TYPES OF DRUG PREPARATION

1) Aerosol spray or foam – a liquid, powder or foam deposited in a thin layer on the skin by air pressure.

2) Aqueous solution – one or more drugs dissolved in water

3) Aqueous suspension – one or more drugs finely divided in a liquid such as water

4) Caplet – a solid form, shaped like a capsule, coated and easily swallowed

5) Capsule – a gelatinous container to hold a drug in powder, liquid or oil form

6) Cream – a non-greasy, semisolid preparation used on the skin

7) Elixir – a sweetened and aromatic solution of alcohol used as a vehicle for medicinal agents

8) Extract – a concentrated form of a drug made from vegetables or animals

9) Gel or jelly – A clear or translucent semisolid that liquefies when applied to the skin

10) Liniment – a medication mixed with alcohol, oil or soapy emollient and applied to the skin

11) Lotion – a medication in a liquid suspension applied to the skin

12) Lozenge (troche) – a flat, round or oval preparation that dissolves and releases a drug when held in the mouth.

13) Ointment (salve, unction) – a semisolid preparation of one or more drugs used for application to the skin and mucous membrane

14) Paste – a preparation like an ointment, but thicker and stiff, that penetrates skin less than an ointment

15) Pill – one or more drugs mixed with a cohesive material, in oval, round or flattened shapes

16) Powder – a finely ground drug or drugs; some are used internally, others externally

17) Suppository – one or several drugs mixed with a firm base such as gelatin and shaped for insertion into the body (e.g. the rectum); the base dissolves gradually at body temperature, releasing the drug

18) Syrup – an aqueous solution of sugar often used to disguise unpleasant tasting drugs

19) Tablet – a powdered drug compressed into a small hard disc, some are readily broken along a scored line, others are enteric coated to prevent them from dissolving in the stomach

20) Tincture – an alcoholic or water-and-alcohol solution prepared from drugs derived from plants

21) Transdermal patch – a semi-permeable membrane shaped in the form of a disc or patch that contains a drug to be absorbed through the skin over a long period of time