Solid Oral Dosage Forms - Tablets Flashcards
Advantages of tablets
- Convenient to handle
- Oral route is convenient and safe route
- Chemical and physically more stable compared to liquid dosage forms
- Preparation procedures enables accurate drug dosage
- Easily and consistently mass-produced at low price
Disadvantages of tablets
- Cause local irritation effects
- Cause harm to the GI mucosa
- Drugs with low water-solubility or absorption affect the bioavailability
2 parts in tablet manufacturing
- Compression: reduction in volume of a powder owing to the application of a force
- Compaction: formation of a porous specimen of defined geometry by powder compression
Compaction cycle
- Die filling - gravitational/centrifugal filling of powder from a hopper into the die
- Tablet formation - upper & lower punch presses the powder in the die to form the tablet and then decompress
- Tablet ejection - lower punch rises to the top of the die, pushing the tablet upward -> removed by removing device
Types of tablet presses
- Single punch press (eccentric press) -> make 1 tablet every time
- one die and one pair of punches
- lower punch is stationary while pressure is applied by the upper punch
- tablet size is controlled by the lower punch (volume fill)
- output: 200 tablets/min - Rotary press
- Have a no. of dies and punches mounted in a circle in the die table
- 1 die for 1 pair of punches always -> consistency
- 10,000 tablets/min
- both punches operate together during compression - Computerized hydraulic press
Used for evaluation of tabletting properties of powders and for predication of scale up on the properties of the formed tablets
What powder characteristics must be controlled for a successful tabletting operation?
- Flowability
- Homogeneity & segregation tendency
- Compression properties and compactability
- Friction and adhesion properties
Ways of tablet production
- Granulation - wet granulation: mixing -> agglomeration -> drying -> milling -> mixing -> tabletting
- Direct compaction (dry mixture): mixing -> tabletting
Advantages of tablet production via direct compaction
- Powder mixing then tabletting - reduce time and cost
- no heat/water is involved -> more stable
Disadvantages of tablet production via direct compaction
- large particles must be used which may be difficult to mix to high homogeneity -> segregate
- Even coloring of tablets may be difficult to achieve
Functions of tablet excipients
- Filler
- Binder
- Antiadherent
- Lubricant
- Glidant
- Flavour
- Sorbent
- Colorant
- Disintegrant
Filler
Added so that formulation has a sufficient bulk to be compressed into a tablet
Examples of filler
Lactose, microcrystalline cellulose, dicalcium phosphate, sugar, starch
Preference of a diluent for a poorly soluble drug
sucrose>lactose>dicalcium phosphate>starch
Disintegrant
- Facilitate water uptake
- Rupture the tablet
- Rupture the tablet by gas production
Used to ensure that granules/tablets will break up into small fragments for rapid dissolution of the contained drug.
Insufficient -> decrease in disintegration/dissolution -> incomplete absorption of a drug
Binders
Used to ensure that granules/tablets have the required mech strength. Excessive would affect the disintegration. Usual amounts: 2-10% of tablet weight
Examples of binders
HPMC, PVP, microcrystalline cellulose, pregelatinized starch, gelatin, acacia
Preference: PVP>acacia>HPMC>gelatin
Glidant
Used to improve the flowability of powder/granules into the tablet die during tabletting to ensure weight uniformity of tablets produced
Improve flow by adhering to the particle surface of other ingredients and reduce interparticulate friction
Many are hydrophobic
Examples of glidant
talc and colloidal silicon dioxide
Lubricant
Used to reduce friction between the tablet and the die wall so that it is ejected without physical defects
Many are hydrophobic
Antiadherent
Used to reduced adhesion between the powder and the punch faces to prevent sticking to the punches
Examples of antiadherent
Magnesium stearate, talc, starch
Sorbent
Used to absorb some quantities in an apparently dry state to ensure dryness
Examples of sorbent
Microcrystalline cellulose and silica
Flavor
Used to give the tablet pleasant taste or to mask unpleasant taste
Normally thermolabile and should not be added prior to an operation involving heat
Often mixed with the granules as an alcohol solution