![]() ![]() Many heart medications are colored red or pink, signifying both power and danger 2. The light blue color of Viagra is associated with the color of the sky, giving individuals feelings of happiness and relaxation. However, the range of dye pigments available provides us with the entire spectrum of colors to design drugs. Larger elongated shapes such as an oval or rectangle tablet are much easier to swallow than a large triangular pill!īeing organic compounds, the components of pills make them naturally white. If the size of the dose is large, choosing the right shape can give the perception of a smaller tablet. Most tablets end up circular or with rounded corners, simply because they make the tablets easier to swallow. It is possible to simulate drug release kinetics using mathematical models, ensuring that the shape doesn’t affect the dissolution of the drug 1. However, the surface area to volume ratio must be considered, as this can affect the rate of API release from the drug delivery components. While the size of a drug may be dependent on the dose, a tablet’s shape provides a little more freedom for modification. In most cases, patients prefer a single tablet per dose, as they might forget (in the case of older patients) or refuse to take multiple tablets (in the pediatric population). If a single dose of a drug requires a large amount of API or excipients, they are sometimes split into two smaller pills. In addition, how small a pill can get is dependent on the dosage. However, tiny pills are harder to handle, especially in the older population who might have poorer dexterity and eyesight. Some individuals, especially children, have difficulty swallowing larger pills, which might deter them from taking the medication altogether. When it comes to tablet design, smaller is usually better, but factors like the target patient demographic have to be taken into account. The size of drug tablets can range from tiny spheres packed in capsules to large, bulky rods. There are also other more practical reasons why pharmaceutical companies invest in drug tablet design we discuss them in the next section. As patients, we often associate a drug’s form with its function.įrom the iconic blue diamond of Viagra (sildenafil) to the chunky white ovals of Lipitor (atorvastatin), patients are more likely to form a connection with the drug and the company that manufactured it, if they can easily distinguish it from its competitors. However, tablet design is an integral part of drug development, evident in the structural diversity of the medicines we take. In fact, this is what is usually given to patients during the clinical trial stage as it is good practice to remove any identifiers.Īlso, with drug development costing upwards of US$2 billion, it wouldn’t make sense to spend the time and effort on tablet design if the drug never makes it to the market! Pharmaceutical companies can choose to be boring and produce standard round white tablets without any special shape or color. Once the API and excipients are perfected in a medicinal chemistry program, the next step in drug development is to decide on a suitable design for the tablet. Choosing the right packaging for the tablet is also important for its stability. The composition of tablets is a critical part of research to ensure that the drug product remain stable and have a shelf life of at least 1 year. ![]() Excipients can control the rate at which the API is released into the bloodstream, where it can exert its therapeutic effects. These tablets contain the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), the ‘good stuff’ that makes us feel better through chemical interactions in our bodies.Ī tablet also contains excipients-inert compounds that can also serve as drug delivery systems. The drug market is dominated by medicines in the form of tablets, handy little pills we can take at our convenience. Tablet Design in Drug Development Contents of a Tablet ![]()
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