Drugs are offered and used in various forms, as this allows their active ingredients to unfold optimally in the right place and at the most appropriate time.
Conventional tablets and capsules The active ingredient is absorbed in the stomach or intestines. The tablet must be taken with plenty of water so that the active substance dissolves well from its coating. Slow-release tablets release the substances more slowly over time and thus provide longer-lasting relief.
Melting tablets
This type of tablet is good for pain patients who have difficulty swallowing. They are placed on the tongue, where they dissolve quickly. The advantage of this is that part of the active ingredient already enters the bloodstream via the oral mucosa; the effect is thus faster. The rest of the dissolved tablet then acts via the stomach. Water is not required for absorption.
Effervescent tablets This type of tablet is also well suited for pain patients with swallowing difficulties. The effervescent tablet is dissolved in sufficient water and has the advantage that you do not have to swallow a tablet and the active ingredient passes the stomach faster than solid tablets.
Suppositories They are inserted via the rectum and melt at body temperature. The active ingredient is then absorbed through the mucous membrane within half an hour and unfolds its effect.
Suppositories are suitable for people with a sensitive stomach, heartburn or reflux, but also for children or babies with high fever, when it is difficult to absorb medication by mouth. Suppositories must be stored in a cool place (preferably in the refrigerator), because they consist mainly of fats.n.
Syringes The active ingredient is either injected into the bloodstream and often takes effect within seconds; or it is injected into the muscle and takes effect within about ten minutes.
As a result, the painkiller is better distributed throughout the body. Some people react with nausea and rarely with stomach irritation.
Ointments Applied to the skin, the active ingredient penetrates into deeper tissue layers and unfolds its effect exactly where it is needed.
Patch Active ingredient patches release their integrated drugs in a dosed and controlled manner on the skin and are absorbed by it; they therefore enter the blood without passing through the stomach or intestines.
Attention! It is essential to observe the dosage of active ingredient patches, as overdosage can have uncontrolled and dangerous effects. In addition to the prescription or package insert, the age and weight of the user must be taken into account. This can also lead to risks during pregnancy.
Attention! The dosage of active ingredient patches must be strictly adhered to, as overdosing can have uncontrolled and dangerous effects. In addition to the prescription or package insert, the age and weight of the user must also be taken into account. This can also lead to risks during pregnancy.
Drops and syrups In medicine and pharmacy, drugs are also administered in liquid form by mouth (peroral).
This form is usually well suited for children.
These liquid dosage forms include solutions, emulsions and suspensions. There are also powders for making suspensions and solutions. If only small amounts of the active ingredients are to be taken, they are kept aqueous and are referred to as "drops." For larger dosages, so-called "syrups" (for example, Sirupus Simplex) are better suited. Since the active ingredients often taste unpleasant in higher concentrations, syrups have a high viscosity and are kept sweet in taste. Therefore, they contain sucrose in a mass concentration of at least 45%. For reasons of shelf life, there are also powders and granules for the production of syrups.
Drugs in liquid forms have the advantage that they dissolve more rapidly in the digestive tract, allowing the effect to develop more quickly. In the case of peroral administration, the drug can also already be absorbed in the oral cavity. However, the absorption capacity of the oral mucosa is limited, which is why drugs that are effective even at very low doses are particularly suitable.
Inhaler, spray and vapor Inhalation is used in the treatment of asthma, bronchitis, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and other chronic or acute respiratory diseases, whereby aerosols or powdered drugs can be transported into the upper and lower respiratory tract.
In order to penetrate the bronchi, an active ingredient must be nebulized as finely as possible; because with coarse nebulization, it only reaches the upper respiratory tract (for example, asthma spray).
The oldest and simplest application is steam, in which pure water, or essential substances dissolved in hot water, are nebulized over the resulting water vapor (see head steam for sinusitis and bronchitis).
Globules A globule (Latin for "the globules") or scattering globules is a spherical dosage form. It is mainly used in alternative medicine, i.e. for homeopathic medicines, Bach flower therapy or Schüßler salts. Globules are available in different size types. The carrier in homeopathic globules is usually sugar; however, there are also globules made of xylitol or according to Samuel Hahnemann's recipe. Homeopathic remedies of almost all dilution levels (called "potencies" in homeopathy) are currently still denied any efficacy by mainstream medicine, as they allegedly contain no active ingredients or only trace amounts of them. The state of knowledge of many doctors is that there is currently no scientific evidence of efficacy and that these are therefore comparable to placebos. However, this is not correct, at least in the case of Arnica globules, since in some studies it could be proven by means of magnetic resonance imaging that neuropeptides in the human brain can be reactively activated when Arnica globules are administered, just as when Arnica itself is administered.
Tinctures, for example arnica tincture A tincture is an extract prepared from plant or animal raw materials by maceration or percolation. In this process, only the use of water or ethanol in a suitable concentration as the extracting agent is permitted. Other basic substances in alcoholic solution, such as iodine, are also called tincture, in this case iodine tincture.
Tinctures with only one plant or chemical ingredient are called tinctura simplex (simple tincture), while those with several dissolved substances are called tinctura composita (compound tincture).
Wraps A poultice usually refers to a cloth (but also overlays or compresses) that is placed on or wrapped around a part of the body (partial poultice) or around the body (full body poultice), whereby it was soaked with cold or tempered water or a liquid or coated with a substance. Wraps are used in traditional medical therapy as well as home remedies. Well-known examples are the neck wrap and the calf wrap. Wraps are typically applied for only a short time, usually between fifteen and sixty minutes; after all, they are not used as a bandage or plaster, but to apply active substances or to achieve physical effects through heat and cold.
Tea Tea" is the name given to a hot infusion beverage prepared from various components of plants. A distinction is made between herbal teas and fruit teas. The plant parts used are leaves, buds, flowers, fruits, stems, barks or roots, depending on the type of plant. Medicinal active ingredients in tea, just like in tablets or drops, are absorbed through the oral mucosa, the stomach and the intestines.
As a general rule, medicinal teas should not be taken for a long period of time (max. approx. 6 weeks), otherwise they can have a negative effect on the natural balance of the immune and hormonal systems. It could happen that the organs can be affected and exhausted by the active ingredients of the tea.
Thus, compared to fruit teas, a medicinal tea is not a stimulant.
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