Structural Biochemistry/Liquid Dosage Forms

Solutions:

are homogenous mixtures that include one or more soluble ingredients (can be a liquid, solid, or gas) dissolved in the solvent (water or water-miscible liquid).

The advantages of this dosage form is that it can be absorbed relative quickly in the gastrointestinal tract, easier to swallow so that it is usually prescribed for pediatric or geriatric doses. If drug is an external solutions form it must be carefully label.

Syrups:

this type of drug is mostly used for antibiotics, antihistamines, antitussives, and vitamins. It is defined as sweet, viscous, concentration aqueous solutions of sugar.

Elixirs:

This is probably the most widely used type of liquid dosage form because of its pleasant taste, relative stability, and ease of preparation characteristics. It is a sweetened hydroalcoholic solution in with the concentration of alcohol may vary (no more than 20%)

Tinctures:

Tinctures is another form of alcoholic or hydroalcoholic solutions like elixers but with a higher concentration of alcohol. Vegetable, animal, or chemical materials are main ingredient for this form.

Suspensions:

contains finely divided insoluble medicinal products (called internal phase) dispersed in aqueous external phase (usually contains additional flavoring agent).

Patients can take this drugs by mouth or being applied externally like lotions or be injected into the body depend on which type of suspensions was dispensed to them.

Emulsions:

Available in both internal and external preparations. Must carefully read the instruction to see if the emulsion is to be used internally or externally. This medicinal products contains water dispersed in oil (stabilized by emulsifying agent) or oil dispersed in water ( both stabilized by emulsifying agent) and microemulsion or transparent emulsion.

References

Reifman, Noah. Certification Review For Pharmacy Technicians. 9th ed. the United States of America: AuthorHouse, 2011. 61-88. Print.