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Dosage forms (also called unit doses) are
pharmaceutical drug Medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal product, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy ( pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the ...
products presented in a specific form for use. They contain a mixture of
active ingredient An active ingredient is any ingredient that provides biologically active or other direct effect in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease or to affect the structure or any function of the body of humans or animals. ...
s and inactive components (
excipient An excipient is a substance formulated alongside the active ingredient of a medication. They may be used to enhance the active ingredient’s therapeutic properties; to facilitate drug absorption; to reduce viscosity; to enhance solubility; to i ...
s), configured in a particular way (such as a capsule shell) and apportioned into a specific dose. For example, two products may both be
amoxicillin Amoxicillin is an antibiotic medication belonging to the aminopenicillin class of the penicillin family. The drug is used to treat bacterial infections such as middle ear infection, strep throat, pneumonia, skin infections, odontogenic inf ...
, but one may come in 500 mg capsules, while another may be in 250 mg chewable tablets. The term unit dose can also refer to non-reusable packaging, particularly when each drug product is individually packaged. However, the FDA differentiates this by referring to it as ''unit-dose "packaging" or "dispensing"''. Depending on the context, ''multi(ple) unit dose'' may refer to multiple distinct drug products ''packaged'' together or a ''single'' product containing multiple drugs and/or doses.


Formulations

The term dosage form may also sometimes refer only to the
pharmaceutical formulation Pharmaceutical formulation, in pharmaceutics, is the process in which different chemical substances, including the active drug, are combined to produce a final medicinal product. The word ''formulation'' is often used in a way that includes dos ...
of a drug product's constituent substances, without considering its final configuration as a consumable product (e.g., capsule, patch, etc.). Due to the somewhat ambiguous nature and overlap of these terms within the pharmaceutical industry, caution is advisable when discussing them with others who may interpret the terminology differently.


Types

Dosage forms vary depending on the method/route of administration, which can include many types of liquid, solid, and semisolid forms. Common dosage forms include tablets, capsules,
drink A drink or beverage is a liquid intended for human consumption. In addition to their basic function of satisfying thirst, drinks play important roles in human culture. Common types of drinks include plain drinking water, milk, juice, smoothie ...
s, and
syrup In cooking, syrup (less commonly sirup; from ; , beverage, wine and ) is a condiment that is a thick, viscous liquid consisting primarily of a Solution (chemistry), solution of sugar in water, containing a large amount of dissolved sugars but ...
s, among others. A
combination drug A combination drug is a combination of two or more pharmaceutical drugs as active ingredients combined into a single dosage form, typically as a ''fixed-dose combination'', with each constituent standardized to specifications of a fixed dose. Fix ...
(or fixed-dose combination; FDC) is a product that contains more than one
active ingredient An active ingredient is any ingredient that provides biologically active or other direct effect in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease or to affect the structure or any function of the body of humans or animals. ...
(e.g., one tablet, one capsule, or one syrup with multiple drugs). In
naturopathy Naturopathy, or naturopathic medicine, is a form of alternative medicine. A wide array of practices branded as "natural", "non-invasive", or promoting "self-healing" are employed by its practitioners, who are known as naturopaths. Difficult ...
, dosages can take the form of
decoction Decoction is a method of extraction by boiling herbal or plant material (which may include stems, roots, bark and rhizomes) to dissolve the chemicals of the material. It is the most common preparation method in various herbal medicine systems. D ...
s and
herbal tea Herbal teas, technically known as herbal infusions, and less commonly called tisanes (UK and US , US also ), are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water. Often herb tea, or the plai ...
s, in addition to the more conventional methods mentioned above.


Route of administration

The
route of administration In pharmacology and toxicology, a route of administration is the way by which a medication, drug, fluid, poison, or other substance is taken into the body. Routes of administration are generally classified by the location at which the substance ...
(ROA) for
drug delivery Drug delivery involves various methods and technologies designed to transport pharmaceutical compounds to their target sites helping therapeutic effect. It involves principles related to drug preparation, route of administration, site-specif ...
depends on the dosage form of the
substance Substance may refer to: * Matter, anything that has mass and takes up space Chemistry * Chemical substance, a material with a definite chemical composition * Drug, a chemical agent affecting an organism Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ' ...
. Different dosage forms may be available for a particular drug, especially if certain conditions restrict the ROA. For example, if a patient is unconscious or experiencing persistent
nausea Nausea is a diffuse sensation of unease and discomfort, sometimes perceived as an urge to vomit. It can be a debilitating symptom if prolonged and has been described as placing discomfort on the chest, abdomen, or back of the throat. Over 30 d ...
and
vomiting Vomiting (also known as emesis, puking and throwing up) is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose. Vomiting can be the result of ailments like food poisoning, gastroenteritis, pre ...
, oral administration may not be feasible, necessitating the use of alternative routes, such as inhalational, buccal,
sublingual Sublingual (List of abbreviations used in medical prescriptions, abbreviated SL), from the Latin for "under the tongue", refers to the pharmacological route of administration by which substances diffuse into the blood through Tissue (biology), t ...
,
nasal Nasal is an adjective referring to the nose, part of human or animal anatomy. It may also be shorthand for the following uses in combination: * With reference to the human nose: ** Nasal administration, a method of pharmaceutical drug delivery * ...
,
suppository A suppository is a dosage form used to deliver pharmaceutical drug, medications by insertion into a body orifice (any opening in the body), where it dissolves or melts to exert local or systemic effects. There are three types of suppositories, eac ...
, or
parenteral In pharmacology and toxicology, a route of administration is the way by which a drug, fluid, poison, or other substance is taken into the body. Routes of administration are generally classified by the location at which the substance is applied. ...
. A specific dosage form may also be required due to issues such as
chemical stability In chemistry, chemical stability is the thermodynamic stability of a chemical system, in particular a chemical compound or a polymer. Colloquially, it may instead refer to kinetic persistence, the shelf-life of a metastable substance or system; t ...
or
pharmacokinetic Pharmacokinetics (from Ancient Greek ''pharmakon'' "drug" and ''kinetikos'' "moving, putting in motion"; see chemical kinetics), sometimes abbreviated as PK, is a branch of pharmacology dedicated to describing how the body affects a specific subs ...
properties. For instance,
insulin Insulin (, from Latin ''insula'', 'island') is a peptide hormone produced by beta cells of the pancreatic islets encoded in humans by the insulin (''INS)'' gene. It is the main Anabolism, anabolic hormone of the body. It regulates the metabol ...
cannot be given orally because it is extensively
metabolized Metabolism (, from ''metabolē'', "change") is the set of life-sustaining chemical reactions in organisms. The three main functions of metabolism are: the conversion of the energy in food to energy available to run cellular processes; the co ...
in the
gastrointestinal tract The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the Digestion, digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The tract is the largest of the body's systems, after the cardiovascula ...
(GIT) before it reaches the
bloodstream In vertebrates, the circulatory system is a system of organs that includes the heart, blood vessels, and blood which is circulated throughout the body. It includes the cardiovascular system, or vascular system, that consists of the heart an ...
, preventing it from reaching therapeutic target destinations. Similarly, the oral and intravenous doses of a drug like
paracetamol Paracetamol, or acetaminophen, is a non-opioid analgesic and antipyretic agent used to treat fever and mild to moderate pain. It is a widely available over-the-counter drug sold under various brand names, including Tylenol and Panadol. Parac ...
differ for the same reason.


Oral

* Pills, i.e. tablets or capsules * Liquids such as syrups, solutions, elixers,
emulsion An emulsion is a mixture of two or more liquids that are normally Miscibility, immiscible (unmixable or unblendable) owing to liquid-liquid phase separation. Emulsions are part of a more general class of two-phase systems of matter called colloi ...
s, and
tincture A tincture is typically an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Solvent concentrations of 25–60% are common, but may run as high as 90%.Groot Handboek Geneeskrachtige Planten by Geert Verhelst In chemistr ...
s * Liquids such as decoctions and herbal teas * Orally disintegrating tablets * Lozenges or candy ( electuaries) *
Thin films A thin film is a layer of materials ranging from fractions of a nanometer ( monolayer) to several micrometers in thickness. The controlled synthesis of materials as thin films (a process referred to as deposition) is a fundamental step in many ...
(e.g., Listerine Pocketpaks,
nitroglycerin Nitroglycerin (NG) (alternative spelling nitroglycerine), also known as trinitroglycerol (TNG), nitro, glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), or 1,2,3-trinitroxypropane, is a dense, colorless or pale yellow, oily, explosive liquid most commonly produced by ...
) to be placed on top of or underneath the tongue as well as against the cheek *
Powders A powder is a dry solid composed of many very fine particles that may Particle-laden flow, flow freely when shaken or tilted. Powders are a special sub-class of granular materials, although the terms ''powder'' and ''granular'' are sometimes use ...
or effervescent powder or tablets, often instructed to be mixed into a food item * Plants or seeds prepared in various ways such as a
cannabis edible A cannabis edible, also known as a cannabis-infused food or simply an edible, is a food item (either homemade or produced commercially) that contains decarboxylated cannabinoids (cannabinoid acids converted to their orally bioactive form) fro ...
* Pastes such as high fluoride
toothpaste Toothpaste is a paste or gel dentifrice that is used with a toothbrush to clean and maintain the aesthetics of Human tooth, teeth. Toothpaste is used to promote oral hygiene: it is an abrasive that aids in removing dental plaque and food from th ...
s * Gases such as
oxygen Oxygen is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group (periodic table), group in the periodic table, a highly reactivity (chemistry), reactive nonmetal (chemistry), non ...
(can also be delivered through the nose)


Ophthalmic

*
Eye drops ''Eye Drops'' is a television program on TechTV that showcased short computer animation movies and clips made using off the shelf 3D animation software. The show claimed to showcase all different types of animation, but only a very small number ...
*
Lotion Lotion is a low-viscosity topical preparation intended for application to the skin. By contrast, creams and gels have higher viscosity, typically due to lower water content. Lotions are applied to external skin with bare hands, a brush, a clea ...
s * Ointments * Emulsions


Inhalation

* Aerosolized medication * Dry-powder Inhalers or metered dose inhalers *
Nebulizer In medicine, a nebulizer (American English) or nebuliser (English language, English) is a drug delivery device used to administer medication in the form of a mist inhaled into the lungs. Nebulizers are commonly used for the treatment of asthma, c ...
-administered medication *
Smoking Smoking is a practice in which a substance is combusted, and the resulting smoke is typically inhaled to be tasted and absorbed into the bloodstream of a person. Most commonly, the substance used is the dried leaves of the tobacco plant, whi ...
* Vaporizer-administered medication


Unintended ingredients

Talc is an
excipient An excipient is a substance formulated alongside the active ingredient of a medication. They may be used to enhance the active ingredient’s therapeutic properties; to facilitate drug absorption; to reduce viscosity; to enhance solubility; to i ...
often used in pharmaceutical tablets that may end up being crushed to a powder against medical advice or for recreational use. Also,
illicit drug The prohibition of drugs through sumptuary legislation or religious law is a common means of attempting to prevent the recreational use of certain intoxicating substances. An area has a prohibition of drugs when its government uses the forc ...
s that occur as white powder in their pure form are often
cut Cut or CUT may refer to: Common uses * The act of cutting, the separation of an object into two through acutely directed force ** A type of wound ** Cut (archaeology), a hole dug in the past ** Cut (clothing), the style or shape of a garment ** ...
with cheap
talc Talc, or talcum, is a clay mineral composed of hydrated magnesium silicate, with the chemical formula . Talc in powdered form, often combined with corn starch, is used as baby powder. This mineral is used as a thickening agent and lubricant ...
. Natural talc is cheap but contains
asbestos Asbestos ( ) is a group of naturally occurring, Toxicity, toxic, carcinogenic and fibrous silicate minerals. There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous Crystal habit, crystals, each fibre (particulate with length su ...
while asbestos-free talc is more expensive. Inhaled talc that has asbestos is generally accepted as being able to cause lung cancer if it is inhaled. The evidence about asbestos-free talc is less clear, according to the
American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. The ACS publishes the journals ''Cancer'', '' CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians'' and '' Cancer Cytopathology''. History The society w ...
.


Injection


Parenteral

*
Intradermal Intradermal injection (also intracutaneous or intradermic, abbreviated as ID) is a shallow or superficial injection of a substance into the dermis, which is located between the epidermis and the hypodermis. For certain substances, administration ...
ly-administered (ID) *
Subcutaneously The subcutaneous tissue (), also called the hypodermis, hypoderm (), subcutis, or superficial fascia, is the lowermost layer of the integumentary system in vertebrates. The types of cells found in the layer are fibroblasts, adipose cells, and m ...
-administered (SC) *
Intramuscular Intramuscular injection, often abbreviated IM, is the injection of a substance into a muscle. In medicine, it is one of several methods for parenteral administration of medications. Intramuscular injection may be preferred because muscles hav ...
ly-administered (IM) * Intraosseous administration (IO) *
Intraperitoneal The peritoneum is the serous membrane forming the lining of the abdominal cavity or coelom in amniotes and some invertebrates, such as annelids. It covers most of the intra-abdominal (or coelomic) organs, and is composed of a layer of mesothe ...
ly-administered (IP) *
intravenous Intravenous therapy (abbreviated as IV therapy) is a medical technique that administers fluids, medications and nutrients directly into a person's vein. The intravenous route of administration is commonly used for rehydration or to provide nutr ...
ly-administered (IV) * Intracavernously-administered (ICI) These are usually solutions and suspensions.


Unintended ingredients


Safe

Eye drops ''Eye Drops'' is a television program on TechTV that showcased short computer animation movies and clips made using off the shelf 3D animation software. The show claimed to showcase all different types of animation, but only a very small number ...
(normal saline in disposable packages) are distributed to syringe users by needle exchange programs.


Unsafe

The injection of talc from crushed pills has been associated with
pulmonary talcosis Pulmonary talcosis is a pulmonary disorder caused by talc. It has been related to silicosis resulting from inhalation of talc and silicates. It is also tied to heroin use where talc might be used as an adulterant to increase weight and street val ...
in intravenous drug users.


Topical

* Creams,
liniments Liniment (from , meaning "to smear, anoint"), also called embrocation and heat rub, is a medicated topical preparation for application to the skin. Some liniments have a viscosity similar to that of water; others are lotion or balm; still, other ...
, balms (such as lip balm or antiperspirants and deodorants), lotions, or ointments, etc. * Gels and
hydrogel A hydrogel is a Phase (matter), biphasic material, a mixture of Porosity, porous and Permeation, permeable solids and at least 10% of water or other interstitial fluid. The solid phase is a water Solubility, insoluble three dimensional network ...
s *
Ear drop Ear drops are a form of topical medication for the ears used to treat otitis, infection, inflammation, Earwax#Excess earwax (impacted cerumen), impacted ear wax and local anesthesia. They are commonly used for short-term treatment and can be pur ...
s *
Transdermal Transdermal is a route of administration wherein active ingredients are delivered across the skin for systemic distribution. Examples include transdermal patches used for medicine delivery. The drug is administered in the form of a patch or ointm ...
and dermal patches to be applied to the skin * Powders


Unintended use

* It is not safe to calculate divided doses by cutting and weighing medical skin patches, because there's no guarantee that the substance is evenly distributed on the patch surface. For example,
fentanyl Fentanyl is a highly potent synthetic piperidine opioid primarily used as an analgesic (pain medication). It is 30 to 50 times more Potency (pharmacology), potent than heroin and 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. Its primary Medici ...
transdermal patches are designed to slowly release the substance over 3 days. It is well known that cut fentanyl transdermal consumed orally have cause overdoses and deaths. * Single blotting papers for illicit drugs injected from solvents in syringes may also cause uneven distribution across the surface.


Other

*
Intravaginal administration Intravaginal administration is a route of administration where the substance is applied inside the vagina. Pharmacologically, it has the potential advantage to result in effects primarily in the vagina or nearby structures (such as the vaginal po ...
**
Vaginal ring Vaginal rings (also known as intravaginal rings, or V-Rings) are polymeric drug delivery devices designed to provide controlled release of drugs for intravaginal administration over extended periods of time. The ring is inserted into the vagina ...
s ** Capsules and tablets ** Suppositories *
Rectal administration Rectal administration (colloquially known as boofing or plugging) uses the rectum as a route of administration for medication and other fluids, which are absorbed by the rectum's blood vessels,The rectum has numerous blood vessels available to a ...
(enteral) ** Suppositories ** Suspensions and solutions in the form of
enema An enema, also known as a clyster, is the rectal administration of a fluid by injection into the Large intestine, lower bowel via the anus.Cullingworth, ''A Manual of Nursing, Medical and Surgical'':155 The word ''enema'' can also refer to the ...
s ** Gels * Urethral *
Nasal spray Nasal sprays are used to deliver medications Route of administration#Local, locally in the nasal cavities or systemic administration, systemically. They are used locally for conditions such as nasal congestion and allergic rhinitis. In some sit ...
s


See also

*
Classification of Pharmaco-Therapeutic Referrals The ''Classification of Pharmaco-Therapeutic Referrals'' (''CPR'') is a taxonomy that defines and groups situations requiring a referral between pharmacists and physicians regarding patients’ pharmacotherapy. It has been published in 2008. It ...
*
Drug delivery Drug delivery involves various methods and technologies designed to transport pharmaceutical compounds to their target sites helping therapeutic effect. It involves principles related to drug preparation, route of administration, site-specif ...
*
Route of administration In pharmacology and toxicology, a route of administration is the way by which a medication, drug, fluid, poison, or other substance is taken into the body. Routes of administration are generally classified by the location at which the substance ...
*
Pharmaceutical packaging Drug packaging (or pharmaceutical packaging) is process of packing pharmaceutical preparations for distribution, and the physical packaging in which they are stored. It involves all of the operations from production through drug distribution c ...


References


External links

*
Dosage From Development
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dosage Form Pharmacokinetics