Novel types of oral dosage forms | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dosage form | Formulation characteristics | Likely to be used from | Main (user) advantages | Main (user) disadvantages | |
Medicated spoon that forms oral pulp | Immediate release† | Probably 4–6 months | Easy to swallow Easy handling | Various strength may be required Need for clean water by patient | 20 |
Multiple scored tablet | IMMEDIATE release† | 1 month | As tablet but
| As tablet but
| 34 |
Milk-based oral liquid formulation | Immediate release† | (Term) birth | As liquid formulation | As liquid formulation, but
| 35 |
Nipple-shield drug delivery device | Immediate release† | (Term) birth | For use in breastfed children only | 36 | |
Robot system using microencapsulated drug | Immediate† or modified‡ release | 6 months, possibly younger | As for granules, but
| Cost only acceptable if adopted on a wide scale | 37 |
*Recommendations on age are based on the reflected literature, considerations of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) guideline on the pharmaceutical development of medicines for paediatric use16 and expert knowledge of marketing authorisations.
†Immediate release administration implies the general disadvantage that dosing frequencies may be high. Although not intended, immediate release formulations may normally be chewed, crumbled or crushed. However, this may affect taste.
‡Modified release administration implies the general advantage that dosing frequencies may be reduced. Depending on the type of modified release, these formulations may sometimes be chewed or crumbled; however, they may never be crushed to powder.