Tablets 1 Flashcards
What is a tablet?
A tablet is a dose form of medication containing one or more drugs to which excipients may have been added and compressed as granules or powder to a definite shape
(70-80% of all medications taken are in tablet form)
What are the factors that make tablets a good dose form?
- Dosing accuracy
- Stability (drugs sold in a solid state are generally more chemically stable- may be coated to protect them from the environment and stomach acid)
- Patient acceptance (conveniently carried, odour or taste can be masked, attractive appearance)
- Diversity (most tablets intended to be swallowed but also sublingual, implant and chewable. Drug release may be immediate or sustained)
What are disadvantages to tablets?
- solid dose form may cause irritation to the GI mucosa
- may have bioavailability problems since dissolution must occur before drug is available for absorption
What attributes must a tablet have?
- able to withstand the rotors of mechanical tx during production, packaging, shipping, etc
- must be free of defects - cracks, ships, discolorations
- reasonable chemical and physical stability
- contain the proper amount of medication and release in a predictable and reproducible manner
What solubility and permeability properties does a class 1 drug have?
- class one drugs have few problems (is both soluble and permeable)
What solubility and permeability properties does a class 2 drug have?
- class two drugs - the rate limiting step for bioavailability is solubility/ dissolution
What are the solubility and permeability properties of class 3 drugs?
- class 3 drugs - the rate limiting step for bioavailability is crossing the biological membranes
What are the solubility and permeability properties of class 4 drugs?
- class 4 drugs present a problem- are not very efficient at crossing biological membranes or dissolving
What are the properties of granulation?
- materials intended for compression into a tablet must have 2 essential characteristics: fluidity and compressibility
Why is fluidity necessary?
- fluidity is necessary for the transport of the material through a hooper into a feeder frame or a die cavity
What is compressibility?
- the property of forming a stable compact when pressure is applied
Do powders flow freely?
- no, powders do not usually flow freely - the hopper may become plugged by bridging or may rat hole
What can poor flow properties lead to?
- poor flow properties can lead to variation in tablet weight, content and hardness
What attributes should good granulation have?
- good granulation should approach spherical shape (minimizes inter particle friction and static)
- should present a NARROW range of particle sizes (uniform full and bridging between particles when compressed)
- should have homogenous distribution of all materials (should have content uniformity)
- should have acceptable compression properties (tablet hard enough to remain intact yet able to disintegrate when taken)
What generally needs to be added to confer appropriate properties of granules?
- additives and excipients