Abstract: Many active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) exhibit poor solubility and low dissolutionrates in aqueous environments such as the luminal fluids of the gastrointestinal tract. The oralbioavailability of these compounds is usually very low as a result of their poor solubility properties.In order to improve the bioavailability of these poorly soluble drugs, formulation strategies havebeen applied as a means to improve their aqueous solubility and dissolution rates. With respect toformulation approaches, excipients can be incorporated in the formulation to assist in the dissolutionprocess of the drug, or specialized dosage forms can be formulated that improve dissolution ratethrough various mechanisms. This paper provides an overview of selected excipients (e.g., alkalinizingagents, surfactants and sugars) that can be used in formulations to increase the dissolution rate as wellas specialized dosage forms such as self-emulsifying delivery systems and formulation techniquessuch as inclusion complexes and solid dispersions. These formulation approaches are discussedwith available examples with specific reference to positive outcomes in terms of drug solubility andbioavailability enhancement