Abstract

MEDICATED LOZENGES AS AN EASY TO USE DOSAGE FORM

Minakshi Rathod*, Sachin Poharkar, Yuvraj Pandhre, Monali Muneshwar, Sandesh Sul

Abstract

Lozenges are solid preparations that contain one or more medicaments, usually in a flavoured, sweetened base, and are intended to dissolve or disintegrate slowly in the mouth or these are medicated candy intended to be dissolved slowly in the mouth to lubricate and sooth the irritated tissues of throat. Lozenges are one of the widely used dosage forms. The benefits of the medicated lozenges is they increase the retention time of the dosage form in oral cavity which increases bioavailability, reduces gastric irritation and bypasses first pass metabolism. Lozenges provide a palatable means of dosage form administration and enjoy its position in pharmaceutical market owing to its several advantages but it suffers from certain disadvantages too. This dosage form can be adopted for local as well as systemic therapy and a wide range of active ingredient can be incorporated in them lozenges or troches are experiencing a renewed popularity as a means of delivering many different drug products. Lozenges have various advantages and disadvantages. Different types of lozenges and their methods of preparation along with ingredients used in their preparation are discussed. Drug candidates which can be incorporated in lozenges include antiseptics, local anesthetics, antibiotics, antihistamines, antitussives, analgesics, decongestants and demulcents. The selection criteria for flavouring agents are mentioned, quality control tests of lozenges have been reviewed. The present review covers more or less all aspects associated with lozenges and also throws light on the development criteria of the lozenges dosage form.

Keywords: Lozenge, medicaments, flavouring agent.