Threshold size of Tablet and Capsule : Prospective Study

Abstract

Background: Medical tablets and capsules are the most commonly used dose form due to their portability. However, their enormous size frequently causes difficulties during swallowing, which might lead to decreased drug adherence. The authors examined postmarketing surveillance data to assess the size of medical tablets and capsules that patients consider too large to swallow. Aim: This study aims to learn the law behind keeping the shape or size of capsules/ tablets in higher dimensions. Method: A dataset was created from the package inserts of the reported medications based on reports from patients saying that the pill or capsule was too large for consumption. Two analyses were performed: size distribution histogram analysis and geometric analysis utilizing linear approximation. Conclusion: The size of tablets/capsules that patients consider too large to consume. As a result, while creating or modifying tablets/capsules, the drug should be scored, divided into smaller dosages, or redesigned as an orally disintegrating formulation.