Friday, December 11, 2020

Advantages and disadvantages of chewable tablets

The major advantage of chewable tablets is that it provides the appropriate unit dosage form of the drug that can be easily chewed and then swallowed by the patient, rather than swallowed whole tablet or capsule, however, it has some advantages as well as some disadvantages, let's check it.

Solid dosage formulations such as tablets, capsules, granules, powders, sachets, and caplets are the most used and significant dosage forms in pharmaceuticals. There are many challenges for the pharmaceutical industry to make medicines that are more convenient for patients; the chewable tablet is one of them. 
Chewable tablets are an oral solid dosage form that must be chewed and then swallowed rather than swallowed whole by the patient. It is also a widely used tablet for the delivery of active pharmaceutical ingredients since it has many advantages in terms of dosing accuracy, long-term stability portability, and manufacturability. 
Advantages of chewable tablets: 
  • Chewable tablets are more convenient for patients who have difficulty swallowing, especially children or the elderly. Instead of swallowing intact, it needs to be chewed and then swallowed. 
  • It does not require water to swallow; it can be taken at any time and place. 
  • No special excipients are required in the formulation of chewable tablets; they are similar to conventional tablets. 
  • It is possible to use as an alternative to liquid dosage forms where the rapid onset of action is required. 
  • It has improved bioavailability (which increases dissolution) bypassing dissolution. 
  • It masks the unpleasant odor and taste of the drugs, which provide better patient acceptance through pleasant taste. 
  • Chewable tablets chew in the mouth so the drugs are quickly absorbed and do not pass through the digestive system. 
  • It is an economical product; no expensive equipment and a complex production process are required to manufacture the product as compared to capsules and coated tablets. 
  • If there is a high dose in the formulation, chewable tablets are preferred over traditional and coated tablets.  
Disadvantages of chewable tablets: 
  • The major disadvantage of the chewable tablet is that the drugs having an unpleasant taste that is difficult to formulate in a chewable tablet with a pleasant taste. 
  • It needs special storage conditions since it is hygroscopic. 
  • Chewable tablets have insufficient mechanical strength than the conventional tablets, they need to handle carefully. 
  • Sorbitol is commonly used in chewable tablets that cause diarrhea and flatulence. 
  • Prolonged chewing a tablet cause sore muscles. 
  • Flavoring agents that are used in the formulation of chewable tablets may cause ulcers in the oral cavity. 
  • Chewable tablets can interfere with dentures, so elderly patients always avoid taking them.  
Commonly asked questions on tablet dosage form are as follows. 

What is the major disadvantage of effervescent tablets? 
The major advantage of effervescent tablets is that it rapidly provides exact doses to the patients in the form of palatable sparkling solution. 

What are the disadvantages of the buccal or sublingual tablets? 
This works only for immediate release and not for an extended-release formulation. 

What are the advantages of enteric-coated tablets? 
It masks the bitter taste and when swallowed it remains intact in the stomach, however, dissolves and releases the drug in the intestine. 

What is the characteristic of the delayed-release system? 
The delayed drug delivery system is usually achieved by the application of an enteric coating on dosage forms (tablets, capsules, etc.), This involves the release of active pharmaceutical ingredients only to a specific site in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT).


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