PHARMACEUTICAL LIQUID PRODUCTS: CLASSIFICATION

Introduction:

·         Most convenient to children and infants.

·         Prepared by dissolving API in aqueous or non-aqueous solvent, by suspending the drug or by incorporating drug into one of two phase.

Advantages:

·         Drug rapidly available for dissolution

·         Suitable for children, infants, geriatric and mental patient

·         For drug which produce irritation in dry form

·         Uniformity of dosage form in homogeneous solution.

·         Unpalatable drug given with flavour and mask its taste

·         Hygroscopic and deliquescent medicament not dispense in solid form so they can be formulate in liquid dosage form.

·         Color and flavour produced beneficial psychological effect on patient.

Disadvantaged:

·         Inconvenient to carry, storage and transport.

·         Stability of medicament poor as compare to solid, due to susceptibility of hydrolysis and microbial growth.

·         Incompatible drug  cannot be given

·         Every time accurate dose not taken by the patient.

·         In case of accidental breakage loss of whole product.

·         Suspension and emulsion have many problems

Liquid Preparation Classification

·         Monophasic

o   Oral use: Solution, Syrup, Elixirs, Mixtures Draught, Drop, Linctuses, Tincture, Spirit

o   External use: Liniments, collodion, Lotion

o   Parenteral Use:

o   Special use:

§  Oral cavity: Gargles, Mouth washes, Throat Paints, Glycerites, Throat spray

§  Other than oral cavity: Douches, Enemas, Ear drops, Nasal drops, Nasal spray, inhalations

·         Biphasic:

o   Liquid in Liquid:

§  Oral & Parenteral: Emulsion

§  External: Applications, Lotion, Liniment, Enema

o   solid in liquid:

§  Oral: Mixture with diffusible solids, Mixture with indiffusible solid, precipitates forming mixture

§  External: Applications, Lotion, Enemas, Inhalations, Aerosols

§  Ophthalmic and Parenteral: Eye drop and Eye lotion.

Reference: Pharmaceutics-2, Dr. G.K.Jani, B.S.Shah Prakashan