It is not safe to crush a tablet or open a capsule without first checking with a healthcare professional such as a Pharmacist or your Doctor. Many modern medicines are the result of significant research and development using specialised techniques which influence how a medicine works within the body.
Each of the modifications or coatings has been developed and included for a specific purpose and will be damaged by crushing. Sugar or film coating — surrounds the tablet normally to make it taste better or easier to swallow. Crushing these types of tablets may make them to taste very unpleasant. Enteric coating — tablets with an enteric coating should never be crushed. These enteric coatings are placed around a drug to protect the drug from the acid environment, protect the stomach from the drug or deliver the drug to the site of action.
If a modified release preparation is damaged then the whole dose can be released too quickly in the body, this will mean you will receive a very high dose and be more likely to experience side effects. Do not crush your tablets or open capsules unless a Pharmacist or Doctor has advised you that it is safe and appropriate to do so.
Strachan I, Greener M. Medication related swallowing difficulties may be more common than we realise. Pharmacy in Practice, December 2. Some people end up chewing tablets or crushing them up and mixing them with their food, but this can sometimes cause the medicine to not work properly.
In some cases, ingesting a crushed tablet can even result in death. Most importantly, doing so may result in dose dumping ; this is when the body very quickly absorbs a large amount of a drug.
One consequence of dose dumping is an overdose of the drug, which can lead to death. Some tablets also come with a special protective layer, called an enteric coating , which is designed to stop it from breaking apart in the stomach. The coating ensures the tablet disintegrates in the small intestine instead. If you chew an enterically coated tablet, the drug will not be absorbed properly and the medicine may be ineffective.
Tablets designed to be chewed have this indicated on their packaging. This is common for drugs designed for young children and certain types of tablets such as multivitamins. Some medicines are also specifically made into a chewable form, such as some aspirin tablets and certain antacids.
These are common medicines that may be taken on a regular basis, and by people known to have trouble swallowing tablets. Please register for an account to view more information about our portfolio of liquid medicines or view our range of educational resources.
Alternatively, get in touch with us if you would like to speak to someone regarding our products. Medicines Management and Older People- a guide for healthcare professionals. Edited by R Greenwall. August Consensus guideline on the medication management of adults with swallowing difficulties. In: Foord-Kelcey G, editor. Guidelines — summarising clinical guidelines for primary care.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society. Medication in a liquid form can be a more appropriate format for those who suffer from swallowing difficulties. Rosemont provide a range of educational materials and product support to assist healthcare professionals.
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