Tablets

Definition

Tablets are solid pharmaceutical dosage forms that contain active ingredients and excipients, designed for oral administration. They are one of the most common forms of medication due to their ease of use, precise dosing, and stability, making them a popular choice in drug formulation and development.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Tablets can be manufactured using various processes, including direct compression, wet granulation, and dry granulation.
2. They can come in different forms, such as immediate-release, extended-release, and chewable tablets, each tailored to specific patient needs and therapeutic goals.
3. The hardness and disintegration time of tablets are crucial factors that influence their dissolution and absorption in the body.
4. Coatings can be applied to tablets to improve their taste, enhance stability, and control the release of the drug within the gastrointestinal tract.
5. Pharmaceutical analysis plays a key role in ensuring tablet quality through methods like content uniformity testing, dissolution testing, and stability studies.

Review Questions

• How do excipients influence the formulation and effectiveness of tablets?
  • Excipients play a vital role in tablet formulation by serving various purposes, such as aiding in manufacturing processes, enhancing drug stability, and improving bioavailability. They can affect the tablet's texture, disintegration time, and dissolution rate. Proper selection of excipients ensures that the active ingredients are delivered effectively to the body while maintaining tablet integrity during storage and use.
• Discuss the importance of bioavailability in the context of tablet development and patient outcomes.
  • Bioavailability is crucial for understanding how well a tablet's active ingredient is absorbed into the bloodstream and how quickly it reaches its site of action. High bioavailability ensures that patients receive the intended therapeutic effects efficiently. In tablet development, formulations must be optimized to maximize bioavailability while considering factors like excipient interactions and release mechanisms. This directly impacts patient outcomes by influencing drug effectiveness and safety.
• Evaluate how controlled release tablet formulations can improve therapeutic efficacy compared to traditional immediate-release tablets.
  • Controlled release tablet formulations offer distinct advantages over immediate-release tablets by providing a steady release of medication over an extended period. This results in prolonged therapeutic effects, reduced dosing frequency, and improved patient compliance. Additionally, controlled release can help minimize side effects by avoiding high peak concentrations of the drug in the bloodstream. By effectively managing drug levels, these formulations optimize treatment outcomes for chronic conditions where consistent medication delivery is critical.

Related terms

Excipients: Inert substances included in tablets to aid in the manufacturing process and enhance the drug's stability, bioavailability, and absorption.

Bioavailability: The degree and rate at which an active ingredient or active moiety is absorbed and becomes available at the site of action in the body.

Controlled Release: A formulation strategy that allows for the gradual release of medication over time, ensuring sustained therapeutic effects while minimizing side effects.