Use of DSC and TG for identification and quantification of the dosage form

Thermal analysis techniques, DSC and TG can advantageously be used in quality control of drug products.The methods are commonly used in preformulation for the study of polymorphism and for the study of the interactions drug substance-excipients, since these physical interactions can be the basis of the dosage form performance.For routine control of the drug products, DSC and TG methods which are quick, which require only few mg of the samples and which are automated, are very attractive for routine analysis of drug products. A single scan can give several qualitative and quantitative informations.DSC offer analytical possibilities only if the drug substance and the excipients do not have physical interactions or limited interactions (e.g. eutectic behaviour). About twenty marketed products have been analyzed by DSC and TG. In most of them identification of drug substance is easy. Several excipients could be identified in a tablet. Quantitations are demonstrated for some drug substances and excipients. DSC purity calculations have been applied to acetyl salicylic acid, paracetamol, cimetidine, pindolol, ibuprofen.