| With the increase in the demand for new and more | | | | Generally, the complicated process should always start |
| effective drug medications, a number of companies | | | | with the pre-formulation screening process to |
| have emerged to provide third-party services to the | | | | determine the mechanical, physical and chemical |
| pharmaceutical industry in an effort to make the | | | | properties of the drug. After this step comes the |
| complex process of drug formulation development | | | | formulation development itself wherein the formulator |
| faster and easier. Most pharmaceutical companies | | | | would have to check on important attributes of the |
| have resorted to outsourcing such important and | | | | drug such as the acidity, solubility, the size of the |
| difficult processes to qualified and expert formulators. | | | | particle and polymorphism, and how each of these can |
| The process is done to determine the best form that | | | | affect the drug’s bioavailability. |
| a certain drug should take, whether it should be in | | | | Good providers of drug formulation should offer all the |
| capsule, IV or tablet; and the form of a drug depends | | | | essential steps in determining the right drug form, |
| on the market that is being targeted. For example, if it | | | | including solubility studies, dissolution rate, solubility |
| is geared toward clinics and hospitals, it is most likely | | | | optimization, and compatibility studies, as well as the |
| that the formulator would take the IV or intravenous | | | | pre-formulation drug characterization and a series of |
| form. Meanwhile, if it’s geared toward outpatient | | | | tests on the physical and chemical stability of the drug. |
| medications, a tablet or capsule form will be much | | | | Each provider should make use of a systematic |
| better. This, however, is just a preconceived idea, and | | | | approach in order to solve various issues that are |
| extensive research and study remain the best ways | | | | involved in the drug formulation development. |
| to determine the right form that a drug should take. | | | | |