
Recently, I came across the word formulation again — a term that frequently poses challenges in pharmaceutical translation due to its context-dependent meanings. It can represent a drug product, dosage form, or even a drug development process. Let's go over each of these with definitions and examples from real texts.
Definitions in context
The Collins Online English Dictionary defines formulation as follows:
✒️ The formulation of something, such as a medicine or a beauty product, is the way in which different ingredients are combined to make it. You can also say that the finished product is a formulation.
This definition highlights two primary aspects:
- The process of manufacturing a medicinal product or developing its composition.
- The product itself.
Examples:
- There have been problems with the formulation of the vaccine.
- You can buy a formulation containing royal jelly, pollen, and vitamin C.
Wikipedia broadens the perspective:
✒️ Formulation is a term used in various senses in various applications, both the material and the abstract or formal. Its fundamental meaning is the putting together of components in appropriate relationships or structures, according to a formula. It might help to reflect that etymologically Formula is the diminutive of the Latin Forma, meaning shape.
In pharmacy, a formulation is a mixture or a structure such as a capsule, a pill, tablet, or an emulsion, prepared according to a specific procedure (called a “formula”).
Here, formulation can refer to both the product and its dosage form.
Examples:
- An in vitro dissolution method was developed to detect significant changes in formulation composition.
- Completed Phase 3 formulation.
- An immediate-release formulation for acute pain and an extended-release formulation for chronic pain.
A more detailed entry from Wikipedia specifies that:
✒️ Pharmaceutical formulation, in pharmaceutics, is the process in which different chemical substances, including the active drug, are combined to produce a final medicinal product.
This definition returns us to the manufacturing process or development of a drug product.
Examples:
- Formulation studies involve developing a preparation of the drug that is both stable and acceptable to the patient.
- A formulation team designs a drug for optimal delivery.
- With First-Line Technologies, the formulation of drugs is a fast, high-quality, and time-saving process.
Summary: Key meanings of "formulation"
From the above, we can identify four distinct meanings for formulation in pharmaceutical contexts:
- Process of manufacturing a drug product.
- Development of the drug composition.
- The finished drug product itself.
- Dosage form (e.g., tablets, capsules).
Formulation vs. composition
The word composition, while also related to the contents of a drug, typically refers to the quantitative and qualitative breakdown in the label. Meanwhile, formulation inherently carries connotations of development or manufacturing.
Formulation vs. dosage form
The term formulation frequently overlaps with dosage form, although sometimes it is hard to tell whether it refers to the dosage form or the finished product.
A dosage form refers to the physical form of a pharmaceutical product that aligns with its intended method of administration. Dosage forms include tablets, capsules, suppositories, solutions, and suspensions.
Examples:
- Tricalcium phosphate delayed-release formulation for oral insulin delivery.
- Azithromycin intravenous formulation for pelvic inflammatory disease.
Concluding thoughts
When in doubt about how to translate formulation, try replacing it with an equivalent: manufacturing process, development, dosage form, or drug product. The best fit will be your answer.
I hope this post sheds light on the nuances of translating this term. You are welcome to share additional insights, clarifications, or examples in the comments.
💡 If you are new to the pharmaceutical world, you might enjoy our series 1001 ways to say "medicine", which explains the basic terms drug, drug product, medicinal product, and others.