Principles of physical pharmacy

• Physical pharmacy is a branch of pharmaceutical science

that focuses on the physical and chemical properties of
drugs and drug delivery systems. It involves the study of
how drugs interact with their environment, including the
human body, and how these interactions affect drug
efficacy, safety, and stability.
• It is a discipline in advanced pharmaceutical science and
technology that involves the study of the physical and
chemical properties of drugs and the mechanisms of drug
action.
• It deals with the principles and methodologies involved in
the formulation and design of drug products, along with the
delivery of active pharmaceutical ingredients to target
sites in the body.
• It plays a role in quality control, ensuring that drug
products are manufactured to specifications that meet
regulatory standards.
 physicochemical phenomena
Solubility Colloids

Diffusion Adsorption

Vapour pressure Chromatography

Surface tension Rheology- viscosity

dialysis Properties of gels,suspensions,

Aerosols

Osmotic pressure Melting and solidification

Buffer action Surface properties of powders

Ionization Electrolysis
Importance of physical chemistry in
pharmacy
• In manufacturing drug: Large-scale manufacturing pharmacy
employs physico-chemical processes such as evaporation,
distillation and drying. By changing these parameters, A drug can
be made cost effectively.

• Purification of active principles by adsorption: Carbon was used

to purify penicillin before. Now, Chromatographic separation is
also used in the research laboratory for the purification of highly
active substance.

• Drug solubility and dissolution: Poor solubility and slow dissolution

are common problems in drug development that can limit drug
efficacy and bioavailability. Study of Physical pharmacy is needed
to develop strategies to enhance drug solubility and dissolution,
such as the use of solubilizing agents, particle size reduction, and
the development of prodrugs.
Importance of physical chemistry in
pharmacy
• Drug stability: Factors that can affect drug stability include
temperature, humidity, light, and pH. Study of Physical pharmacy is
needed to develop drug formulations that enhance drug stability,
such as the use of stabilizing agents, controlled-release
formulations, and lyophilization.
• To develop new and improved drug delivery systems: For example,
transdermal drug delivery systems are convenient and
non-invasive, but they are limited by poor skin permeability.
Physical pharmacy researchers are developing new transdermal
delivery systems, such as microneedle patches and iontophoresis
that enhance skin permeability and drug delivery.
• https://www.rroij.com/open-access/the-critic
al-role-of-physical-pharmacy-in-drug-develop
ment-and-patient-care.pdf
• https://www.nature.com/articles/162789a0