In medical terminology, pharmaceutical formulations refer
to the process in which various kinds of chemical substances and active
drugs are combined to produce a final medicinal product. The pharmaceutical
formulations process involves the entire process of a how a drug is
developed and how it is finally accepted by the patient. For orally taking
drugs, the drug is in the form of a tablet or capsule, including syrups,
ointments, vaccines. While preparing any tablet or capsule, not only should
it comprise the required drug but also variety of other substances.
Formulations ensure that the drug is compatible with these other substances.
In the pharmaceutical drug formulations, the different physical, chemical,
and mechanical properties of a drug are considered so as to know what other
ingredients should be used in the preparation. The various factors like
polymorphism, particle size, pH, and solubility are all considered while
formulating the drug, besides considering the appearance of the tablet.
Let us discuss the various pharmaceutical finished formulations which are
classified as follows: