Types And Classification Of Pharmaceutical Tablet

Tablet is defined as a compressed solid dosage form containing medicaments with or without excipients. They vary in shape and differ greatly in size and weight, depending on amount of medicinal substances and the intended mode of administration. It is the most popular dosage form and 70% of the total medicines are dispensed in the form of tablets.

Pharmaceutical tablet

Tablets are prepared either by molding or by compression. The excipients can include diluents, binders or granulating agents, glidants (flow aids) and lubricants to ensure efficient tabletting; disintegrants to promote tablet break-up in the digestive tract; sweeteners or flavours to enhance taste; and pigments to make the tablets visually attractive or aid in visual identification of an unknown tablet.

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A polymer coating is often applied to make the tablet smoother and easier to swallow, to control the release rate of the active ingredient, to make it more resistant to the environment (extending its shelf life), or to enhance the tablet's appearance. Medicinal tablets were originally made in the shape of a disk of whatever color their components determined, but are now made in many shapes and colors to help distinguish different medicines. Tablets are often stamped with symbols, letters, and numbers, which enable them to be identified. Sizes of tablets to be swallowed range from a few millimetres to about a centimetre.

Classification Of Pharmaceutical Tablet

Tablet has several types of classification. They are route, structure and action.

Route

1. Tablet for oral ingestion

1. Standard compressed tablets e.g. paracetamol tablet

2. Multiple compressed tablets

 I. Compression coated tablet

 *sugar coated tablet

 *Film coated tablet

 *Gelatin coated tablet

 *Enteric coated tablet

 II. Layered tablet

 III. Inlay tablet

3. Targeted tablet

 I. Floating tablet

 II. Colon targeting tablet

4. Chewable tablet e.g. antacid tablet

5. Dispersible tablet

2. Tablet in oral cavity

1. Lozenges and troches

2. Sublingual tablet e.g. vitamin-c tablet

3. Buccal tablet e.g. vitamin-c tablet

4. Dental cones

5. Mouth dissolved tablet/rapidly dissolving tablets

3. By other routes

1. vaginal tablet e.g. clotrimazole tablet

2. Rectal tablet

3. Hypodermic tablet

4. Implants

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4. To prepare solution

1. Effervescent tablet e.g. disprin tablet (aspirin)

2. Molded tablets

I. Hypodermic tablet

II. Dispensing /soluble tablet e.g. enzyme tablet (Digiplex)

3. Tablet triturates e.g. enzyme tablet (digiplex)

Structure

1. Divisible tablet

2. Aperture tablet

3. Concave-convex tablet

4. Core tablet

5. Layered and inlay tablet

Action

1. Modified release tablet

2. Delayed action tablet

3. Rapid dissolving/disintegrating tablet