Dosage Form

The dosage form of a pharmaceutical product denotes its method of entry or delivery into a biological system. Generally, dosage forms are simply classified as solids or liquids. Solid dosage forms include tablets and powders used in propelled inhalants, such as asthma inhalers. Liquid dosage forms can vary greatly in viscosity of their final mixture, and can range from orally-ingested syrups to topical serums to solutions that are administered intravenously.

Although there is a broad range of dosage forms, one of the world’s main governing bodies for pharmaceuticals, the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) classifies dosage forms by the following, specific delivery methods: oral drugs, injectable or “parenteral” drugs, topical/transdermal drugs, inhaled drugs, and mucosal drugs.

The key consideration in choosing the ideal dosage form for a drug is in finding an ideal delivery method that serves as the optimal vehicle for both metabolic purposes and for maintaining efficacy of the drug for its journey from production to administration. Many drugs cannot be administered via oral route because of their being metabolized by the gastrointestinal tract before reaching target destinations, or because they can cause considerable patient discomfort in the form of nausea. Highly-specific, targeting drugs may best be administered via the transdermal or mucosal route to achieve best results for both drug performance and patient comfort.