MODERN PHARMACEUTICAL TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF PEDIATRIC DOSAGE FORMS

Abstract

Pediatric patients represent a special population in pharmaceutical practice because physiological development, body weight, organ maturation, swallowing ability, taste preferences, and pharmacokinetic characteristics change considerably throughout childhood. Consequently, medicines developed primarily for adults cannot always be administered safely or conveniently to children. The development of appropriate pediatric dosage forms is therefore an important area of modern pharmaceutical technology. An effective pediatric formulation should provide accurate dosing, acceptable palatability, adequate chemical and physical stability, appropriate drug release, and ease of administration. This article reviews modern pharmaceutical technologies used in the development of pediatric dosage forms. Particular attention is given to oral liquid formulations, orally disintegrating tablets, mini-tablets, multiparticulate systems, modified-release formulations, orodispersible dosage forms, transdermal systems, and emerging technologies such as three-dimensional printing.