Drug dosage form
Drug
Substances intended for internal/ external use of human/animal, for the diagnosis,
treatment or prevention of disease.
Dosage form
DFs are means through which drugs are delivered to the target organ of human body.
Dosage form
Active drug Excipients
Modern day Dosage form
Solid dosage form Liquid dosage form Semisolid dosage form
1. Tablet Monophasic Biphasic 1. paste
2. Powder 1. Syrup 1. Suspension 2. Gel
3. Capsules 2. Elixir 2. Emulsion 3. Liniment
4. Lozenges 3. Linctus 3. Cream 4. Paint
5. Pastilles 4. Oral/ eye/ ear 4. Lotion
6. Granules drop 5. Ointment
7. Dental cones 5. Gargles
8. Pills 6. Mouthwash
7. Injections
Ayurvedic Dosage form
Solid dosage form Liquid dosage form Semisolid dosage form
1. Vati, guggulu 1. Swaras 1. Avaleha
2. churna 2. Kwath 2. Raskriya
3. Kwath churna 3. Him, phant 3. Gudpak
4. granules 4. Ark, sharkar 4. Kalka
5. bhasma 5. Sandhan 5. Lep
6. pishti 6. Sneh 6. Upnah etc
7. Lavan, kshar 7. Ksheerpak,laksharas,
8. Modak etc. mansras etc.
Dosage form acc to ROA
Entral Parentral
Churna, vati, bhasma, pishti, khand, lavan, kshar,
Oral masi, guggulu, sandhan, sneh, avaleh etc
Injections
Topical 1. I/m
Kalka, lep, sneh, upnah, malhar
2. I/D
Recta/ vaginal/ urethrall Basti, sneh kalpana
3. I/v
4. S/C etc
Nasal Sneh, swaras, Dhoom varti, churna
Opthalmic Netra bindu, sneh, netra varti, anjan, kwatha
Ottic Karna bindu, sneh, churna, dhoom varti
The need of various
dosage forms:
1. To convert small amount of drug into a consumable dosage.
2. To provide safe and accurate dose
3. To increase shelf life of drug e.g. shelf life of tab is more than of powder, shelf life of
avaleha is one year while of kwatha is 01 day etc.
4. To make drug available for instant use and for all seasons e.g. amlaki swaras is available
only from nov-mar while amlaki powder, avaleha is avaliable throughout year.
5. Protection of drug substances from destructive enviornment e.g. moisture
6. Protection of drug substances from destructive effect of gastric juice.
The need of various
dosage forms:
1. Masking of unpleasant taste and odour of drug
2. Placement of drugs within body tissues
3. To provide sustained/ controlled release of medication
4. To covert drug into a proper form that can be administered through desired route of
administration
Solid Dosage forms:
1. Tablet
A tablet is a solid dosage form, compressed in various shapes such as round/oval/square,
containing unit dose of one or more medicament.
Tablet Dosage form
Active drug Excipients
Medicaments/ active drug Binding agent (gum acacia, CMC, Na alginate etc.)
component that cures diseases. Diluent- to provide tab a form (CaSO4, Lactose, cellulose etc)
Lubricant- to prevent adhesion of tab to dies (Ca/Mg stearate)
Disintegrant- to facilitate tab disintegration after consumption (Starch)
Preservants, Colorant, Sweeteners, Flavorant etc.
Advantage and
disadvantage of Tablet
Advantages Disadvantages
1. Unit dosage form 1. Difficult to swallow
2. Precise dosage 2. Not advised for childrens
3. Easy to consume 3. Offensive taste
4. Dose fixation 4. Not suitable for unconscious
5. Easy and cheap packaging patients
6. Easy to handle
2. Powder
A powder is a solid dosage form that is a mixture of powdered drug and excipients.
Excipients Advantages Disadvantages
1. Chemically stable 1. Not convenient to carry, compared to
Glidants 2. Relatively convenient to provide a capsules or tablets
Lubricants large dose of drugs 2. Taste masking is difficult
Preservants etc 3. Dissolution rate is faster than tab/cap 3. Drugs requiring low doses may not be
4. Easy to prepare appropriate
5. Easy handling. 4. Not suitable for drugs causing gastric
damage.
3. Capsule
A solid dosage forms in which the drug substance is enclosed in either a hard or soft, soluble container
or shell of gelatin or other suitable material.
Excipients Advantages Disadvantages
1. Easy to swallow 1. Drugs requiring large doses may not
2. Tasteless and masking is easy be appropriate
Glidants
3. It permits prescribing a single 2. Not suitable for childrens or
Lubricants
drug/combination at the exact dosage unconscious patients
Preservants etc
level
4. considered best for the individual patient.
5. Dose fixation is easy
4. Lozenges and Pastille
These are solid dosage forms, consisting of sugar and gum, intended to be slowly dissolve and release
medicament in mouth.
Advantages
Flavorants
Excipients
Sweetener Lozenges are pleasant to consume for
patients who are unable to consume other
dosage forms because of its taste.
Pastille
Pastilles are also designed to dissolve slowly in the mouth but
they are softer than lozenges and their bases are
glycerol/gelatin/ acacia and sugar.
5. Granules
They are consisting of solid, dry aggregates of powder particles that may contain one or more active
drugs, often supplied in single-dose sachets.
They are irregular shape particle which are made to improve flow property of powder - Some granules
are placed on the tongue and swallowed with water, others are intended to be dissolved in water before
taking.
Monophasic Liquid Dosage
forms: 1. Syrup
It is a liquid dosage form (a mixture of active drug and non-drug components).
Syrups are concentrated, viscous aqueous solutions of sugar with or without flavouring agents and
medicaments.
Excipients
Advantages
● Palatable oral drug dosage form. Sweetener- sucrose, glucose, dextrose, saccharine, aspartame etc.
● Better dosage control. flavourant- Natural like cinnamon, lemon, mint etc or artificial
● Can be administered to all age
group patients. Colorants- natural like- chlorophyll, titanium oxide, yellow iron oxide or
● Good option for patients having artificial like- charcoal, riboflavin etc.
swallowing difficulties.
Preservatives-benzoic acid, sodium benzoate.alcohol etc.
● Longer shelf life
Anti- oxidants- Ascorbic acid, tannic acid etc.
2. Elixir
Elixirs are liquid medicinal formulations in the form of a transparent mixture of alcoholic/aqueous
extractions from medicinal plant materials to which medical drugs, sugars, and flavors are added.
These are clear, hydroalcoholic liquids characterized for having a pleasant taste and a sweet flavor.
Composition- Ethanol (3%–23%) +water.
Excipients
Advantages
● Palatable oral drug dosage form. Compared to syrups, elixirs are less viscous due to the minimal inclusion of
● Hydro-alcoholic extracts sugar components and viscosity enhancers. Moreover, elixirs are mostly
composed of liquid constituents, with small quantities of excipients having to
Disadvantages be dissolved.
Due to their alcoholic content, drug and Glycerine, sorbitol, flavorants, preservants etc.
excipients’ incompatibilities along with
age restrictions should be considered
carefully
3. Linctus
Linctuses are viscous, monophasic liquid preparation containing a high concentration of syrup
intended to be sipped and swallowed, usually prescribed to relief cough.
It contains a high proportion of syrup and glycerol which have a demulcent effect on the membranes of the
throat.
4. Gargles
These are aqueous solutions used in the prevention or treatment of throat infections. - Usually they are
prepared in a concentrated solution with directions for the patient to dilute with warm water before use.
Biphasic Liquid Dosage forms:
1. Emulsion
Biphasic liquid dosage form are made up of 02 immiscible liquid medium-
1. Continuous phase/ dispersion phase 2. Discontinuous phase/ dispersed phase
Surface tension difference never allow mixing of liquids. Thermodynamically emulsion is unstable mixture and mix
up temporally after agitation.
Types- Advantages
1. O/W type ● Medicines with objectionable taste can be made palatable
2. W/O type ● o/w type emulsions are used for cosmetic purposes
● w/o type emulsions are used as emollients for dry skin, wound healing.
● Lipid soluble I/V injections are possible only due to emulsion dosage form.
● It is cost effective dosage form.
2. Suspension
Suspension is a type of biphasic liquid dosage form in which finely divided solid drug particles (of 0.5-03 micron
size) are dispersed in a continuous liquid phase.
Advantages
● Medicines with objectionable taste can be made palatable
● Easy to formulate drugs having large dosage
● Insoluble drugs can be formulated in this dosage form
● Can be administered to all age group patients.
● It is cost effective dosage form.
Disadvantages
● Dose accuracy is not reliable
● Slower rate of absorption
● Dispersed drug may adsorb added excipients, making it difficult to formulate.
3. Lotion, Cream & ointment
Lotion-Biphasic liquid dosage form, having low to medium viscosity, intended for external/topical applications.
● Applied over skin without friction/rubbing are c/d lotion.
● These are usually o/w type emulsions (but may also be of w/o type) or low viscosity suspensions.
Ointment- Biphasic liquid dosage form, having higher viscosity, intended for external/topical applications. These are thick,
heavy, and greasy, and often used as a short-term treatment for localized skin conditions, such as chapped lips, cracked heels.
● Medicinal/ protective uses
● Can withstand prolonged periods without reapplication
● 80 percent oil + 20 percent water.
Creams are lighter than ointments but thicker than lotions.
● Faster absorption
● Suitable for milder forms of dryness, cosmetic purposes
● 50 percent oil + 50 percent water.
Excipients
Surfactants- to reduce surface tension by reducing force of attraction of dispersed phase droplets. E.g.
Na Stearate,. Docusate etc.
Emulsifiers- Adhere to surface of dispersed phase droplet and make a barrier interfacial layer. E.g.
Guar gum, agar, Na oleate, lecithin etc.
Viscosifier- to increase viscosity, in order to increase stability of it. E.g. Gum, clay, synthetic
polymer, gelatin, alginate etc.
Preservatives- to check microbial growth e.g. Benzoic acid
Flavorants, Colorants, Sweeteners etc.
Semisolid Dosage forms:
1. Gel
These are Transparent/ translucent semisolid dosage form which is non-greasy is called gel/jellies.
● Contain more water than oil and thus acts as skin soothening agent, reduces irritation, leave a cooling
sensation and can be especially helpful after a workout or on hot days.
● It is applied over skin or mucous membrane.
● It is used as a lubricant e.g. In sprain, toothache, Sore throat, oral ulcers etc.
2. Paste
Pastes are basically ointments into which a high percentage of insoluble solid has been added -The extraordinary
amount of particulate matter stiffens the system.
Good protective barrier when placed on the skin, the solid they contain easily get absorb
