The pharmaceutical dosage forms are very important in the treatment of various diseases because there are some conditions where only a specific route of administration is possible.
The medication is only effective when they reach their site of action hence the different routes of drug administration and dosage forms are used according to the treatment. The dosage form is the physical form of the medication, such as the solid, liquid, or gas by which it is distributed within the body as appropriate to the specific site of action.
The proper formulation and designing of any dosage forms need to be consideration of the amount and physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the drug and additives (excipients) which are used in the manufacture of the product. Common dosage forms consist of, tablets, capsules, solutions injections, semisolids, and aerosols.
Characteristics of ideal dosage form:
The dosage forms contain a combination of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) excipients (non-drug substances) as well as some non-recoverable ingredients. The drug should be in the most convenient and appropriate form so that it reaches the preferred site of action, which is influenced by the type of dosage form of the medication. A variety of dosage forms are available that are used according to a particular reason, depending on the characteristics and advantages.
Several factors state the characteristics of an ideal dosage form, they are outlined below.
- It should be safe and simple to administer
- It should be economical for the patient
- It should be physically and chemically stable in environmental conditions
- It should be easy to reproduce and formulate
- It should maintain its therapeutic activity throughout the shelf life
- It should provide high patient compliance
- It should be easy to handle for all kind of patients
- It should be biocompatible
Importance of dosage forms:
The dosage form is a method of entering or delivering into biological systems hence it has very importance in the pharmaceutical field, typically, they are classified as solids, liquids, semi-solid, and gaseous dosage forms.
- To protect the active ingredient from the destructive effects of atmospheric conditions (oxygen, humidity, and temperature) e.g. e.g., coated tablets.
- To provide the rapid and exact dose of drugs in the target tissue. e.g., injection (parenteral route).
- To give the medication which bypasses the first-pass metabolism e.g., topical dosage forms, injections, etc.
- To improve the rate of drug release in the form of controlled, sustained, prolonged, and extended-release.
- To give medication those are effective, stable, and safe for consumption under particular storage conditions e.g., powders for reconstitution.
- To masks the unpleasant taste, odor, and color of the drug.
- To provide a rapid onset of medication using inhalation, sublingual, and buccal route.
- To provides the safe and effective delivery of the medicines at the site of action.
- To protect the drug from the destructive effects of gastric acid or gastric secretions of the stomach after oral administration of a dosage form.
- To deliver the medication to the body cavities like vaginal and rectal suppositories.
- To provide a required dose of active ingredients that is unstable or insoluble within the desired vehicle.
- To perform the optimal action of the drug by topical routes such as ointments, creams, transdermal patches, nasal, ear, and ophthalmic preparations.
Commonly asked questions on dosage forms are as follows.
What is the need for dosage forms?
The basic reason for designing the dosage form is to protect the drug from external environmental conditions, improve therapeutic activity, and patient compliance.
What are the types of dosage forms?
The dosage form is classified based on physical form and route of administration. Based on the physical form it is solid, liquid, semisolid, and gaseous dosage form. Based on the route of administration it is the oral, topical, parenteral, nasal, ocular, transdermal, and otic route of administration.
What is the major advantage of solid dosage form?
The major advantage of solid dosage forms is that it is simple to administer, has the lowest variability, high precision, stable, and provide an accurate dosage of the drug.
Very good explanation and useful for academic studies.
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