Liquid dosage forms

1. LIQUID DOSAGE FORMS
Group 1 - DDS

2. Liquid Dosage Forms
• Liquid form of a dose of a chemical
compound used as a drug or medication intended
for administration or consumption.
• May be administered systematically by mouth or
injected, by using different techniques, into the
skin, muscles, or veins.

3. Liquid Dosage Forms
• Disadvantages:
▫ Shorter life before
expiration than other
dosage forms.
▫ More difficult to
administer
▫ Harder to measure
accurately
▫ May have special
storage requirements
• Advantages:
• Better for patients who
have trouble swallowing
• Faster absorption than
solids
• More flexibility in
achieving the proper
dosage of the
medication.

4. Types of Liquid Dosage Forms
• Otic Preparation
• Nasal Preparation
• Syrup
• Elixir
• Tinctures
• Fluid Extract
• Douche
• Enema
• Liniment
• Collodion
• Aromatic Water
• Spirit/Essences
• Mouthwash
• Gargle
• Astringent
• Antibacterial
topical solution

5. Otic Preparations
• Are products that are applied to or in the ear to
treat conditions of the external and middle ear.
• These products are used to treat dermatitis of
the ear, cerumen build up and ear infection.

6. Antipyrine Benzocaine
Otic (Auralgan)
• Dosage Strength: 54mg-14mg/ml

7. Nasal Preparations
• Are liquid, semi-solid or solid preparations
intended for administration to the nasal cavities
to obtain a systemic or local effect.
• Are as far as possible non-irritating and do not
adversely affect the functions of the mucosa and
its cilia.
• Supplied in multi-dose or single-dose containers
• With a suitable administration device.

8. Nasal Drops
• A liquid preparation intended for
intranasal administration with a medicine
dropper.
• Most frequently used for decongestion of
the nasal passages but can be used for any
other appropriate indication.

9. (Xylometazoline)
Otrivin
• Dosage Strength: 0.05%/0.1%

10. • The aim is to get the liquid to spread over all the
inside surface of the nose - including the upper
surface.

11. Advantages:
• used for the nasal delivery of a drug or drugs, either
locally to generally alleviate cold or allergy.
• Localized effect
• Convenient
• Fast effect
• “Mist”
▫ Decongestant – shrinks swollen tissues in the nose
▫ Salt-water solutions (saline) – loosen mucus, relieves
mild congestion
Nasal Spray

12. Sodium Chloride (NasoClear)
• Dosage Strength: 0.65% Saline Solution
• Tutorial on Proper Use of Nasal Spray

13. Syrups
• Are concentrated aqueous preparations of a
sugar or sugar substitute with or without
flavoring agents and medicinal substances.
• High sugar content
▫ Non medicated or flavored vehicles – syrups
containing flavoring agents but not medicinal
substances
▫ Flavored Syrups - often used as vehicles for
unpleasant tasting medications; the result is
medicated syrup

14. Advantages of Syrups
• Ability to disguise bad taste of medication
• Thick character of syrup has soothing effect on
irritated tissues of throat
• Contain little or no alcohol
• Easy to adjust the dose for a child’s weight

15. Butamirate Citrate (Sinecod Forte)
• Dosage Strength: 7.5 mg/5mL

16. Elixir
• Clear, sweetened hydro alcoholic solution
• Intended for oral use and are usually flavored to
enhance palatability.
• Usually less sweet than syrups and less viscous
▫ Non medicated elixirs – vehicles
▫ Medicated elixir – used for therapeutic effects

17. Advantages of Elixirs
• Better able to maintain both water-soluble and
alcohol-soluble components in solution
• Has stable characteristics
• Easily prepared by simple solution
• Less effective than syrups in masking taste of
medicated substances.
• Contains alcohol, accentuates saline taste of
bromides
Disadvantages of Elixirs

18. Brompheniramine Pseudoephedrine
(Dimetapp Elixir)
• Dosage Strength: 1mg/2.5mg/5mL

19. TINCTURES

20. Description
 An alcoholic or hydro-alcoholic solution prepared from
animal and vegetable sources or from chemical substances
- (USP)
 A liquid preparation produced by macerating prepared
plant material in a mixture of alcohol and water at room
temperature over a prescribed period of time, which is then
pressed and filtered to yield a fluid into which active
constituents of the herb have dissolved ( www.theherbarium.com)

21. (cont…)
 Made by soaking plant/animal material in alcohol for 72 hrs or so
 Commonly used solvent is ethanol
 Other solvent includes: (Non-alcoholic prep)
* Vinegar
* Glycerine
* Distilled water
 Used by both complementary and traditional health care providers to
relieve the discomfort and pain of the symptoms associated with
outbreaks of cold sores or fever blisters

22. (cont…)
 Can be antibacterial, antimicrobial or antiviral
 It is a topically acting drug
 May also be ingested - in support of the immune system
 Can also be an antiseptic - disinfect skin surfaces on
contact killing or reducing populations of harmful bacteria
or viruses

23. Processes involved in preparing tinctures
• Fig1. Percolation • Fig2. Maceration

24. Examples:
• Ex. Astragalus - an herb use to
stimulate the immune system
- Test tube evidence
shows that it can inhibit the
production of the virus causing
cold sores

25. (cont….)
• Ex. Lemon balm
- laboratory studies
have shown that the extract can
inhibit the ability of the herpes
simplex virus to infect cells by
limiting the amount of virus
during cold sore outbreaks

26. FLUID EXTRACT

27. Description
 A liquid preparation of a vegetable drug containing alcohol as a
solvent and preservative that contains therapeutic constituents and a
standard drug (USP)
 Fluid extracts are alcoholic extracts with a weight: volume ratio of 1:1
 Wherein, concentrated alcohol solution of a vegetable drug of such
strength that each mL contains the equivalent of 1Gm of the dry form of
the drug ( www.theherbarium.com)

28. Samples
• Ex.1 commercial fluid extract from
celery
• Ex.2 Commercial Fluid extract from
Oats

29. DOUCHES

30. Definition
 Douche = to wash or to soak
 A liquid preparation intended for the irrigative
cleansing of vagina ( Ansel’s)
 Douches are devices made up of certain douching
supplies, typically a bag and thin syringe that is placed
inside the vagina
 Douching is washing or cleaning out the vagina (birth
canal) with water or other mixtures of fluids

31. • Fig1. Vaginal douche
Video: How to use vaginal douche

32. Vaginal Douche Solution
Powders
- used to prepare solution for vaginal douche
- may be prepared and packaged in bulk and or a
unit packages
 Unit Packages : designed to contain the appropriate quantity
of powder to prepare the specified volume of douche solution
 Bulk powders : used by the teaspoonful or tablespoonful in
preparation of desired solution
* Douche powders are used for their hygienic effects and specific
therapeutic , anti-infective agents

33. Components of Douche Powders
 Boric acid or sodium borate
 Astringents
 Antimicrobials
 Quaternary ammonium compounds
 Detergents
 Oxidizing agents
 Salts
 Aromatics

34. Douche Solution Examples
Fig 2. Commercial douche solution with inserts
Povidone-iodine (Betadine
Vaginal Douche)
Dosage Strength: 0.3.%, 0.10%

35. Natural Douche
 Uses natural ingredients like water with baking soda,
vinegar, tea tree oil, yogurt and other natural
substances
 Using a natural approach might be safer , but
irritation and infection will still occur
 Douching with a natural solution will cleanse the
vagina of discharge, menstrual blood, and unpleasant
odor

36. ENEMA

37. Description
 Is the procedure of introducing liquids into
the rectum and colon via anus
Two types of Enema
 Retention Enema
 Evacuation Enema

38. Retention Enemas
 means injecting a solution into the rectum and
holding for a specific period of time so the colon can
absorb most of the solution and uses only enough
liquid to fill the rectum and the sigmoid colon
 small amounts of enema solution are used to make
it easier for the patient to hold the solution as
directed; solution is usually warmed for comfort
 Microenema – term used to describe these
small-volume preparation

39. (cont…)
 Vehicle for retention microenemas have been formulated with
small quantities of ethanol , propylene, and glycol
 Drugs such as Valproic acid, indomethacin, and metronidazole
have been formulated as microenemas for the purpose of
absorption
 Corticosteroids is administered as retention enemas or
continuous drip as adjunctive treatment of patients with
ulcerative colitis

40. Evacuation Enemas
 The injection of liquid into the rectum through the
anus for cleansing
 Stimulates bowel evacuation
 Sodium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, sodium
monohydrogen phosphate, sodium dihydogen
phosphate, glycerin, docusate potassium and light
mineral oil are used in enemas to evacuate bowel
 It is usually given at a body temperature in
quantities of 1 to 2 pt injected slowly with a syringe

41. Monobasic Sodium
Phosphate, Dibasic Sodium
Phosphate (Fleet Enema)
Dosage Strength: 19g/7g/118mL
Lactulose Solution
(Duphalac)
Dosage Strength:
10mg/15mL

43. Liniment
• also known as embrocation, is a medicated topical preparation
for application to the skin. Preparations of this type are also
called balm.
• are of a similar viscosity to lotions (being significantly less
viscous than an ointment or cream) but unlike a lotion a
liniment is applied with friction; that is, a liniment is always
rubbed in.
In John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, the Negro stable buck, Crooks, rubs it on his crooked spine to ease the
pain. In Terry Pratchett's The Wee Free Men, local witch Granny Aching is known, among other things, for the
liberal application of her home brewed Special Sheep Liniment. In Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green
Gables, Anne accidentally bakes a cake with liniment as an ingredient.

44. • Liniments are typically sold to relieve pain and stiffness, such as
from sore muscles or from arthritis.
• These liniments typically are formulated from alcohol, acetone, or
similar quickly evaporating solvents and contain counterirritant
aromatic chemical compounds such as methyl salicilate, benzoin
resin, or capsaicin.
In John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, the Negro stable buck, Crooks, rubs it on his crooked spine to ease the pain. In Terry
Pratchett's The Wee Free Men, local witch Granny Aching is known, among other things, for the liberal application of her home brewed
Special Sheep Liniment. In Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables, Anne accidentally bakes a cake with liniment as an
ingredient.

45. Methyl Salicylate, Menthol,
Camphor (Pau Liniment)
Dosage Strength:
7.47mL/7.47g/6.22
g/100mL
Methyl
Salicylate, Menthol, Eucaly
ptus Oil, Camphor (Tiger
Balm Liniment)
Dosage Strength:
38%/8%/6%/15%

46. Collodion
• is a flammable, syrupy solution of pyroxylinn ether and alcohol.
There are two basic types; flexible and non-flexible. The flexible
type is often used as a surgical dressing or to hold dressings in
place. When painted on the skin, collodion dries to form a
flexible cellulose film. While it is initially colorless, it discolors
over time. Non-flexible collodion is often used in theatrical make-
up.
• used as a topical protectant, applied to the skin to close small
wounds, abrasions, and cuts, to hold surgical dressings in place, and
to keep medications in contact with the skin.
Dorland's Medical Dictionary for Health Consumers. © 2007 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.

47. Salicylic Acid topical
(Duofilm)
Dosage Strength:
16.7g/100mL

48. Aromatic Water
• are saturated solutions (unless otherwise specified) of volatile oils or other
aromatic or volatile substances in distilled water.
• They are clear and free from solid impurities.
• They possess an odor similar to the plant or volatile substance from which
they are made, and are free from empyreumatic or foreign odors.
• should be protected from strong light and preferably stored in containers
which are stoppered with purified cotton to allow access of some air but to
exclude dust.
• it is used as a flavoring agent, solvent or as a perfumed vehicle.

50. Spirit/Essences
• sometimes known as essences, are alcoholic or hydro
alcoholic solutions of volatile substances.
• maybe solid, liquid, or gas
• used pharmaceutically as flavoring agents and medicinally
for the therapeutic value of the aromatic solute.
Remington: The Science And Practice Of Pharmacy 21st edition

51. Herbal Essences
Cointreau Orange Based
Spirit
40% alcohol content

52. Mouthwash
• a medicated liquid used for cleaning the oral
cavity and treating mucous membranes of the
mouth.
• Possess cleansing, germicidal and palliative
properties
• For some it can mask the symptoms of oral
health disease.
• Only some are approved by the ADA for
treatment of gingivitis.
• More of a “cosmetic”, but some are therapeutic.

53. Cosmetic Rinses
• Are sold as over-the-counter products
• Help remove oral debris before or after brushing
• Temporarily suppress bad breath
• Diminish bacteria in the mouth
• Refresh the mouth with a pleasant taste
• Most dentists are skeptical about the value of
over-the-counter plaque-fighting mouth rinse
products. Studies have shown that they
minimally reduce plaque.

54. Therapeutic Rinses
• May be prescribed by your dentist
• Help remove oral debris before or after brushing
• Temporarily suppress bad breath
• Diminish bacteria in the mouth
• Refresh the mouth with a pleasant taste
• Contain an added active ingredient that helps
protect against some oral diseases

55. Colgate Peroxyl Mouth Wash
Hydrogen Peroxide 1.5% w/v

56. Gargle
• a medicated solution used for gargling and
rinsing the mouth
• Has more medicated substances than
mouthrinses/mouthwash
• Mostly prescribed by dentists
• Also called oral antiseptics

57. Advantages of Gargles
• Effective in
combating oral
health diseases.
• Localized effect
• Has medicated
substances Povidone-Iodine (Betadine Oral
Antiseptic)
1% m/v 0.1% m/v/100mL
Video: Gargles

58. Astringent
• From the latin word “adstringere” or to bind fast
• Substance which causes biological tissue to
contract or draw together.
• In cosmetics, astringents are used to firm and
tone the skin, constricting the pores and creating
a protective layer of firm tissue between the
under layers of skin and the elements.
• Can also act to reduce unwanted discharge
• Applying excessively can dry the skin (especially
alcohol based astringents)

59. Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner

60. Antibacterial topical solution
• Antibacterial medications that are applied to
body surfaces
• Many are epicutaneous, but others are also
applied to surface of tissues other than the skin
• Are of low viscosity and often use water or
alcohol as base.

61. Erythromycin Topical
Solution (Staticin)
Dosage Strength: 2% w/v

62. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING 

63. References
• Ansel’s Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms and Drug Delivery
Systems, 2011
• http://wisegeek.org
• http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com
• http://quizlet.com/3360231/chapter-18-dosage-formulations-and-
administrations-flash-cards/
• http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/shubhrajit-1084468-
liquid-dosage-form/
• https://secure.jdeducation.com/JDCourseMaterial/K-
DOSAGE%20SINGLE.pdf
• http://faculty.ksu.edu.sa/3613/Documents/General%20questions%
20from%20dr[1].Omayma.pdf
• http://www.cop.ufl.edu/wp-
content/uploads/dept/ce/pharm_tech/slidehandouts/routes,formu
lations.pdf