Pharmaceutics

Pharmaceutics is the discipline of pharmacy that deals with the process of turning a new chemical entity (NCE) or an existing drug into a medication to be used safely and effectively by patients.^[1] The patients could be either humans or animals. Pharmaceutics helps relate the formulation of drugs to their delivery and disposition in the body.^[2] Pharmaceutics deals with the formulation of a pure drug substance into a dosage form.

Description

Pharmaceutics is also called the science of dosage form design. There are many chemicals with pharmacological properties, but need special measures to help them achieve therapeutically relevant amounts at their sites of action.^[2]

Branches

Branches of pharmaceutics include:

History

Pharmaceutics deals with the formulation of a pure drug substance into a dosage form. Pure drug substances are usually white crystalline or amorphous powders. Before the advent of medicine as a science, it was common for pharmacists to dispense drugs as is. Most drugs today are administered as parts of a dosage form. The clinical performance of drugs depends on their form of presentation to the patient.^[3] Of prescription drug products approved for marketing yearly in United States, most pharmaceutical manufacturers are located outside of the United States.^[4]

Education

Pharmaceutics is a specialization in the field of pharmacy. Typically, Master of Pharmacy postgraduates can choose to continue studies in this field towards a PhD degree. In a study surveying over 20,000 American adults, 62.3% reported medication use.^[5] In 2025, prescription drug spending in the U.S. cost $915 billion^[6] and made up eleven percent of the cost in health care.^[7] The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) maintains control of the advertising of prescription drugs; patent protection grants new drug molecules 20 years of patent exclusivity, which prohibits generic manufacturers from creating bioequivalent products during this period. Fifty-five percent of the FDA budget is authorized medication.^[8]

References

↑ Aulton, Michael E.; Taylor, Kevin (2013). Aulton's Pharmaceutics: The Design and Manufacture of Medicines. Elsevier Health Sciences. ISBN 978-0-7020-4290-4.
1 2 "What is Pharmaceutics? | Pharmaceutics". Sop.washington.edu. Archived from the original on 2013-08-23. Retrieved 2013-08-26.
↑ Rhodes, Gilbert S. Banker, Christopher T. (24 May 2002). Modern Pharmaceutics, 1 (5th ed.). Hoboken: Informa Healthcare. ISBN 0824744691. OCLC 52634365. Archived from the original on 24 February 2022.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
↑ Raghavendran, Vimala; Duman, Erkan (5 June, 2026). "India and the U.S. Manufacture the Most Finished Medications for the U.S. Market". The United States Pharmacopeia (USP). Retrieved 30 September, 2026. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |access-date= and |date= (help)
↑ Green, Jody L.; Dailey-Govoni, Taryn; Kalidindi, Sita D.; Vosburg, Suzanne K. (2026-02-16). "Prevalence of Over-the-Counter and Prescription Medication Use in the US". JAMA Network Open. 9 (2): e2559479. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.59479. ISSN 2574-3805. PMC 12910390. PMID 41697701.
↑ "U.S. Prescription Drug Spending Poised to Cross $1 Trillion, With Weight Loss Drugs Driving Historic Growth in 2025". American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) NewsCenter. 30 April, 2026. Retrieved 30 September, 2026. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |access-date= and |date= (help)
↑ "Prescription Drug Spending". U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). 28 April 2021. Retrieved 30 September, 2026. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
↑ Garness, Kamille (September 12, 2019). "The Challenge of High Drug prices in America". American Health & Drug Benefits. 12 (5): 254–255. PMC 6979044. PMID 32015793.

External links

Media related to Pharmaceutics at Wikimedia Commons
Excipient selection for injectable / parenteral formulations

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[1] Aulton, Michael E.; Taylor, Kevin (2013). Aulton's Pharmaceutics: The Design and Manufacture of Medicines. Elsevier Health Sciences. ISBN 978-0-7020-4290-4.

[washington1-2] 1 2 "What is Pharmaceutics? | Pharmaceutics". Sop.washington.edu. Archived from the original on 2013-08-23. Retrieved 2013-08-26.

[3] Rhodes, Gilbert S. Banker, Christopher T. (24 May 2002). Modern Pharmaceutics, 1 (5th ed.). Hoboken: Informa Healthcare. ISBN 0824744691. OCLC 52634365. Archived from the original on 24 February 2022.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[4] Raghavendran, Vimala; Duman, Erkan (5 June, 2026). "India and the U.S. Manufacture the Most Finished Medications for the U.S. Market". The United States Pharmacopeia (USP). Retrieved 30 September, 2026. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |access-date= and |date= (help)

[5] Green, Jody L.; Dailey-Govoni, Taryn; Kalidindi, Sita D.; Vosburg, Suzanne K. (2026-02-16). "Prevalence of Over-the-Counter and Prescription Medication Use in the US". JAMA Network Open. 9 (2): e2559479. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.59479. ISSN 2574-3805. PMC 12910390. PMID 41697701.

[6] "U.S. Prescription Drug Spending Poised to Cross $1 Trillion, With Weight Loss Drugs Driving Historic Growth in 2025". American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) NewsCenter. 30 April, 2026. Retrieved 30 September, 2026. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |access-date= and |date= (help)

[7] "Prescription Drug Spending". U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). 28 April 2021. Retrieved 30 September, 2026. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |access-date= (help)

[8] Garness, Kamille (September 12, 2019). "The Challenge of High Drug prices in America". American Health & Drug Benefits. 12 (5): 254–255. PMC 6979044. PMID 32015793.

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