Different Forms of Drug Formulation

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Different Forms of Drug Formulation
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Pharmaceutical Formulation

• Pharmaceutical formulation is the process of
  combining various chemical substances with the
  active drug to form a final medicinal product,
  which is called a drug mixture or drug
  formulation.
• A drug formulation can be given to the patient in
  various forms like solid, semisolid or liquid. 
  The type of the formulation given depends upon
  the patients age, sex, and health condition and
  is specific for particular routes of
  administration.

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Brief overview of the different forms of
drug formulation development
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Solid Formulations

• Tablets  a tablet is disc-shaped and prepared by
  compressing a granulated powder in a die of
  suitable machinery. They are mostly coated with
  inert substances like starch to help them
  disintegrate in the digestive tract of the
  patient.  A binding agent, lubricating material,
  and flavors are added to the tablets to make them
  palatable.
• Enteric Coated Tablets  are coated with a
  material that does not disintegrate in the acidic
  medium of the stomach but in the alkaline medium
  of the intestine. They cant be chewed but
  consumed only by swallowing.

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• Controlled Release Tablet  is designed to
  release the active ingredient of the drug in a
  specific amount over a specified period of time.
  Here, the amount of drug released is gradual over
  the day and doesnt depend upon the pH of the
  digestive tract of the patient. Thus, a uniform
  amount of drug is released at a uniform rate.
• Sustained Release Preparations  release a fixed
  amount of drug over an extended period of time.
  Thus, they improve the treatment compliance by
  the patient.
• Capsules  can be hard or soft. Hard capsules
  contain the drug in solid form, which gets
  dissolved easily in water. Soft capsules have the
  drug in liquid or semi-solid form, which is
  non-soluble in water and soluble in propylene or
  glycol.

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Semi-Solid Formulations

• Oral Preparations  Oral preparations are easier
  to swallow and administer medicines to children
  and old-age patients. Flavourings and sugar are
  added to some liquids to make them palatable.
  They are available as solutions, suspensions, or
  emulsions and must be shaken well before use.
• Topical Preparations  The application of a drug
  to an area of the body for direct treatment is
  called topical application. It includes eye
  drops, ear drops, nasal drops, nebulizers and
  inhalers, etc
• Sublingual and Buccal Administration  It is
  useful for drugs which are active in very low
  concentration in the blood. Such drugs are
  administered as tablets under the tongue or
  between the cheek and the gum and allowed to
  dissolve. In this manner, the drug directly
  enters the bloodstream, bypassing the digestive
  tract and acts faster.

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Rectal Administration

• Suppositories are used for drugs which are
  administered through the rectum. The drug is
  absorbed by the rectal mucosa and directly enters
  the bloodstream. The method is useful when a
  patient is unconscious, has nausea or difficulty
  in swallowing.
• Enemas are liquid preparations for rectal
  administration. They can be used for topical or
  systemic treatment and also for a bowel movement.

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Parental Drug Administration

• Intradermal administration where the drug is
  inserted into the dermis. g. Local Anaesthesia
• Subcutaneous injection where the drug is
  inserted into the subcutaneous tissue or under
  the skin. It is mainly for the drugs that cannot
  be given through the mouth e.g. Insulin.
• Intramuscular injection where the drug is
  inserted into the skeletal system or the muscle.
  The system is highly vascular, and hence, drugs
  with low molecular weight can easily pass through
  by direct diffusion into the bloodstream.
• Intravenous injection is given directly in the
  vein and allows for a faster action of the drug.

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However, to know whether to formulate a drug as a
solid, liquid, or semi-solid formulation, a
formulation scientist conducts a preformulation
studies. Such studies help to evaluate the
physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of
the drug substance, its stability, and
interaction with other chemical ingredients.
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