ABSTRACT
This chapter describes a thin film oral dosage form, of which a systemically active form has been in commercial production since 2004. The primary advantage of the thin film oral dosage form is that it does not require any liquids or dose measuring device to deliver and ingest an exact dose of an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). Thin film oral dosage forms disintegrate instantly upon contact with saliva in the oral cavity and the strength of the drug product is pre-defined by the concentration of API in the delivery system and the mass of each unit dose film. Therefore they offer a better opportunity for patient compliance for those individuals who have difficulty or even an aversion to swallowing a traditional tablet or capsule dosage form. Representative groups falling into this category are pediatric and geriatric patient populations. This chapter will discuss the virtues and advantages that make thin films the most portable and convenient oral dosage form of any available today.
