ADVANCED PHARMACEUTICAL FORMULATIONS - 2025/6

Module Overview

The purpose of this module is to provide students with the most up-to-date knowledge and advanced understanding of the conceptual frameworks underpinning pharmaceutical formulations. In this module, a wide range of formulation approaches will be presented and discussed. Examples are the use of nanoparticles, microneedles, and transdermal patches as modes of delivery of APIs. Use of less traditional routes of drug administration such as buccal, transdermal, and pulmonary drug delivery systems. Development of novel medical devices. The module will also emphasise and demonstrate the vital use of computer modelling and artificial intelligence (AI) in the development of novel dosage forms to enhance the effectiveness of medications.

Module provider

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Module Leader

ANTONIJEVIC Milan (Chst Chm Eng)

Number of Credits: 30

ECTS Credits: 15

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

N/A

Module content

The module will cover material taken from the following subjects:

 

A sound base of knowledge of the delivery of active ingredients will cover established final dosage forms, such as fast-disintegrating tablets, sustained-release tablets, the development of liquid formulations, capsules, and inhalation delivery systems. Packaging types and materials, including the selection of appropriate packaging for a specific product.

 

Development of formulation for drug delivery and medical devices which will include but will not be limited to the following topics: fundamentals of transdermal delivery, essential formulation considerations for topical delivery, nanoparticles for controlled drug delivery, advanced medical devices for effective delivery, application of modelling and AI for formulation design and delivery.

Current strategies for enhancing drug solubility. Polymorphism, co-crystals, amorphous and co-amorphous APIs, their generation and characterisation.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate that they have successfully met the learning outcomes of the module.

 

  Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

 

• Laboratory report 1, formulate, test and evaluate a range of dosage forms (addresses learning outcomes: 1, 2, and 3)


• In-class test covering the range of material related to formulation science and innovative drug delivery discussed in lectures and tutorials. The in-class test will be designed to test their knowledge (understanding, applications and problem-solving) of the material presented (addresses learning outcomes: 1, 3 and 4)


• Laboratory report 2, collect, interpret, critically analyse and present the modelling and experimental data related to attended laboratory sessions this report must be on a different technique than the one used for laboratory report 1 (addresses learning outcomes: 1 and 2)


• In-class test covering the range of material related to other advanced formulation contents such as nanoparticles, and digital technologies discussed in lectures and tutorials. The in-class test will be designed to test their knowledge (understanding, applications and problem-solving) of the material presented (addresses learning outcomes: 1, 2 and 4)

 

Formative assessment:

Informal formative assessment is conducted throughout the module during laboratory sessions, tutorials and online where students have the opportunity to engage in a variety of activities and to receive both peer and tutor feedback, with the aim of allowing students to assess their progress week by week.

 

Feedback:

Feedback and feedforward on summative assignments will be provided via SurreyLearn. This will indicate what students did well, less well, and what they need to do to improve in the future and will relate both to issues specific to the module and to transferable skills. Formative feedback will be provided throughout the module through in-class discussions and activities, and tutorials.

Module aims

• ¿ Develop the necessary knowledge and skills pertinent to the development of novel formulations.
• ¿ Enable students to identify the advantages and challenges of different formulation strategies and to use that knowledge to recommend administration routes for different groups of APIs.
• ¿ Engage students with the preparation and characterisation of formulations.
• ¿ Equip students with a systematic understanding of the principles of modelling and AI for formulation design.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

• Enable students to develop knowledge, skills, and critical thinking in relation to the latest development in the formulation and drug delivery through lectures, tutorials, laboratory sessions, study examples, videos, active learning/discussion sessions, and online resources.


• Equip students with innovative and creative skills in formulation sciences and engineering.


• To maximise learning by encouraging students to be actively engaged in critical evaluation, decision-making, negotiation, evaluation of information, and the application of theory to practice, to address challenges and solve problems faced by pharmaceutical scientists.

The main paradigms of this module are learning by doing or a hands-on teaching approach and research-informed teaching. A significant proportion of the learning time will be in industrial-like settings. Students will learn the latest pharmaceutical advances, in tandem with the latest research in the research theme and health and formulation. Students will have the opportunity to learn and work with researchers to gain hands-on knowledge. Furthermore, the learning and teaching strategy is designed to develop student’s confidence and competence in working with others, digital capabilities, leadership, teamwork, communication skills, employability, and professionalism.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: CHEM042

Other information

Surrey's Curriculum Framework is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module is designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills, and capabilities in the following area:

 

Employability: This module allows students to develop their understanding of the latest technologies and advancements in pharmaceutical formulations. This will hold clear benefits in relation to their employability as they progress to their employment or the year in the industry. Transferable skills will be addressed as the module allows students to further practice wider attributes that will be attractive to employers in this field. The focus of the assessment strategy will help to prepare students for being agile in the workplace because it will equip them with the latest in development in the wider context of formulation design and delivery.

 

Sustainability: Students will develop their appreciation, understanding and critical thinking through the use of suitable formulation, computer/AI aided formulation design, evaluation and delivery that reduced the lengthy experiment and thus minimized energy consumption when a new formulation is designed and tested.

 

Digital skills: Students will be exposed to advanced computer modelling and AI. Giving students hands-on experience with these systems will help them develop digital skills with industry-standard software. In addition, wherever possible remote access will be implemented so that students will have similar access to instruments as if they are based in the industry. The laboratory reports will provide the opportunity to deliver a fully formatted technical report, applying transferrable skills in digital production.

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.