Selection of the Polymers Used in Oral Dispersible Films Via Analytical Hierarchy Process

Abstract

Many different active ingredients and excipients are used in the production of pharmaceutical products. Selection of the most suitable active ingredients and excipients is one of the most important stages of pharmaceutical production. When choosing the active ingredients and excipients, several factors and alternatives should be considered. In this instance, it is thought that one of the multi-criteria decision-making techniques, an operational research model, the Analytical Hierarchy Process, can assist in identifying the excipients during the pre-formulation stage. Using the Analytical Hierarchy Process, the current study seeks to identify the polymers most suitable for producing oral dispersible film formulations. The problem's criteria and potential solutions were determined before establishing the goal. Then, pairwise comparison matrices were generated, and the generated matrices were sent to the Super Decisions Version 3.2 software to reach a solution/result. The study's findings showed that the forming capacity is the most crucial factor affecting the choice of polymer to be used in the pre-formulation of oral dispersible films. Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (14.89%) was found to be the best alternative among the polymers, followed by hydroxyethyl cellulose (12.04%) and carboxymethyl cellulose (11.58%). It was revealed that the least preferred polymers were sodium alginate (5.6%) and pectin (6.8%), which are natural polymers. It is clear from the outcomes of the various pre-formulation investigations that polymer selection in oral dispersible film formulations is one of the most critical points. This study provides a new approach to selecting the most appropriate polymers in oral dispersible film formulations.