Session 2: Solid

Pharmaceutical Dosage
Forms

By NTENGO, Venance Wilfred Bpharm

K’s Royal College
Learning objectives
By the end of this session students are expected to
be able to:
• Define Solid Dosage Forms
• List Major Types of Solid Dosage Forms
• Explain Mode of Administration for Solid Dosage Forms
• Explain the Characteristics of Tablets and Capsule
Dosage Forms
• Explain Advantages of Tablets and Capsule Dosage
Forms
• Explain Disadvantages of Tablets and Capsule Dosage
Forms
 Definition and Types of Major
Solid Dosage Forms
• What is a solid dosage form?
• What are the major types of solid dosage forms?
• Definition of Solid Dosage Forms
Solid dosage forms are forms of drug dosages that do not (or contain) very little
water 
• Major types of solid dosage forms:
There are two major types of solid pharmaceutical dosage forms i.e. tablets
and capsules:
1. Tablet
• Is defined as a compressed solid pharmaceutical dosage form that contain
medicament (s)
• They are prepared by compression of uniform volume of particles (drugs and
excipients)
2. Capsules
• Capsules are solid pharmaceutical dosage forms with hard or soft containers
“shells” (commonly but not exclusively of gelatin) of various shapes and
capacities, usually containing a single dose of active ingredient
• A capsule may contain a medicinal or inert agent
• Types of Capsules
i. Hard gelatin capsules
• Manufactured in two pieces that fit together and hold the drug
which is in a powder or granular form
ii. Soft gelatin capsules
• Made in one piece containing drug in liquid form inside a soft
shell
Other types of solid dosage forms
• Lozenges
• It is a solid preparation that contains one or more
medications, usually in a flavoured, sweetened base
• It is intended to dissolve or disintegrate slowly in the mouth
• A lollipop is a lozenge on a stick
• Powder
• A powder is an intimate mixture of dry, finely divided drugs
and/or chemicals that may be intended for internal or
external use
• Pill
• A pill is a small, round, solid dosage form that contains a
medicinal agent.
• It is taken by mouth
 Mode of Administration for
Major Types of Solid Dosage
Forms
• What is/are the mode(s) of administration for
tablet and capsule dosage forms?
• Tablets and capsules are intended for oral
administration;
• Swallowed whole (intact) with a sufficient quantity of
potable water e.g. Paracetamol tabs
• Chewed and swallowed for quick absorption and action
e.g. Montelukast 5mg tabs, Albendazole tabs
• Sublingual tablets are placed under the tongue e.g.
Misoprostol, Nifedipine, Glyceryl trinitrate
• Dispersible tablets are dissolved in water and the
solution is drunk/swallowed e.g. Ped Zinc tabs
 Characteristics of Tablet and
Capsule Dosage Forms
• Characteristics of tablet and capsules dosage forms includes
• Must have correct dose
• Must be elegant and free of defects like chips, cracks,
discoloration, and contamination
• Should be uniform in size, weight and appearance
• Must be biocompatible i.e. no excipients or micro-organisms
which can cause harm to the patient
• The tablet must be able to release the medicinal agents in a
predictable and reproducible manner
• Must be chemically, physically and microbiologically stable during
its lifetime
• Must be able to withstand mechanical shock during production,
packaging, shipping and dispensing during all its life time
• Must be packed in a safe manner
 Advantages of Tablet and
Capsule Dosage Forms
• What are the advantages of tablet dosage forms?
• Advantages of tablet dosage forms include:
• The safety and convenient administration by the oral route
• Superior physical, chemical and microbial stability over all oral
dosage forms
• Provide a means for accurate dosing
• Portable (lighter) and easy to handle
• Cheap for large scale production
• Easy to control quality
• Cost is lowest of all oral dosage form
• Objectionable odour and bitter taste can be masked by coating
• Product identification is easy and rapid e.g. they may be stamped
• Sustained release product is possible by enteric coating
• What are the advantages of capsule dosage forms?
• Advantages of capsule dosage forms include:
• Conveniently carried/portable
• Readily identified
• Easily taken/easy to administer (easy of swallowing)
• Offer prescribing flexibility
• Efficiently and productively manufactured
• Mask unpleasant drug taste/odour
• Packaged and shipped at lower cost and with less breakage
• More stable and have a longer shelf-life
• Empty hard gelatine capsules are often used in
extemporaneous compounding of prescriptions
• Easy to Manufacture
• Liquids can be encapsulated (non-water soluble)
• Small to large sizes possible
• Elegance
• Ready availability of drug hence faster action
 Disadvantages of Tablet and
Capsule Dosage Forms
• What are the disadvantages of tablet dosage forms?
• Disadvantages of tablet dosage forms include:
• Potential bioavailability problems for drugs that are poorly
soluble in water
• Potential bioavailability problems for drugs which undergo
degradation in low pH
• Some drugs (e.g. aspirin) may cause harm to the
gastrointestinal tract
• Difficult to swallow in case of children and unconscious
patients
• Some drugs resist compression into dense compacts due to
amorphous nature or low density character
• Bitter tasting drugs, drugs with unpleasant odour or sensitive
to oxygen may require encapsulation or coating
• What are the disadvantages of capsule dosage
forms?
• Disadvantages of capsule dosage forms include
• Difficult to incorporate water soluble material
• They are highly moisture sensitive

• Efflorescent material cannot be incorporated, they may

cause softening/leaching
• Deliquescent materials cannot be incorporated, they
may cause hardening or brittle capsules
Summary
• Solid dosage forms are forms of drug dosages that
do not (or contain) very little water.
• Tablets are designed for oral administration by
swallowing, chewing, dissolution in the mouth or
placing under the tongue.
• Capsules are mainly for swallowing whole with
water.
• To aid absorption, solid dosage forms should be
taken with enough quantities of water.
Recap
• What are the major types of solid dosage forms?
• What is the route of administration for tablets and
capsules?
• What are the advantages of capsules over tablets?
Thank you for
listening