{ Medical Review Doses and Terminology Part 2

 Solid dosage forms which have been crushed to make a fine powder  Can be used internally or externally  Internally - typically mixed into a liquid to improve the taste and make it easier to swallow Powder

 Designed to be inserted into a body cavity:  Rectum  Urethra  Vagina  Designed to melt at internal body temperature (98.6F or 37C) to release medication into the body  Can provide a local effect or be absorbed into the blood stream to give systemic effect Suppositories

 Inserted into the vagina where they dissolve to provide:  Topical effect  Systemic effect Vaginal Tablets

 Provide a route for medication to those patients who cannot swallow solid dosage forms  Young  Elderly  After oral surgery  The physical properties usually differ from solid dosage forms  Can have shorter shelf life  May need to be refrigerated  May need to mask taste Liquid Dosage Forms

 Prepared by the complete dissolution of medication(s) in a suitable liquid  Can be taken internally Solutions

 Solutions that contain sugar Syrups

 Solutions that contain alcohol Tincture

 Liquids in which the medication does not completely dissolve but rather is suspended in a liquid formulation  In time, the suspended particles will settle to the bottom and must be redistributed by shaking  Bottles of suspension medications must be shaken before dispensing  A "shake well" auxiliary label should be placed on the prescription bottle  Can be taken internally or applied externally - Suspensions

 Require the addition of distilled water within the dispensing pharmacy  Stored as a powder due to the rapid deterioration of the medication when stored in the liquid form  Needs to be shaken after reconstitution and before use  Most (not all) need to be refrigerated  "Shake well" and when necessary "refrigerate" auxiliary labels should be placed on the prescription bottle Reconstituted Liquids

 Preparations containing oil and water  Oil is suspended in the water with the help of emulsifying agents  In time, the oil and water separate to form two clearly visible layers  Shaking the emulsion will redisperse the layers  Must be shaken before dispensing and a "shake well" auxiliary label placed on the patient's prescription bottle Emulsion

 Clear sweet combinations of water and alcohol  Intended for oral use Elixer

 Contains plant extracts as the active ingredient in water and/or alcohol Fluid Extracts and Tinctures

 Systems in which gas have been incorporated into a liquid and when released the entrapped gas gives the product a very light consistency Foams

 An easy method to apply medication to the scalp  Due to large amount of hair, other topical preparations are difficult to use in this area Shampoo

 Liquid preparations which dry to form a flexible film that can be removed from the skin Colloids

 Provide medication to the oral cavity  Patients are usually directed to swish and swallow or swish and spit Mouthwash/Rinse

 Sterile products administered by injection or infusion in order to bypass the gastrointestinal tract  Administration involves the use of a needle to penetrate the skin  Bypassing the skin disrupts the body's major defense against Infection; therefore, parenteral medications are prepared using aseptic technique to reduce contamination Parenteral Medications

 Placed in a nebulizer to provide topical application of medication to the respiratory tract Inhalation Solutions