Why
do drugs come in different forms? Medications are often administered depending
on their intended target organ and mode of action, therefore if one desires a
medicine for the stomach, it makes sense to administer a tablet, which may then
immediately enter the stomach and act.
This
works if you have direct access to the desired organ, such as the stomach,
intestines (particularly the large intestine via anal suppositories), mouth (by
orally solvable pills), or skin (through ointments, lotions, etc.).
The
issue arises when you require pharmaceuticals that act on organs that you do
not have direct access to, such as the heart, brain, small intestine, pancreas,
blood, and so on.
We
use various routes of administration and special formulations for these, such
as capsules (which are not disintegrated by gastric acids and can directly go
to the small intestine where they can dissolve and initiate their actions),
buccal or dermal patches (where immediate action is desired but long-lasting
action is desired), and so on.
According to the route of action:
1.
If we require immediate treatment, we use sublingual tablets, which provide
virtually instantaneous relief in emergency situations such as heart attacks,
where nitroglycerine is administered.
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2.
If there is no emergency, the oral route is the most preferred because it is
the most comfortable and has the lowest cost, but it has other disadvantages
such as irritation of the gastric mucosa, delayed onset of arrival, and other
unwanted metabolic reactions such as drug being acted upon by intestinal
enzymes.
Tablets
(comprising a mixture of active substances and excipients, usually in powder
form, pressed or compacted from a powder into a solid dose), capsules (where
the drug is enclosed in a gel-like covering allowing it to pass through
barriers such as stomach acids and be used as anal suppositories, liquid form
of drugs can also be given as capsules), syrup (comprising a mixture of active
substances and excipients, usually in powder form ( not much difference but
some drugs are more active in liquid form, and sometimes its more comfortable
like in case of children)
3.
Topical: The likelihood of systemic adverse effects is lowered by delivering
medications practically directly to the site of action. However, skin
irritation may occur, and the dosage of some forms, such as creams or lotions,
is difficult to monitor because it is dependent on the individual administering
the lotion/cream.
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4.
Inhalation: Medication inhaled is quickly absorbed and acts both locally and
systemically. To achieve the optimal dose, proper technique with inhaler
devices is required. Certain drugs may have an unpleasant taste or cause tongue
irritation.
Inhaling
a chemical through inhalers or smoking is likely the fastest route to deliver
medications to the brain since the substance travels straight to the brain
without being diluted in the systemic circulation and the effects are more
intense. For example, cigarette smoking
5.
Infusion: Intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM), and subcutaneous (SC)
administration are all included in the word injection. Injections work quickly,
with the IV acting in 15-30 seconds, the IM acting in 10-20 minutes, and the SC
acting in 15-30 minutes.
They
also have nearly 100% bioavailability, which means that all medications are
injected directly into the system; this can be useful for drugs that are poorly
absorbed or ineffective when administered orally.
Some
drugs, such as antipsychotics, can be given as long-acting intramuscular
injections. Continuous IV infusions can be used to give medication or fluids.
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The
disadvantages of injections include the possibility of pain or discomfort for
the patient, as well as the need for skilled personnel to provide injections
utilizing aseptic practices.
FAQs Related To Why do drugs come in different
forms?
What are the different forms of drugs?
Central
nervous system (CNS) depressants, dissociative anesthetics, CNS stimulants,
hallucinogens, cannabis, narcotic analgesics, and, inhalants.
Do medicines come in different forms?
Most
drugs are available in a number of forms or formats.
Why do drugs come in different strengths?
Provide
clinicians the flexibility they need to fulfill the needs of various patients.
Why are there so many different names for each
drug?
A
specific medicine will only have one generic name. A brand or trade name. These
are the names given to drugs by the corporations that manufacture them.
Individual medications may have multiple trade names.
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Why drugs are not given in pure form?
To
guard against oxidation, hydrolysis, and reduction of the medicinal material.
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