46193 - Pharmaceutical Technology

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student:

- acquires the skills to transform a drug into a pharmaceutical form that can be administered to the patient;

- possesses the fundamental knowledge related to the design of solid (powders, granules, capsules and tablets), semi-solid (ointments, creams, gels and pastes) and liquids  (solutions, colloidal dispersions, suspensions and emulsions) pharmaceutical forms and their preparation technologies;

- is able to formulate a  medicine in relation to the chemical-physical properties of the drug, the route of administration and the needs of the patient;

- knows the main technological assays for the quality control of the medicinal product in accordance with current legislation.

Course contents

Module 1: Prof. Nadia Passerini (36 hours)

Definition of medicines, excipients and dosage forms. Principles of biopharmaceutics. Particle size and powders technology: powder properties; particle size reduction; mixing. Solid dosage form design, preparation and testing: Powders; Granules; Tablets; Hard and soft shell capsules; Suppositories and pessaries.

Module 2: Prof. Beatrice Albertini (28 hours)

Liquid dosage form desing, preparation and testing: Solutions; Disperse systems: interfacial phenomena, rheology, emulsions, suspensions; syrups. Topical preparations. Ophthalmic preparations. Nasal preparations. Parenteral products.

Readings/Bibliography

- Principi di Tecnologie Farmaceutiche. P. Colombo et al., Casa Editrice Ambrosiana.

- Aulton’s Pharmaceutics- The design and manufacture of medicines, Sixth Edition (2022), Elsevier

Teaching methods

Lectures in italian

Assessment methods

Oral exam

Office hours

See the website of Nadia Passerini

See the website of Beatrice Albertini