1. Compressive/compressed tablets are used to provide systemic administration of
therapeutic agents.
2. Dispensive/dispensing tablets are prepared by the dispensing pharmacist to obtain certain
potent substances in a convenient form for accurate compounding.
3. The packages of most over-the-counter drugs must be tamper-evident/obvious.
4. Orally disintegrated/disintegrating tablets disintegrate and dissolve in the mouth.

IV. Complete the table with the appropriate verbs:

 noun verb
dissolution
deterioration
administration
disintegration
ingestion
compression
medication
formulation
absorption
distribution
granulation
implantation

V. Fill in the blanks with the right word:

compression, medication, formulation, granulation, deterioration, disintegration

1. His main achievement was the ……………………………… of compounds needed to sustain

cells in test tubes.
2. She is on ……………………………. for her heart condition.
3. ………………………….. fractures of the spine are common in older people.
4. …………………………….. is the breaking down of something into small particles or into its
constituent elements.
5. The program is intended to prevent the significant ………………………. of air quality.
6. The process of forming grains or granules from a powdery or solid substance, producing a
granular material, is called ……………………………….

VI. True / False:

1. Compressed tablets provide slow disintegration in the gastric juice, allowing slow release
of the drug. T/F
2. Chewable tablets are designed only for children. T/F
3. Orally disintegrating tablets dissolve in the mouth without water. T/F
4. Effervescent tablets release gas and disperse active ingredients into solution when placed
in water. T/F
5. Enteric-coated dosage forms can be chewed, broken, or crushed. T/F
 6. The coating of film-coated tablets is designed to protect sensitive drugs from
deterioration.T/F
7. Sugar-coated tablets are intended for children. T/F
8. Compounding tablets contain small amounts of highly potent APIs. T/F
9. Gelatin-coated tablets irritate the esophageal mucosa. T/F
10. There are three subclasses of multiple compressed tablets. T/F

Speaking

Speak about the similarities and differences between different types of tablets

Writing

Write a report about a type of tablets.

Video. Solid Dosage Form

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWBPonZkNvA

I. Comprehension check. Answer the following questions:

1. How is a solid dosage form availbale?
2. What are the advantages of solid dosage forms?
3. What are common types of solid dosage forms?
4. How many capsules are there?
5. What are the disadvantages of pills?

II. Choose the right variant:

1. Unit dose is
a. an amount of drug
b. an exact quantity of drug
c. a quantity of drug.
 2. Dusting powders are used for
a. their emollient effects
b. their relaxant effects
c. antiseptic, astringent, absorbent effects.

3. Insufflations are
a. medicated dusting powders
b. antiseptic dusting powders
c. dusting powders.

4. Snuffs are used for

a. their absorbent action
b. their soothing action
c. their decongestive action

5. Granules are are made by

a. drying
b. synthesis
c. granulation.

III. True or False:

1. Solid dosage forms are more stable than liquid dosage forms.
2. The transportation of solid dosage forms is more difficult than that of liquid dosage forms.
3. Capsules contain one or more medicaments enclosed within a shell made of gelatin.
4. The size of all capsules is the same.
5. Cachets are a type of pills.

References

http://www.emcp.com/product_catalog/resourcefile.php?ID=1455
http://samples.jbpub.com/9781449641771/CH04_Shah.pdf

https://www.pharmpress.com/files/docs/FT_Pharmaceutics_Drug_Delivery_sample.pdf

https://www.pharmapproach.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Solid-dosage-forms.jpg