olid dosage forms

Drugs are prepared in various forms for administration.
The solid type of preparation is most common.
The advantages of solid drug forms are convenience of administration;
accuracy and reproducibility of a dosing; increased of a drug stability and easy of mass production.

Solid drug forms
❑tablets
❑capsules
❑sugar-coated tablets (dragee)
powders
granules
sachets

Тablets (tabuletta,-ae)
A tablet is a solid dosage form that is prepared by compressing or molding of the drug into various sizes and shapes.
Dissolution is the rate-limiting step in the delivery of drug from a tablet to the systemic circulation.

Types of tablets:
Tablets for oral administration
Tablets for vaginal administration
Tablets for implantation (pellets)

Tablets for oral administration
Film coated tablets
Enteric coated tablets
Effervescent tablets
Sublingual tablets
Buccal tablets
Troches (lozenges)
Chewable tablets
Controlled release tablets - slow release tablets (SR) and modified release tablets (MR)

Film coated tablets
latin - Film tabulettae (film tab.)
The tablet is coated with a membrane of polymeric substances that improves physicochemical stability of the drug and delays the rate of drug absorption.
e.g. Augmentin

Enteric coated tablets
latin - Tabulettae enterosolventes
(tab. enterosolv.)
The tablet is coated with an acid-resistant substance that will dissolve only in the less acidic portions of the intestines
e.g. Voltaren, Ospen

Effervescent tablets
latin – tabulettae effervescentes
(tab. efferv.)
The tablet contain sodium bicarbonate in addition to the drug substance.
Before use they are dissolve in water.
e.g. Acetylsalicylic acid

Sublingual tablets
latin – linguetta (ling.)
The tablet is placed under the tongue
Sublingual tablets are absorbed quickly into the bloodstream
e.g. Nitroglycerin, Uprima

Buccal tablets
latin – tabulettae buccales (tab. bucc.)
Buccal tablets are placed in the pouch between the cheek and gum
They are usually small, flat and oval in shape
e.g. Sandopart

Troches (lozenges or pastilles)
latin – pastillae
The tablets contain a drug substance in flavored base.
Lozenges are allowed to dissolve in the mouth. They are commonly used for cold and sore throat.
e.g. Chlorhexidine

Chewable tablets
The tablets are placed in the mouth,
chewed and swallowed.
e.g. Talcid, Aspirin Direct

Slow release tablets (SR)
latin - depot-tabulettae (depot-tab.)
The tablets are treated with special coatings so that various portions of the drug will dissolve at different rates.
They are designed to produce drug effects over an extended time.
SR tablets are administered less frequently (usually once daily).
e.g. Isoptin SR, Ravel SR

Modified release tablets (MR)
Modified release tablets are a more advanced version in which release of the active ingredient is related to time.
e.g. Preductal MR

Implants (pellets)
A small tablet that is prepared for insertion under the skin by giving
a small surgical cut into the skin which is stitched after the insertion of tablets. The tablet must be sterile one.
Contraceptive tablets are formulated as implant.

Tablets for vaginal administration
latin – tabulettae vaginales (tab. vag.)
The tablets are intended for insertion into the vagina.
e.g. Metronidazole, Tinidazole, Dinprostone

Sugar coated tablets
latin – dragee (drag.)
The tablet that contains active ingradient(s) of unpleasant taste may be covered with sugar to make it more palatable.
This type of tablet should be administered in whole form.
Example: Vitaferro, Quinine.

Capsules
latin – capsulae (caps.)
The drug is contained in a gelatin shell that breaks open after the capsule has been swallowed, releasing the drug.
The hard-shell gelatin
capsules contain solid drugs
The soft-shell gelatin
capsules contain oils

Slow-release capsules contain pellets
that dissolve in the gastrointestinal tract, releasing the drug slowly.
Gastro-resistant capsules contain
pellets that dissolve in the intestine.

Writing prescription order for tablets, sugar coated tablets, and capsules
The name of the drug and the strength in metric units are given in praescriptio.
The total number of the single doses
(or the number of blisters) and the drug form are given in subscriptio.
The directions to the patient are filled in signatura.

Powder
latin - pulvis (pulv.)
Powders are drugs or drug extracts that are dried and ground and micronized into fine particles.
According to the division into prescribed doses powders are pulveres indivisi (all doses are given inseparably) and pulveres divisi (they are divides into the prescribed number of doses).
According to the composition are simplex powders (consist one active ingredient) and complex powders (a mixture of more than one active ingredient).

Writing prescription order for
bulk powders (pulveres indivisi)
The name and the total bulk
of the drug are filled in praescriptio
The size of the single dose and the
number of doses per day written in signatura