Transcript dosage form

SCIENTIFIC
ENGLISH
THE PHARMACEUTICAL
INDUSTRY
BASIC VOCABULARY

1. A company that produces
drugs/medicine is called a
__________________________
company.
A) pharmacy
b) pharmaceutical
c) pharmacist
2. What is a “dosage form”?
a) It is the physical form of a dose of
medication
b) The way a drug is put into the body
3) Which of the following things is a dosage
form?
a) Capsule
b) Inhaling
c) OTC drug
WHAT IS A DOSAGE FORM?
WHAT IS A ROUTE OF
ADMINISTRATION?
DOSAGE FORM:
Solution or Suspension by
injection
ROUTE OF
ADMINISTRATION:
Parenteral
DOSAGE FORM OR ROUTE
OF ADMINISTRATION?
Say if the following terms are dosage forms (DF)
or routes of administration (RoA).
Lotion
Intravenous
Capsule
Tablet
Per rectum
Intramuscular
Eye drops
Intradermal
Subcutaneous
Read the text on p. 86 and do the
exercise 1 on p. 87
Exercise 1 - READING COMPREHENSION
Read the text and answer the following questions.

1. Who makes prescription and OTC
drugs?
Drug companies, drug manufacturers
2. What do drug companies do?
Drug companies make medicines
taking the active ingredients out
of the plant, animals or chemicals
and mixing it with inactive
ingredients.
3. What are synthetic medicines?
They are medicines made from
chemicals
-
4. Why is it important that a drug
company tests?
To make sure that each tablet or capsule is
the same as any other in the bottle;
To make sure that what is in the medicine
is exactly what the label says
5. Where are prescription medicines
advertised?
On TV, in popular magazines and
newspapers.
6. What are the FDA and the FTC? What’s their
role?
The FDA is the US Food and Drug
Administration and
the FTC is the Federal Trade Commission.
They decide respectively what can be said in
prescription and OTC medicine advertising.
7. What’s the purpose of advertising?
To tell the public about medicines, to
sell more medicines and to earn more
money
Please do exercises 3 and 4 on p. 90
DOSAGE FORMS
DOSAGE FORMS
Basically three divisions of dosage
forms:
 solid,
 semisolid,
 liquid
SOLID DOSAGE FORMS:
TABLET
1. The most commonly known dosage form
is the tablet.
In prescription usually abbreviated as tab or
tabs - contains active drug in dried powder
form
2. caplets – coated capsules in form of tablets;
elongated shape may make it easier for some
to swallow, as does the coating
3. lozenges – tablets formed from hardened base or
sugar and water containing drug and other flavors.
They are designed to dissolve slowly in the mouth and
release the drug topically to the tissues of mouth and
throat; they are not to be swallowed.
SOLID DOSAGE FORM:
EFFERVESCENT TABLET
4. EFFERVESCENT TABLETS
some tablets may be designed to dissolve in
water before taking orally to facilitate
administration; examples: Alka Seltzer, Klorvess
effervescent tablets, etc.
SOLID DOSAGE FORM: CAPSULE
B. capsule: in prescription usually abbreviated as
cap or caps, comes basically in two varieties
CAPSULE 1
1. soft gelatin shell manufactured in one piece
with drug usually in liquid form inside the
shell, e.g. fat-soluble vitamins A and E,
Procardia (nifidepine), etc.
CAPSULE 2
2. hard shell manufactured in two pieces that
fit together and hold the drug, either in
powdered or granular form; may be separated
and sprinkled over food.
SOLID DOSAGE FORM:
POWDER
C. powder: a finely ground form of an active drug
1. can be contained in capsules for oral
administration
2. can be used for topical application
3. can be found in glass vials as dried form of the
drug where it must be reconstituted by adding
sterile water or sterile NaCL for purpose of
injection, e.g. i.v. ampicillin
4. may come pre-measured in package and
needs to be reconstituted with water before oral
administration
SOLID DOSAGE FORM:
SUPPOSITORY
E. suppository: a solid base of glycerin or
cocoa butter containing the drug
SEMI-SOLID DOSAGE
FORMS

semi-solid dosage forms: dosage forms
that are too soft in structure to qualify for
solids but too thick to be considered
liquid;
SEMI SOLID DOSAGE
FORM: CREAM
A. cream – a semisolid emulsion of oil, e.g.
lanolin or petrolatum, and water, the main
ingredient being water
SEMI-SOLID DOSAGE
FORM: OINTMENT
B. ointment – a semisolid emulsion of oil
and water, the main ingredient being oil
LIQUID DOSAGE FORMS
III. liquid dosage forms: come in
solutions and suspensions;
generally described as either

• aqueous from the Latin meaning watery consistency

• viscous designating a non-watery or thick liquid
LIQUID DOSAGE FORMS:
SOLUTION

A. solution: never need to be mixed as the drugto-water concentration remains the same in
every part of the solution, even after prolonged
standing.
ELIXIRS
SYRUPS
LIQUID SPRAYS
FOAMS
TINCTURES
LIQUID DOSAGE
FORMS:SOLUTIONS
1. elixirs: solutions that contain an alcohol and water base, added sugar and
flavorings, e.g. Tylenol; commonly used for pediatric and elderly patients who have
difficulty swallowing tablets or capsules
2. syrups: do not contain alcohol and are concentrated solutions of sugar, water, and
flavorings. They are sweeter and more viscous than elixirs. Most OTC cough
medications are syrup based and don’t only carry the drug but also act to soothe the
inflamed mucous membranes of the throat.
3. tinctures: solutions that have an alcohol and water base and are applied topically,
e.g. tincture of iodine
4. liquid sprays: solutions of a drug combined with water or alcohol
5. foams: another form of liquid medication propelled by spraying, e.g. certain OTC
contraceptives and Proctofoam
LIQUID DOSAGE
FORMS:SUSPENSIONS

B. suspensions: contain fine, undissolved
particles of drug suspended in a liquid
base. These particles will settle to the
bottom of the container after prolonged
standing, making it necessary to shake the
suspension well before use to evenly
distribute the drug particles. This should
be noted on an auxiliary label on the
bottle, e.g. Maalox and other antacids.

1. emulsion: a suspension of fat particles in a watery
base, e.g. intralipid intravenous fat solution

2. lotion: topically applied suspension of an active
drug in a water base, usually some skin-moisturizing
agent added, e.g. Keri lotion; sometimes may be
without moisturizer, e.g. Calamine lotion

3. gel: a suspension in which the drug particles are
suspended in a thickened water medium, e.g.
MetroGel for acne rosacea
DOSAGE FORMS (I)
TABLET
EYE DROP
CAPSULE
Hard capsule
Soft capsule
EAR DROP
NASAL SPRAY
TRANSDERMAL PATCH
SUPPOSITORY
EMULSION
INJECTION
INHALATION
DOSAGE FORMS (II)
PESSARY
SOLUTION
OINTMENT
LOTION
GEL
PASTE
SYRUP
POWDER
CREAM
Please read the text on p. 93 and
do exercise 1 on p. 94
(low viscosity)
Lotion
cream
Gel
Ointment
(high viscosity)
1. comes in two varieties: soft gelatin shell in one piece with drug
usually in liquid form, and hard shell in two pieces with drug in
wither granular or powdered form
2. contains fine, undissolved particles of drug suspended in liquid
base
3. tablets formed of hardened base of sugar and water containing
drug and other flavors
4. solid base of glycerin or cocoa butter containing the drug
5. semisolid emulsion of oil and water, the main ingredient being oil
6. semisolid emulsion of oil and water, the main ingredient being
water
7. designed to dissolve in water before taking orally to facilitate
administration
8. finely ground form of an active drug
ROUTES OF
ADMINISTRATION
Routes of Drug Administration
Important
Info
The route of administration (ROA)
that is chosen may have a profound
effect upon the speed and efficiency
with which the drug acts
 The
possible routes of drug entry into
the body may be divided into two
classes:
Enteral
Parenteral
Enteral Routes
Enteral - drug placed directly in the GI tract:
sublingual - placed under the tongue
oral - swallowing (p.o., per os)
rectum - Absorption through the rectum
Sublingual/Buccal
Some drugs are taken as smaller
tablets which are held in the mouth or
under the tongue.
Parenteral Routes
Intravascular (IV, IA)- placing a drug directly
into the blood stream
 Intramuscular (IM) - drug injected into
skeletal muscle
 Subcutaneous - Absorption of drugs from the
subcutaneous tissues
 Inhalation - Absorption through the lungs

Intramuscular
1. very rapid absorption of drugs in aqueous
solution
2.repository and slow release preparations
3.pain at injection sites for certain drugs
Subcutaneous
1. slow and constant absorption
2. absorption is limited by blood flow,
affected if circulatory problems exist
3. concurrent administration of
vasoconstrictor will slow absorption
Inhalation
1.gaseous and volatile agents and aerosols
2.rapid onset of action due to rapid access to
circulation
a.large surface area
b.thin membranes separates alveoli from
circulation
c.high blood flow
Particles larger than 20 micron and the particles impact
in the mouth and throat. Smaller than 0.5 micron and
they aren't retained.
Inhalation cont.
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Respiratory system. Except for IN, risk hypoxia.
Intranasal (snorting) Snuff, cocaine may be partly oral
via post-nasal dripping. Fairly fast to brain, local damage
to septum. Some of the volatile gases also appear to cross
nasal membranes.
Smoke (Solids in air suspension, vapors) absorbed across
lung alveoli: Nicotine, opium, THC, freebase and crack
cocaine, crystal meth.Particles or vapors dissolve in lung
fluids, then diffuse. Longer action than volatile gases.
Tissue damage from particles, tars, CO.
Volatile gases: Some anaesthetics (nitrous oxide, ether)
[precise control], petroleum distillates. Diffusion and
exhalation (alcohol).
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Route for administration
-Time until effectintravenous 30-60 seconds
intraosseous 30-60 seconds
endotracheal 2-3 minutes
inhalation 2-3 minutes
sublingual 3-5 minutes
intramuscular 10-20 minutes
subcutaneous 15-30 minutes
rectal 5-30 minutes
ingestion 30-90 minutes
transdermal (topical) variable (minutes to
hours)
No single method of drug
administration is ideal for all
drugs in all circumstances
Please read the text
“METHODS OF ADMINISTRATION”
and answer the following questions:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
What is the most common method of administration?
What happens when a drug is taken when the
stomach is full?
What are sublingual tablets?
Why would suppositories be prescribed?
How are bronchodilators administered and why?
Give the circumstances when an injection is used.
When are topical applications prescribed? Give
examples of some.
What instructions should be given when applying a
topical preparation?
HOW ARE MEDICINES
MADE?
Read the text on p. 91 and do
exercises 1, 2, 3