From Chewable to Coated: Unlocking the Secrets of Different Tablet Types
- Suncare Formulations Pvt Ltd
- May 5
- 4 min read
In the pharmaceutical world, tablets are solid dosage forms containing one or more active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and various excipients, compressed into a solid unit. They are the most common way medicines are administered due to their convenience, accurate dosing, and ease of manufacturing. Here's a detailed overview of tablet types.
Types of Tablets
Pharmaceutical tablets can be broadly classified based on their:
1. Method of Manufacture:
Compressed Tablets: These are the most common type, made by compressing granular or powdered materials using tablet presses. Examples include paracetamol tablets.
Molded Tablets: Prepared by molding a mixture of powdered substances with a binder. These are often softer and dissolve more readily than compressed tablets. Tablet triturates are an example, though less common now.
2. Route of Administration:
Tablets for Oral Administration: These are swallowed and intended to disintegrate and dissolve in the gastrointestinal tract to release the medication for absorption.
Immediate-Release Tablets (Conventional Tablets): Designed to release the drug immediately after oral administration.
Modified-Release Tablets: Engineered to control the rate or time at which the drug is released. This category includes:
Extended-Release Tablets (Sustained-Release): Release the drug slowly over a prolonged period, reducing dosing frequency. Example: extended-release metformin tablets.
Delayed-Release Tablets: Release the drug at a time other than immediately after administration.
Enteric-Coated Tablets: Coated to resist dissolution in the acidic environment of the stomach and release the drug in the intestines. Example: enteric-coated omeprazole tablets.
Chewable Tablets: Formulated to be chewed before swallowing, often flavored for palatability, especially for children and those with difficulty swallowing. Example: antacid tablets.
Effervescent Tablets: Contain substances that react in the presence of water to produce carbon dioxide, causing the tablet to dissolve rapidly into a drinkable solution. Example: Vitamin C effervescent tablets.
Dispersible Tablets: Designed to break up and form a uniform suspension when dispersed in water. Example: dispersible amoxicillin tablets.
Soluble Tablets: Dissolve in water to form a clear solution before being administered. Example: soluble aspirin tablets.
Orally Disintegrating Tablets (ODTs): Designed to dissolve quickly on the tongue without the need for water, beneficial for patients with swallowing difficulties. Example: ondansetron ODT.
Tablets Used in the Oral Cavity: Designed to dissolve in the mouth and be absorbed through the oral mucosa, bypassing the digestive system for a faster onset of action.
Sublingual Tablets: Placed under the tongue. Example: nitroglycerin sublingual tablets.
Buccal Tablets: Placed between the gum and cheek. Example: some vitamin C tablets.
Lozenges and Troches: Designed to dissolve slowly in the mouth, often for local effect in the oral cavity or throat. Example: cough lozenges.
Dental Cones: Placed in the empty socket after tooth extraction, usually containing medication for local treatment.
Tablets Administered by Other Routes:
Vaginal Tablets: Inserted into the vagina to treat local infections or for hormone therapy. Example: clotrimazole vaginal tablets.
Rectal Tablets: Inserted into the rectum for local or systemic drug delivery.
Implantation Tablets: Small, sterile tablets implanted subcutaneously or intramuscularly for long-term drug release.
3. Tablet Characteristics:
Uncoated Tablets: Compressed tablets without any outer coating.
Coated Tablets: Covered with a thin layer of material for various reasons:
Sugar-Coated Tablets: To mask taste, odor, or improve appearance. Less common now due to weight and manufacturing costs.
Film-Coated Tablets: Covered with a thin polymer film that is more durable and less bulky than sugar coatings. Example: ibuprofen film-coated tablets.
Gelatin-Coated Tablets (Gelcaps): Capsule-shaped tablets coated with gelatin, making them easier to swallow.
Layered Tablets (Multiple Compressed Tablets): Contain two or more layers of different drug formulations, allowing for the separate release of incompatible drugs or controlled release profiles.
Inlay Tablets: A core tablet surrounded by another layer, but the core is exposed on one or both sides.
Tablets with Special Features:
Divisible Tablets (Scored Tablets): Have a groove to facilitate breaking the tablet into smaller doses.
Aperture Tablets: Designed to release the drug from a specific opening.
Tablet Manufacturing Process
The manufacturing of tablets typically involves the following key steps:
Formulation: Designing the tablet composition, including the API and excipients (e.g., diluents, binders, disintegrants, lubricants, glidants, coloring agents, flavoring agents).
Raw Material Procurement and Testing: Sourcing and ensuring the quality of all ingredients.
Weighing and Dispensing: Accurately measuring and dispensing the required quantities of each ingredient.
Particle Size Reduction and Sizing (Milling/Screening): Reducing the particle size of the ingredients to improve flow and mixing.
Mixing (Blending): Homogeneously blending the API and excipients.
Granulation (if necessary): Converting fine powders into larger, free-flowing granules to improve compressibility. This can be done by:
Wet Granulation: Using a liquid binder to agglomerate the powder particles.
Dry Granulation: Compacting the powder mixture into large masses (slugs or sheets) that are then milled into granules.
Direct Compression: Compressing the powder mixture directly without granulation (suitable for some formulations with good flow and compressibility).
Drying (for wet granulation): Removing moisture from the granules.
Lubrication: Adding lubricants to the granules to prevent sticking to the tablet press machinery and ensure smooth ejection.
Compression (Tableting): Compressing the granules or powder into tablets of the desired shape, size, and hardness using a tablet press.
Coating (if required): Applying a coating to the tablets for various purposes (taste masking, protection, controlled release, appearance).
Quality Control: Performing various tests to ensure the tablets meet quality standards (e.g., weight uniformity, hardness, friability, disintegration, dissolution, content uniformity).
Packaging: Blister packing, bottling, or other suitable packaging to protect the tablets and provide necessary information.
Understanding the different types of tablets and their manufacturing processes is crucial in the pharmaceutical industry for developing effective, safe, and patient-friendly medications. The choice of tablet type depends on factors such as the drug's properties, the desired release profile, the patient population, and marketing considerations.
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