Oral dosage forms

Dr. Subashini S
Assistant Professor
Department of Pharmacology
Objectives:

At the end of the practical class the student shall be able to:

• List the common dosage forms pertaining to the oral routes of

administration.
• Instruct patients on the correct method of using these common dosage
forms.
• Explain to patients regarding the precautions to be taken during these
dosage forms.
Dosage forms
A dosage form of a drug is a product suited for administration to the
patient by various routes for diagnosis or treatment
Enteral/ oral
Solid dosage forms
Liquid dosage forms
Parenteral
Injections
Ampoules
Vials
IV fluids
Why different dosage forms ?
• To protect the drug (moisture, oxygen)
• To prevent destruction from gastric juices
• To mask the bitter taste or foul smell
• To provide extended drug action
• To provide topical drug action
• To provide drugs for different routes of administration
Oral Dosage forms – Advantages
• Safer, more convenient
• No need for assistance
• Noninvasive, painless
• Cheaper
• Drug need not be sterile
• Both solid/ liquid dosage forms can be administered
Oral Dosage forms – disadvantages
• Slower onset of action- not for emergencies
• Not suitable for unpalatable drugs
• May cause nausea and vomiting
• Cannot be used for unconscious/ unco-operative/ vomiting patients
• Absorption is not uniform for all
• May destroyed by gastric juices/ liver
 Enteral dosage forms

Solid dosage forms Liquid dosage forms

 Tablets  Mixtures
 Capsules  Emulsions
 Powders  Suspension
 Suppository  Syrup
 Pessary  Elixir
 Bougie  Linctus
 Tablets
• Tablets are solid dosage forms containing granulated or powdered drugs
• Compressed or moulded into round or discoid shapes.
Types:
Uncoated tablets
Sugar coated tablets
Enteric coated tablets
Sustained release tablets
Chewable tablets
Effervescent tablets
Granules
 Uncoated tablets
• The surface of the tablets is not covered/coated with a layer.
• They contain only the active pharmacological ingredient (API) and the
excipients.
• Eg. Aspirin tablets, Paracetamol tablets
 Sugar coated tablets
• Contains sugar coating
• Helps to improve taste
• Avoid irritation to stomach
• May be 50% larger and heavier than
the original uncoated tablet.
• Eg: Ibuprofen, Metronidazole
 Film coated tablets
• covered with a thin layer or film of a water soluble material.
• Eg. Cefuroxime tablet, Diltiazem tablet
 Enteric coated tablets
• Coated with the material (cellulose acid phthalate, gelatin, keratin,
shellac)
• that protects the tablet from disintegration in the acid environment of
the stomach
• Eg: Erythromycin, Diclofenac
Enteric coated tablets
 Sustained release (SR) tablets
• The drug is released slowly over a specified prolonged period
• Eg: Diclofenac SR tablets,
Aceclofenac SR tablets,
Pantoprazole SR tablets
 Chewable tablets
• Chewable tablets are colourful and flavoured
• They are tablets that chewed prior to swallowing
• Mainly meant for children
• Eg: Vit C, Vit D3, Albendazole
 Effervescent tablets
• Uncoated tablets that generally contain acid substances (citric and
tartaric acids) and carbonates or bicarbonates and which react rapidly
in the presence of water by releasing carbon dioxide.
• Eg: Ranitidine effervescent tablets
 Granules

• They consist of solid, dry aggregates of powder particles often

supplied in single-dose sachets.
• Some granules are placed on the tongue and swallowed with water,
others are intended to be dissolved in water before taking.
• Eg: Omeprazole granules,
Vitamin D
 Pills
• Pills are powdered drugs mixed with adhesive substances like honey
or glucose
• Eg: OCP’s
 Capsules

• Capsules are cylindrical envelopes of gelatin in which a drug can be

enclosed for oral administration
• The container dissolves on swallowing so that the drug is released in
the stomach.
 Capsules
The two main types of capsules are:
• Hard gelatin capsules: normally used for dry, powdered ingredients
and excipients.
• Eg: Vit B complex capsules
• Soft gelatin capsules: primarily used for oils and for active ingredients
that are dissolved or suspended in oil.
• Eg: Vit E, cod liver oil
Soft Gelatin Hard Gelatin
Capsules Capsules
 Spansules/ Timesules
• Spansules are time release capsules
• Granules have different coatings
• Dissolve at different time intervals
• Provides uniform medication over a prolonged period
• Eg: Ferrous sulphate spansules, Isosorbide dinitrate spansules
Spansules/ Timesules
 Powders
• It contains one or more medicinal substances in dry and finely divided
state
• Internal use or external use
• Simple powders
Eg: Glucose powder
• Compound powders
Eg: Oral rehydration salt (ORS) for dehydration
• Effervescent powders
Eg : Seidlitz powders
LIQUID DOSAGE FORMS
 Mixture
• Liquid preparation containing one or more soluble or insoluble
ingredients for oral use
• Eg: Magnesium Sulfate Mixture for Constipation
Antacids
 Emulsion
• It is a mixture of two immiscible liquids ,one of which is broken in to
fine globules and dispersed in the other liquid with the help of an
emulsifying agent
• Eg: Milk, Cod liver oil emulsion
 Syrup
• It is a concentrated sugar solution containing the drug
• With Pleasant flavor and is used to administer bitter, unpalatable drugs
• Eg: Cough syrup, Paracetamol syrup
 Elixir
• It is a clear, pleasantly flavoured liquid having active medication
intended for oral use
• Contains mainly water and ethanol.
• Eg: Promethazine elixir for cough
 Linctus
• It is a viscous liquid preparation which should be sipped slowly to
allow it to trickle down the throat .
• Used for relief of cough
• Eg: Linctus codeine
 Suspension
• It contains one or more insoluble ingredients homogeneously
distributed in a liquid
• Should be shaken well before use
• Eg: Amoxicillin suspension
 Drops
• Liquid medicines for pediatric use
• dispensed in a dropper bottle.
• Eg. Vitamin drops, Polio vaccine drops
RECTAL / VAGINAL DOSAGE FORMS
 Suppositories
• Mixtures of drugs with firm base
• Moulded into shapes suitable for insertion into a cavity or orifice
Rectal suppositories
• Conical or bullet shaped
• Eg : Paracetamol, Bisacodyl
Vaginal suppositories
• Pessaries
• Conical or spherical
• Eg : Candid pessary
 Urethral suppositories
• Bougies
• Pencil shaped
THANK YOU