Dosage form
Pharmaceutical drug products presented in specific forms for use.
Dosage forms, also called unit doses, are pharmaceutical drug products presented in a specific form for use. They contain a mixture of active ingredients and inactive components (excipients), configured in a particular way and apportioned into a specific dose. The term can also refer to non-reusable packaging, particularly when each drug product is individually packaged, though the FDA differentiates this as unit-dose 'packaging' or 'dispensing'.
- field
- Pharmaceutical science
- known_for
- Providing specific forms for drug delivery, including tablets, capsules, liquids, and inhalers
- types
- Liquid, solid, semisolid; includes tablets, capsules, drinks, solutions, suspensions, syrups
- routes_of_administration
- Oral, ophthalmic, inhalation, injection, topical, rectal, vaginal, urethral, nasal
Lore & Background
Dosage forms vary depending on the method or route of administration, which can include many types of liquid, solid, and semisolid forms. Common dosage forms include tablets, capsules, drinks, solutions, suspensions, and syrups, among others. A combination drug (or fixed-dose combination; FDC) is a product that contains more than one active ingredient, such as one tablet or one syrup with multiple drugs. In naturopathy, dosages can take the form of decoctions and herbal teas, in addition to more conventional methods.
Reader's Guide
The route of administration for drug delivery depends on the dosage form of the substance. Different dosage forms may be available for a particular drug, especially if certain conditions restrict the route. For example, if a patient is unconscious or experiencing persistent nausea and vomiting, oral administration may not be feasible, necessitating alternative routes such as inhalational, buccal, sublingual, nasal, suppository, or parenteral. A specific dosage form may also be required due to issues such as chemical stability or pharmacokinetic properties. For instance, insulin cannot be given orally because it is extensively metabolized in the gastrointestinal tract before reaching the bloodstream. The term dosage form may sometimes refer only to the pharmaceutical formulation of a drug product's constituent substances, without considering its final configuration as a consumable product. 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.
Did You Know?
- The FDA differentiates unit-dose 'packaging' or 'dispensing' from the term dosage form.
- Inhaled talc that has asbestos is generally accepted as being able to cause lung cancer; evidence about asbestos-free talc is less clear.
- It is not safe to calculate divided doses by cutting and weighing medical skin patches because there is no guarantee the substance is evenly distributed on the patch surface.
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