Drug Forms

1. Drug Forms Drugs come in many different forms

2. Before a drug can receive final approval by the FDA, the drug company must clearly state in what form or forms the drug will be manufactured. • Drugs can seriously injure the patient if administered in the wrong form. DRUG FORMS

3. DRUG FORMS • Tablet: • A tablet is a solid drug form that contains an active drug, as a dried powder plus inert ingredients (binders & fillers) to provide bulk and ensure pill size and shape.

4. Scored tablets • A scored tablet has an indented line across it so that it can be easily split in half in equal pieces.

5. DRUG FORMS • Capsule: • A capsule can be a soft one-piece gelatin shell with the liquid drug inside • OR a hard shell manufactured in two pieces that fit together and hold a powdered drug inside Capsule Capsule

6. Ointments, creams, lotion • Ointment- An ointment is a semi-solid emulsion of oil, lanolin or petrolatum. • Cream- A cream is absorbed into the skin and exert a local, not systemic drug effect. • Lotion- A suspension of a drug in a water base which also exerts a local, not systemic effect. Ointment: greasy & clear Creams & lotions: non-greasy, opaque, semi-liquid

7. Powders/Patches/Pellets • A powder is a finely ground form of a drug. They can be found within capsules or left in a vial to be reconstituted with sterile water for injection. • A pellet drug is inserted into the body by a physician • A transdermal patch is applied to the skin to release a small amount of the drug over a long period of time DRUG FORMS

8. Liquids A liquid drug comes in the form of a solution or suspension. Two general words used to describe liquid drugs are aqueous meaning water, and viscous meaning thick.

9. Drug forms • Ampule- an ampule is a small glass container with a main body and a narrow top that is snapped into two pieces to remove the medicine with a syringe and needle. • Vials- a vial is a small glass bottle with an aluminum cap and a rubber stopper. The drug is removed with a syringe and needle.

10. Other Liquid forms • Tincture-solutions that contain a drug in water and alcohol base • Syrup- solutions that contain a drug in water base with sugar and flavorings, but no alcohol. • Elixir-solutions that contain the drug in water & alcohol base with sugar & flavoring, used often for pediatric use & those who cannot swallow pills

11. Sprays, Mousse, Foams • A mousse or Foam is a solution that contains a drug in a thickened alcohol base. It is expanded by tiny aerosol bubbles when expelled from the container. • A Spray is a solution that contains the drug in a water & alcohol solution, that is sprayed manually by a pump into the mouth or nose.

12. Emulsions & Gels • Gels are solutions that contain fine undissolved particles dispersed throughout a thickened water base. • Emulsions are solutions that contain fat globules dispersed uniformly throughout a water base (such as some IV drugs)

13. DRUG FORMS Drugs can also be administered in the form of a gas which can be inhaled by the patient

14. Compliance?

15. Patient Compliance • Studies have shown that patients usually take their prescribed drugs accurately only 50% of the time. • Researchers have tried to improve this percentage by inventing new drug forms. • Some new ideas on the horizon is an artificial tooth that can be programmed to disperse a drug at specific times.

16. New Drug Forms? • Another invention in the works is a tasteless powder that can be sprinkled on food. This is already on the market in the form of a weight loss supplement. Sensa • How about a computer chip that is surgically inserted into the body that will receive a wireless signal to tell it when to release a dose.

17. Drug forms Drug Manufacturers are constantly trying to improve the identification of drugs to prevent patients from getting their medications confused with one another.