TABLET

The pharmaceutical tablet can be defined as a solid oral dosage form or solid unit
dosage form. It contains a mix of active substances with pharmaceutical excipients.
Any substance apart from the active ingredient can be classified as an excipient.

 CLASSIFICATION

The various types of tablets along with their properties will be discussed here.

 A compressed form of tablets

It is one of the predominant forms of tablets that have been widely used clinically. It
is used to provide therapeutic agents in a coated or uncoated state. This type of
tablet has rapid disintegration in the gastric fluid once ingested. It allows a rapid
release of the drug entity and then absorption of the dosage takes place in the body.
 They are created by compressing the powder, crystalline or granular substances into
the required geometrical shape. This is done by applying high pressures and using
steel punches. Other than Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (aka API). It contains
excipients (disintegrants, lubricants, binders, etc.) and miscellaneous components
(colorants and flavorings).

Example – paracetamol 500 mg

 Sugar-coated type of tablets

They are compacted tablets with a concentrated sugar solution coating.This is done

1. To enhance the patient’s compliance

2. To give an elegant appeal
3. To increase the stability of the tablet
4. To modify the release of therapeutic agents

Sugar-coated tablets are less prevalent nowadays due to high operating costs, size
and weight increases, and high shipping costs.
 BP 200mg dried ferrous sulphate and BP 200mg Advil – Ibuprofen tablet are such
examples.

 Film-coated types of tablets

They are conventional tablets that are coated with a thin layer of polymer (like
hydroxyl methylcellulose or hydroxypropyl cellulose) or a mix of polymers. These
polymers form a thin or skin-like film around the tablet. These films are colored. The
film adds an advantage to the tablet by making it more durable, and less bulky, and
costumes take less time to apply. The film coating is designed in such a way that it
breaks down and releases the core of the table to the targeted gastrointestinal tract.

Example – valsartan 320 mg

 Effervescent type of tablets

They are a type of uncoated tablets. It embodies organic acids (like tartaric acid and
citric acid) and sodium bicarbonate is added with the API. In the presence of water, it
reacts vigorously and liberates carbon dioxide. Effervescent tablets are created by
 compressing granular effervescent salts (like organic acid and bicarbonate) along
with the API.

Example – Novartis ( aka Ca C1000 Sandoz effervescent tablet)

 Enteric-coated type of tablet

These tablets are compressed with delayed-release characteristics. It has a polymer

coating (cellulose acetate phthalate or hydroxypropylmethylcellulose succinate).
Hence, it resists the gastric solution but is capable of disintegrating and allows
absorption in the intestine.

Enteric-coated tablets are used when the drug entity is inactive or destroyed by the
gastric acid.

Examples – Lofnac 100 – Diclofenac sodium and Ecotrin tablets and caplets

 Chewable type of tablets

These tablets are bigger compared to the other types. It is difficult to swallow and
therefore has to be chewed. They are administered to adults and children who have
difficulty swallowing the conventional tablets.
 Examples – Danacid (compound magnesium trisilicate tablet) and Gestid (tasty
chewable antacid)

 Sublingual and buccal types of tablet

They are flat, small, oval-shaped tablets that are capable of dissolving in the buccal
cavity and beneath the tongue. They can be rapidly absorbed into the systemic
circulation.

Example – glyceryl trinitrate sublingual tablets

1. Lozenges type of tablet

Lozenges are slow dissolving compressed tablets that do not contain a disin-tegrant.
Some lozenges contain antiseptics (e.g., benzalkonium) or antibiotics for local
effects in the mouth. Lozenges are also used for systemic effect, such as those
containing vitamin supplements. Lozenges are palatable and organo-leptically
appealing by the addition of flavors, sweeteners, and colors.
Example – Strepsils

2. Immediate release tablets

Most tablets (discussed earlier) are immediate release (IR) tablets, that is, they make
all the drugs available to the dissolution medium immediately on coming in contact
with the aqueous medium. The drug dissolves at a rate determined by the
composition of the dissolution medium (such as pH) and physicochemical properties
of the drug (such as solubility and particle size).

Example – Clarinex RediTabs

3. Controlled release tablets

In contrast to the IR tablets, certain dosage forms, such as controlled-release (CR)

or extended-release (XR) tablets, are designed to control or extend, respectively, the
rate at which drug dissolves in the aqueous medium. Thus, CR tablets reduce the
rate of drug release to a slow, controlled rate, which is typically zero order. XR
tablets, on the other hand, extend the duration of drug release by slowing down the
rate of drug release but may not have control on the rate (i.e., may not provide zero-
order kinetics of drug release). CR or XR tablets are sometimes also called SR
tablets.

Ex ample – ZCLO-SR

Advantages and disadvantages of tablets

Advantages of Tablet:
 Tablets are easy to administer, which means it's easy to swallow.
 Greatest dose precision and the least content variability.
 A sustained-release product is possible by various techniques.
 Objectionable odor and bitter taste can be masked by various techniques .
 Tablets are suitable for large-scale production.
 Packaging and handling are easiest and cheapest than other dosage forms.
 Greatest chemical and microbial stability overall oral dosage form.
 Product identification is easy and rapid requiring no additional steps
When employing an embossed and/or monogrammed punch face.
Disadvantages of Tablet:

 Tablets are not suitable for those patient's who lying on the bed or in
unconscious state.

 Children or some elderly can't swallow tablets properly, it's also a

disadvantage.

 Drugs with poor wetting and slow dissolution properties may be difficult or
impossible to formulate and manufacture as a tablet that will provide adequate
of full drug bioavailability.

 Bitter tasting drugs with an objectionable odor or drugs that are sensitive to
oxygen may require encapsulation entrapment prior to compression or the
tablets may require coating. In such cases, the capsule may offer the best and
lowest cost approach.

 Patients with vomiting and diarrhoea cannot take it or absorb it.

 Some drugs cause gastric irritation when they are given in the tablet form.

 Method of preparation of preparation:

There is three methods of preparation of tablets:

1. Dry Granulation Method

2. Wet Granulation Method

3. Direct Compression Method

Before going to understand in detail of these three methods of tablet

preparation, you must have clear knowledge of granulation technique.
 Granulation Method

We can say that granulation is a technique to make adhere(or sticking) of

small particles of ingradients by bond togerther to form a large aggregates.
This aggregates or small lumbs are called as granules.

 Dry Granulation Method

Dry granulation method is that method of tablet preparation, where no liquid is

used for the preparation of granules.

In this method dry powders are compressed by Slugging method or Roller

compaction mehod.

 Slugging Method

This is a method where drug and excipient powder perticles are compressed
by tablet pressing machine. Then the slug is formed after that breaks the
slugs and create granules (most commonly used Hammer mill).

 Roller compaction mehod

 In this method mixed powder (API + excipient) crush between two counter
rotating rollers to form a compressed and flat sheet, these sheets are break
into flakes and finally the flask are broken into granules.

 Limitation of Dry Granulation Method

 Require heavy duty equipment

 Process of dry granulation causes dust which might cause contamination

 Tablet formulated by this method are tend to be soft so breaking of tablet can
be the problem

 Wet Granulation Method

This is the most widely method used in Pharmaceutical Industry and granules
are produced by messing of API and excipient with a suitable solvent with or
without the addition of binder. Dough is formed and screening of wet mass
(dough) is done by using a suitable sieve. Then the granules are dried in
oven.
 Granules are ready to convert into tablet.

 Limitation of Wet Granulation Method

 Time consuming method

 Not suitable for moisture sensitive ingredients

 Not suitable for heat sensitive ingredients

 Direct Compression Method

In this method the API and excipient are mixed and compressed directly there
is no need.
 Basically three methods are involved for tablet formulation-

a) Milling of API and Excipient

b) Mixing of API and Excipient

c) Tablet compression

 Limitation of Dry Compression Method

 Poor flow of power

 Problem in uniform distribution of low dose drug

 Problem of cracking, layering etc are more observed with this method.