PHARMACEUTICAL DOSAGE

FORM

DRUG DOSAGE AND

TERMINOLOGY
For

convenience of dosage
administration, most products are
formulated to contain a drugs usual
dose within a single unit (e.g., capsule)
or within a specified volume (e.g., 5 mL
or a teaspoonful) of a liquid dosage
form.
To serve varying dosage requirements,
manufacturers often formulate a drug
into more than one dosage form and in
more than a single strength.

DOSE
Therapeutic

dose : The median effective dose

of a drug is the amount that will produce the
desired intensity of effect in 50% of the
individuals tested.
Toxic dose : The median toxic dose is the
amount that will produce a defined toxic effect
in 50% of the individuals tested.
The relationship between the desired and
undesired effects of a drug is commonly
expressed as the therapeutic index and is defi
ned as the ratio between a drugs median toxic
dose and its median effective dose,
TD50/ED50.

The

general area of study

concerned with the formulation,
manufacture, stability, and
effectiveness of pharmaceutical
dosage forms is termed

pharmaceutics.

THE NEED FOR DOSAGE

FORMS
Drug

substances are seldom administered

alone; rather they are given as part of a
formulation in combination with one or more
nonmedicinal agents that serve varied and
specialized pharmaceutical functions.
Selective use of these nonmedicinal agents,
referred to as pharmaceutical ingredients or
excipients, produces dosage forms of various
types. The pharmaceutical ingredients
solubilize, suspend, thicken, dilute, emulsify,
stabilize, preserve, color, fl avor, and fashion
medicinal agents into efficacious and appealing
dosage forms.

Most

drug substances are

administered in milligram
quantities, much too small to be
weighed on anything but a
sensitive prescription or
electronic analytical balance.
To protect the drug substance
from the destructive influences of
atmospheric oxygen or humidity
(coated tablets, sealed ampuls)

To

protect the drug substance from the

destructive influence of gastric acid after
oral administration (enteric-coated tablets)
To conceal the bitter, salty, or offensive
taste or odor of a drug substance
(capsules, coated tablets, fl avored syrups)
To provide liquid preparations of
substances that are either insoluble or
unstable in the desired vehicle
(suspensions)

To

provide rate-controlled drug action (various

controlled-release tablets, capsules, and
suspensions).
To provide optimal drug action from topical
administration sites (ointments, creams, transdermal
patches, and ophthalmic, ear, and nasal
preparations).
To provide for insertion of a drug into one of the
bodys orifices (rectal or vaginal suppositories).
To provide for placement of drugs directly in the
bloodstream or body tissues (injections).
To provide for optimal drug action through inhalation
therapy (inhalants and inhalation aerosols)

CAPSULES

TABLETS

SOLID ORAL MODIFIED RELEASE

DRUGS

OINTMENTS, CREAMS, AND GEL

SUPOSITORIES AND
INSERTS

SOLUTIONS

PARENTERAL