NCMA 216

Describe and illustrate the most common dosage form of a drug

1. Tablets – Solid Dosage Forms, Oral Dosage Forms

Scored tablet
- Oral Dosage Forms. These are types of tablets that have indented lines, this
means that it can split into different doses. It also provide dose flexibility and
ease of swallowing.

Layered tablet
- Oral Dosage Forms. These are types of tablets that are multi-layered, it includes
multiple Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients in one tablets. These are generally
bilayer or trilayer tablets which contains two or three different API's.

2. Capsules – Solid & Semi-Solid Dosage Forms, Oral Dosage Forms

Hard gelatin capsule

- Solid Dosage Forms. These are type of capsule that are usually used to contain
medicine in the form of dry powder or very small pellets.
 Soft gelatin capsule
- Semi-Solid Dosage Forms. Soft gelatin capsules are used for semisolid or liquid
fills. These capsules are made from a relatively more flexible, plasticized gelatin
film.

Sustained-released capsule
- Solid Dosage Forms. Sustained-release dosage forms are dosage forms
designed to release (liberate) a drug at a predetermined rate in order to maintain
a constant drug concentration for a specific period of time with minimum side
effects.

3. Troches – Solid dosage forms and Oral dosage Forms. It is a small, hard tablet designed to
dissolve slowly over 30 minutes or so when placed under the tongue, much like a long-lasting
cough drop. Just like a standard pill it contains active medicinal ingredients.

4. Suppositories – Semi-Solid Dosage Forms, Rectal and vaginal Dosage Forms. These are
solid forms of medication that are inserted into the rectum, vagina, or urethra to be broken down
an absorbed by the body. They come in different shapes and sizes, but they are usually
narrowed at one end.
5. Solution – Liquid Dosage Forms. This is an evenly distributed mixture of one or more
dissolved medications in a liquid vehicle. Have multiple method of administration, it includes
oral, topical, vaginal, and rectal form.

6. Suspension – Liquid Dosage Forms. A mixture of undissolved, very fine, solid particles
distributed through a gas, liquid, or solid. Suspensions are used for drugs that are not able to
dissolve readily into a solution and they are needed to shake well before using.

7. Emulsion – Type of liquid dosage form. It is a mixture of two substances that are
unblendable. Example is oil dispersed in water and water dispersed in oil. It is also commonly
used for topical pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, such as lotions and creams.
8. Topical Dosage Form

Semisolid
- Semisolid dosage forms include ointments and creams. Ointments are
preparations for external use, intended for application to the skin. Typically, they
have an oily or greasy consistency and can appear “stiff” as they are applied to
the skin.

Topical patch
- Transdermal patches deliver drugs topically, where they are absorbed by the and
into the bloodstream. They provide a consistent delivery of small amounts of a
drug into the blood stream over a long period of time.

9. Implants – Solid Dosage Form. Placing a drug form, drug-delivery device, or other device at
the desired administration site by insertion in a body tissue or body cavity by surgical or
other appropriate insertion procedures.
10. Parenteral Products – Liquid Dosage Forms. It is a sterile solution that is administered by a
needle or catheter via injection or infusion. It can be administered in an intravenous,
Intramuscular, subcutaneous, or intradermal manner.

Ampules
- Glass containers in 1 ml to 10 ml sizes that hold a single dose of medication in
liquid form.

Vials
- A single-dose or single-use vial is a vial of liquid medication intended for
parenteral administration (injection or infusion) that is meant for use in a single
patient for a single case, procedure, injection.