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Advantages and disadvantages of pharmaceutical powders

Advantages and disadvantages of granules dosage form

Saturday, November 21, 2020

Principle of tablet coating

The basic principle of tablet coating is relatively simple where the application of the coating substance on a moving bed of the tablet with simultaneous use of hot air to evaporate the solvent.

The pharmaceutical solid dosage form consists of tablets, capsules, pellets, granules, sachets, caplets, powders, and pills, of which the tablet is the most commonly prescribed and used dosage form. The tablets come in different types and are coated for several causes such as to mask the unpleasant taste, odor, and color of the API, to provide physical and chemical protection to the medicine, and to control the release rate of the drug.

What is a tablet-coating?

The coating is a highly advanced technique commonly used in pharmaceutical industries which is applied in several solid oral dosage forms such as tablets, capsules, and other solid dosage forms. Tablet coating is a method by which a thin layer of coating material is applied to the surface of a dosage form to get particular advantages.

Principle of tablet coating:

The tablet dosage forms are rotated continuously in a packed rotating-drum and coating material is automatically sprayed between the rotation according to process and parameters, at the same time hot air is supplied under negative pressure. The hot air enters through the core layers of the tablet so that the coating medium sprayed on the surface of the tablet cores will dry rapidly and uniformly, consequently creating a solid and smooth surface of the tablet.

Different types of tablet coating:

According to the nature and properties of different types of tablets, there are different types of coatings are used in pharmaceutical production.

1. Sugarcoating

2. Enteric coating

3. Film coating

4. Gelatin coating

5. Compression coating

6. Some other types of tablet coatings include dip coating, electrostatic coating, and rotary-die coating, etc.

Basic requirements of tablet coating:

To ensure a uniform, smooth coating, tablets should be dust-free.
Typically tablets to be coated are compressed with the punches and die set. This helps the applied coating material to easily cover the tablet.
Core tablets have to be more rigid than uncoated tablets since they will have to withstand additional processing tasks.
The material or solvent to be coated on the tablets needs to be inert.

Primary components involved in tablet coating:

The primary components involved in tablet coating are as follows.

1. Properties of the tablet

2. Coating process

3. Equipment used in coatings

4. Coating process parameters

5. Facility and ancillary apparatus

6. Automation in the process of coating

7. Coating composition

Objectives of tablet coating:

The major objectives of tablet coatings are as follows.
To mask the unpleasant taste and odor of the tablet
To increase patient compliance
To increase the mechanical strength of the dosage form
To provide physical and chemical protection for medicine and protect the drug from external environmental conditions such as air, moisture, and light
To include incompatible drugs together in a single tablet
To protect the drug from release in the gastric environment of the stomach
To make it easy to swallowing of large dosage forms
To modify and/or control drug release from tablets by making a delayed-release and sustained-release products

Different types of tablet coating equipment:

Depending on the working principle, there are three types of equipment are used in the tablet coating.

1. Standard coating pan

2. Perforated coating pan

3. Fluidized-bed coater

Tablet coating defects:

Coated tablets face many problems compared to uncoated tablets, as they go through different stages during the coating process. Some common tablet coating defects are as follows.

Blistering
Blooming
Blushing
Chipping
Color variation
Cracking
Infilling
Orange Peel
Picking and sticking
Pitting
Roughness

Steps involved in tablet coating:

Generally, the coating process involves the following steps:

Batch identification and selection of recipe
Loading or dispensing
Warming
Spraying
Drying
Cooling
Unloading

Advantages of tablet coating:

The major advantage of tablet coating is that it masks the unpleasant odor, taste, and color of the active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and controls the drug release profile.
It increases the stability of the product.
The coating can also enhance the mechanical integrity.
The coating creates a smooth finish on the tablet and makes it easy to swallow, especially for adults and children.

Disadvantages of tablet coating:

The major disadvantage of tablet coating is that the process of coating is tedious and time-consuming, which makes it costly.
Tablet coating can interfere with the pharmacodynamic properties of the formulation.
Compared to other processes, it is a complex process, so a skilled person is needed to handle the instruments.

Commonly asked questions on tablet coating are as follows.

How many types of tablet coating are there?

Tablet coating has three major types such as sugar coating, film coating, and enteric coating, etc.

Why do we coat tablets?

The tablets are coated for several reasons such as it can control the release rate, protect the product from environmental conditions, and make the tablet easier to swallow, etc.

What is the difference between coated and uncoated tablets?

The major difference between coated and uncoated tablets is that the coated tablets have a thin layer of coating material is applied to the surface, whereas uncoated tablets don't require a special process after compression and are designed to provide rapid disintegration in the gastric fluid.

Which tablet coating is thin and dissolves rapidly?

The sugar coating on the surface of the tablet is finely coated and dissolves easily after swallowing.

What is tablet coating made from?

Tablet coating processes can include any mixtures of purified water, polymer, plasticizer, cellulose derivatives, colorants, polyvinyl, opacifiers, solvent, vehicle gums, and sugar, etc.

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Thursday, November 12, 2020

Advantages and disadvantages of tablet coating

Different types of coatings are required according to the design and properties of the tablet, and it has many advantages and disadvantages, let's check it out.

The tablet is a solid dosage form which consists of a mixture of active pharmaceutical ingredients and excipients, usually in powder form, compressed or compacted into a solid. The tablet is one of the most prescribed and preferred dosage forms as it has several advantages compared with other types of dosage forms. It is possible to formulate almost all drug molecules in a tablet and the manufacturing process of tablets is very simple and very versatile.

The coating is a process of adding an effectively dry, external layer of coating material to the surface of a dosage form to achieve specific advantages. Tablet coating is an important step involved in the manufacturing of tablets and it can be applied to a wide range of tablets. Tablets are usually coated with a coating solution consisting of a mixture of pigments, polymers, and excipients that are dissolved in water or an organic solvent to form a coating solution, subsequently sprayed in a pan-coater onto the tablets and dried by continuous hot air supply until a dry coating film is formed.

Advantages of tablet coating:

The major advantage of tablet coating is that can control the release rate of the drug, and protects from the unpleasant taste and odor of the medicine.
The coating gives a smooth finish to the product makes it easy to swallow.
The coating enhances product acceptance and the appearance of the tablet.
The coating can reduce the frequency of dosing by providing controlled, sustained release.
It maintains physical or chemical drug integrity by protecting against humidity, heat, and temperature.
This protects the medicine from being disintegrated into acidic conditions of the stomach until reaching the intestine.
It can maintain the shape of the tablet and makes it tamper-resistant.

Disadvantages of tablet coating:

The major disadvantage of tablet coating is that the coating process is tedious and time-consuming, which makes it expensive.
The pharmacodynamic properties of the formulation can interfere with the tablet coating.
The technique may often lead to several defects in the coating, such as chipping, cracks, etc.
The coating process is complex compared to other processes and therefore a trained person is required to handle this process.

Commonly asked questions on dosage form are as follows.

What are the different types of tablet coating?

Several types of tablet coating are used in pharmaceutical manufacturing according to the properties and nature of tablets which are sugar coating, film coating, enteric coating, controlled release coating, specialized coating, compressed coating, electrostatic coating, dip coating, and vacuum film coating

What are the processes involved in the coating?

Loading/dispensing, warming, spraying, drying, cooling and unloading are the processes involved in the coating.

How many types of capsule filling machines are there?

Manual /hand operated capsule filling machine, semi-automatic capsule filling machine, and automatic capsule filling machine are three types of capsule filling machines.

What is the difference between tablets and capsules?

The major difference between tablets and capsules is that the capsules are the form of the medication we can't cut into two as drugs are enclosed in a gelatin shell whereas tablet is a form of compressed powder we can cut into two.

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Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Difference between capsules and caplets

Capsules and caplets both are formulated to be easier to swallow. The major difference between capsules and caplets is that the capsule is the solid drug dosage form in which drugs and excipients are enclosed in a gelatin shell, whereas the caplet is a compressed oval-shaped tablet which appears the same as a capsule.

Solid dosage formulations such as capsules, tablets, granules, sachets, and powders are significant dosage forms in pharmaceuticals. Capsules and caplets both are the solid dosage forms that deliver precise doses of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) to patients. The capsules are made of gelatin (soft/ hard) or some other plant-based material and contain medication that provides an effectual delivery mechanism. Caplet is a tablet, prepared, or formulate similar to a tablet, which has a capsule shape and is coated with a smooth layer to make it easy to swallow.

Capsules:

The capsules come in two types i.e. hard-shelled capsules and soft-shelled capsules, the hard gelatin capsules are used for powdered (solid) medication while soft gelatin capsules are used for medicines that are dissolved or suspended in oil. The shells can be made of two pieces in the form of cylinders called the cap and body or they can be prepared as a single piece. The major advantage of the capsule is that a unique mix of ingredients is possible, it is easy to swallow for patients, protects the medicine from light, moisture, and unpleasant taste and odor.

Caplets:

Caplets are oval-shaped pellets, which are made by compressing the powder mixture with a binding medium. It can generally a gelatin-coated or film-coated to masking the unpleasant taste and odor of drugs, to control the release rate, and make it easier to swallow for the elderly and children. The caplets have similar advantages to tablets except that they are smooth and small in size, making them easy to swallow. However, they are used as a tamper-resistant substitute to a capsule but are often more expensive than pills so fewer products are offered by pharmaceutical industries.

The following are some of the differences between capsules and caplets.

If small doses are required, the capsule may be cut into two or more pieces, while capsules cannot cut into pieces.
The one more major difference between capsules and caplets is that the rate at which the drug is absorbed by the body and the speed at which the drug is released varies.
The capsules are expensive than the caplets as the manufacturing process is complex.
The capsules can be formulated with many drugs, but the caplet has certain limitations.
Gel or semi-solid medicines can be used in capsules, but caplets can only be prepared with solids.
Compared to caplets, the capsule is easy to absorb.
As per the need for dose, the caplet can be formulated as an immediate-release or extended-release.

Commonly asked questions on dosage forms are as follows.

What is the difference between tablets and capsules?

The major difference between tablet and capsule is that the tablet consists of a solid, compressed powder, whereas the capsule consists of a powder or jelly stored in a dissolvable gelatin shell.

What are the types of tablet coating?

Sugarcoating, enteric coating, film coating, gelatin coating, compression coating, dip coating, electrostatic coating, and rotary-die coating are types of tablet coating.

What is the main application of granulation?

Granulation have two types’ wet granulation and dry granulation. It is primarily used in the production process of solid dosage forms such as tablets and capsules in the pharmaceutical industry.

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Tuesday, November 10, 2020

Difference between caplets and tablets

The major difference between caplets and tablets is the appearance, size, and dose of the drug, both are tablets, but caplets are usually capsule-like tablets. Caplet is a smooth-coated tablet which is a capsule-shaped medicine that is used as a tamper-resistant substitute to a capsule, or as an easy-to-swallow substitute for regular tablets. The tablets are solid dosage forms containing the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and appropriate excipients. The tablets are prepared by applying pressure to a powder bed, which compresses the powder into a coherent compact.

Caplets:

Caplets are prepared by mixing drugs with a binding medium and then compressing the mixture into an oval-shaped medicinal tablet in the shape of a capsule under high pressure. They are usually a film or gelatin-coated for masking the unpleasant odor and taste of the medicines and excipients and make them easy to swallow, and convenient for the elderly and children as compared with the tablets.

The rate at which a caplet dissolves is controlled by the binding agent form used. It can formulate as an immediate-release or extended-release as per the need for dosage. As compared with the capsules it is cost-effective since it can be notched or split to deliver lower dosages. All the caplets have similar tablet advantages, except that they are smoother and smaller in size, making them easier to swallow. However, they are often more expensive than tablets hence the fewer products are offered.

Tablets:

Tablets are an oral solid dosage form of medicine that most commonly prescribed dosage form. They are usually circular and flat and are coated with a sugar-like material to mask the unpleasant taste and odor and to control the release rate in the body, they can come in many shapes and sizes to better accommodate the needs of patients. As compared to other forms of dosage forms tablets are economical to manufacture, tamper-resistant, and the most shelf-stable option.

There are few differences between the tablets and caplets they both are similar types of medicine, both are coated to protect the drug and control the release drug release into the body. The tablets are compressed into small, circular, or oblong shaped discs while caplets are capsule-like tablets have a smooth surface that makes them easier to swallow. Both caplets and tablets have longer shelf lives than and can be broken up and crushed into smaller doses.

Commonly asked questions on dosage forms are as follows.

What are the advantages of tablets?

The tablets provide a convenient method of drug administration, are stable over prolonged and diverse storage conditions, provide protection from atmospheric conditions such as moisture, air, and light, etc. and can be manufactured on high-speed compression, marking, and packaging equipment, providing dosage uniformity from tablet to tablet.

What are the different categories of tablets?

The different categories of the tablet include uncoated tablets, coated tablets, soluble tablets, dispersible tablets, effervescent tablets, chewable tablets, tablets for use in the mouth such as sublingual and buccal tablets, and modified-release tablets.

How fast do pills dissolve in your stomach?

In general, most pills dissolve in about 30 minutes, but when a tablet is coated that can help protect the drug from stomach acid; it may take longer for the therapeutic to enter the bloodstream.

What are the disadvantages of caplets?

The major disadvantage of caplets is that they are compact and are more difficult to dissolve than capsules. Before swallowing, most patients are bite or chew the caplets that can cause an influence on the rate of dissolution and absorption of the drug.

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