Chapter 13 Formulation Factors

return to the Course index
previous | next

Tablet Dosage Forms

The tablet is the most commonly used oral dosage form. It is also quite complex in nature. The biggest problem is overcoming the reduction in effective surface area produced during the compression process. One may start with the drug in a very fine powder, but then proceeds to compress it into a single dosage unit.

Ingredients

Tablet ingredients include materials to break up the tablet formulation.

Drug - may be poorly soluble, hydrophobic
Lubricant - usually quite hydrophobic
Granulating agent - tends to stick the ingredients together
Filler - may interact with the drug, etc., should be water soluble
Wetting agent - helps the penetration of water into the tablet
Disintegration agent - helps to break the tablet apart

Coated tablets are used to mask an unpleasant taste, to protect the tablet ingredients during storage, or to improve the tablets appearance. This coating can add another barrier between the solid drug and drug in solution. This barrier must break down quickly or it may hinder a drug's bioavailability.

return to the Course index
previous | next

This page was last modified: Sunday, 28th Jul 2024 at 4:59 pm

Privacy Statement - 25 May 2018

Material on this website should be used for Educational or Self-Study Purposes Only

Pharmacy Tutorials
A tvOS app which presents
a collection of video tutorials related to
Basic Pharmacokinetics and
Pharmacy Math