Basics: Hollow-type Suppositories

Suppositories have not gained the level of acceptability, respect, and usage as most other dosage forms. Rectal administration is not often the first route of choice, but it becomes a good alternative when the oral route is inadvisable. Much work has been conducted in recent years on suppositories as a dosage form, as evidenced by the literature citations on suppository or suppositories. Although suppositories are not very popular as a mode of administering drugs, this dosage form will probably always have a place in medicine. Newer specialty suppository dosage forms have been developed to introduce drugs into the body, including the hollow-type suppository. Hollow-type suppositories have been investigated as a new dosage form that can be used for various purposes including but not limited to 1) enhancing the bioavailability of a drug, 2) slowing down or speeding up its onset of action, and 3) increasing or decreasing its duration of action. The flexibility of hollow-type suppositories may provide compounding pharmacists additional options for patients in the future. The purpose of this article is to provide a review of the characteristics and applications of hollow-type suppositories in both research and clinical situations.