Medication Dosage Forms

The term dosage form can also sometimes refer only to the chemical formulation of a drug product's constituent drug substance(s) and any blends involved, without considering matters beyond that (like how it's ultimately configured as a consumable product such as a capsule, patch, etc.). Because of the somewhat vague boundaries and unclear overlap of these terms and certain variants and qualifiers thereof within the pharmaceutical industry, caution is often advisable when conversing with someone who may be unfamiliar with another person's use of the term.

Depending on the method/route of administration, dosage forms come in several types. These include many kinds of liquid, solid, and semisolid dosage forms. Common dosage forms include pill, tablet, or capsule, drink or syrup, and natural or herbal form such as plant or food of sorts, among many others. Notably, the route of administration (ROA) for drug delivery is dependent on the dosage form of the substance in question. A liquid dosage form is the liquid form of a dose of a chemical compound used as a drug or medication intended for administration or consumption.

A 1999 Food and Drug Administration Draft Guidance for Industry states: "A dosage form is the way of identifying the drug in its physical form. In determining dosage form, FDA examines such factors as (1) physical appearance of the drug product, (2) physical form of the drug product prior to dispensing to the patient, (3) the way the product is administered, (4) frequency of dosing, and (5) how pharmacists and other health professionals might recognize and handle the product."

Liquid Medication Dosage Forms
Solutions	Aqueous (water-based)
	Gargles
	Oral Rinses
	Washes & Mouthwashes
	Douches
	Irrigants
	Enemas
	Sprays
Viscous (thick) aqueous	Syrups
	Jellies
Hydroalcoholic	Elixirs
	Spirits
Alcoholic	Collodions
	Spirits
Glycerites
Extractives	Extracts
	Tinctures
Emulsions	Fluidextracts
	Oil-in-Water
Suspensions	Magmas & Milks
	Gels
	Mucilages

Solid Medication Dosage Forms
Tablets
Compressed	Suger-coated
	Film-coated
	Enteric-coated
Sublingual
Buccal
Effervascent
Chewable
Vaginal
Capsules	Hard gelatin
	Soft gelatin
Lozenges
Supporites	Rectal
	Vaginal
	Urethral
Semisolids	Oinments
	Creams
	Pastes

Miscellaneous Medication Dosage Forms
Poweders
Granules
Inhalants
Aerosols
Shampoos & crème rinses
Wipes & scrubs
Transdermal patches
Implants

Dosage Forms	Description
Capsules	Capsules are composed of a gelatin container. Caplet dosage forms are related closely to tablets, but they are smooth sided and are therefore easier to swallow.
Lozenges & Troche	Lozenges and troches are other forms of tablets that are not meant to be swallowed but to dissolve in the mouth, which releases the medication more slowly. Troches are larger than normal-size tablets and are flat: they usually have a chalky consistency in order to dissolve in the mouth.
Patches	Patches are solid pieces of material that hold a specific amount of medication to be released into the skin over time.
Liquids	Liquids are composed of various solutions.
	Syrups are sugar-based solutions that have medication dissolved into them.
	Elixirs contain dissolved medication in an alcohol base or water and alcohol base.
	Sprays are composed of various bases such as alcohol or water in a pump dispenser.
	Inhalants and aerosols need to be able to get medication directly to the source of inflammation.
	Emulsions are a mixture of water and oil may be used with an emulsifier to bind the two together.
	Suspensions are liquids that have very small, solid particles suspended in the base solution.
	Enemas may be administered for two different reasons-retention or evacuation.
Semisolids	Semisolids contain solids and liquids, they normally are meant for topical application.
	Creams usually have medications in a base that is part oil and part water and is meant for topical or local use.
	Lotions are thinner than creams because their base contains more water. They penetrate well into the skin and do not leave an oily residue after application.
	Ointments contain medication in a glycol or oil base. Ointments can be used rectally, topically and as an ophthalmic agent.
	Gels contain medication in a viscous liquid that easily penetrates the skin and does not leave a residue.
	Pastes contain a lesser amount of liquid base than solids. They are used for topical application and are able to ab sorb skin secretions, unlike other topical agents.
	Suppositories can be used rectally and vaginally.
	Powders do not fit neatly into semisolids. Powders are solids, yet they are packaged in some forms that allow them to be sprayed similar to liquid dosage forms.
	Injectables are used for rapid response. The onset of an injectable drug only takes a few minutes as opposed to the 45 minutes that oral medications can take to work.