To achieve optimal therapeutic effects, the same medication can be processed into different dosage forms for clinical use based on the route of administration. This article summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of commonly used drug dosage forms, hoping to be of assistance to everyone.
1. Characteristics of Liquid Preparations
Advantages: ① High drug dispersion and rapid absorption; ② Multiple routes of administration; ③ Easy to dose, especially suitable for infants and elderly patients; ④ Can reduce the irritant effects of drugs.
Disadvantages: ① High drug dispersion can lead to chemical degradation, reducing efficacy; ② Larger volume, making it inconvenient to carry, transport, and store; ③ Aqueous liquids are prone to mold, requiring preservatives; ④ Heterogeneous liquid preparations have dispersed ions with a large specific surface area, leading to various physical stability issues.
2. Characteristics of Powder Preparations
① Small particle size, large specific surface area, and rapid onset of action; ② The large coverage area of external powders can provide protective and astringent effects; ③ Simple preparation process, easy to control dosage; ④ Convenient for storage, transport, and carrying.
Granules have the following characteristics compared to powders: ① Less dispersibility, adhesion, agglomeration, and hygroscopicity; ② Various components mixed with a binder to form granules can prevent component segregation; ③ Convenient for storage and transport.
3. Characteristics of Tablets
Advantages: ① Accurate dosage, convenient to take, with the number of tablets as the dosage unit; ② Good chemical stability, less affected by external factors such as air, light, and moisture; ③ Convenient for carrying and transport; ④ Low production cost, high degree of mechanization and automation; ⑤ Can meet various clinical medical needs.
Disadvantages: ① Difficult for infants and unconscious patients to swallow; ② Relatively high preparation difficulty, requiring meticulous prescription design and high technical requirements; ③ Tablets containing volatile components are not suitable for long-term storage.
4. Characteristics of Capsules
① Can mask unpleasant tastes and odors of drugs, making them neat, aesthetically pleasing, and easy to swallow; ② Can allow drugs to act quickly in the body; ③ Can solidify liquid medications, improving drug stability; for light-sensitive drugs or those unstable in humid heat, they can be placed in opaque capsules to protect them from moisture and the effects of oxygen and light, thus enhancing stability; ④ Can delay or target drug release.
5. Characteristics of Granules
① Simple equipment, easy operation, beneficial for labor protection, short process cycle, and high productivity; ② Process conditions are easy to control, quality is stable, dosage is accurate, and the heating time is short, making it easier for oxidizable and volatile drugs to dissolve in the matrix, thus increasing stability; ③ The matrix can accommodate a large amount of liquid medication, allowing liquid drugs to solidify; ④ Granules prepared using solid dispersion technology have rapid absorption and high bioavailability, for example, the effective dose of griseofulvin granules is 1/4 of that of 100 mesh fine powder and 1/2 of that of micro powder (particle size below 5 microns); ⑤ Developed new dosage forms for ear and eye medications, as most otorhinolaryngological preparations are liquid or semi-solid forms with short action duration, making granules effective for prolonged action.
6. Characteristics of Aerosols
Advantages: ① Rapid action and targeted effect (especially for respiratory diseases such as asthma, which can take effect within two minutes of inhalation): primarily absorbed through the lungs, where the numerous alveoli and large surface area facilitate rapid diffusion and exchange of gases with the blood; once the drug reaches the alveoli, it can be quickly absorbed and take effect. ② Drugs sealed in containers can remain clean and sterile; due to the opaque nature of the container, they are protected from light and do not come into direct contact with oxygen or moisture in the air, increasing drug stability. ③ Convenient to use, avoiding gastrointestinal destruction and first-pass metabolism in the liver. ④ Can accurately control dosage with a metering valve.
Disadvantages: ① Aerosols require pressure-resistant containers, valve systems, and specialized production equipment, leading to high production costs; ② Propellants are highly volatile, causing a cooling effect, and repeated use on injured skin can cause discomfort and irritation; ③ Propellants like chlorofluorocarbons can sensitize the heart at certain concentrations in animals or humans, causing arrhythmias, making therapeutic aerosols unsuitable for patients with heart disease.