Tablets are solid pharmaceutical dosage forms consisting of drug substances and are advantageous for large-scale manufacturing, accurate dosing, and customizable release profiles. However, they have disadvantages such as poor absorption of certain drugs, difficulty in swallowing for some patients, and slower onset of action compared to other forms. The manufacturing process involves compressing powders into defined shapes, and various excipients are used to enhance the properties and formulation of tablets.

1. Tablets Dosage form

2. What is Tablet???
• Tablets may be defined as solid pharmaceutical
dosage forms containing drug substances prepared
either by compression or molding methods.
• Although it is possible to manufacture in a wide
range of shape, official tablets are defined as
circular sizes with either flat or convex faces.

3. Advantages of Tablets
1.Large scale manufacturing is feasible in comparison to other dosage forms.
Therefore, economy can be achieved.
2. Accuracy of dose is maintained since tablet is a solid unit dosage form.
3. Tailor made release profile can be achieved.
4. Longer expiry period and minimum microbial spillage owing to lower moisture
content.
5. As tablet is not a sterile dosage form, stringent environmental conditions are not
required in the tablet department.
6. Ease of packaging (blister or strip) and easy handling.

4. Disadvantages of tablets
1. Drugs not absorbed or extensively degraded into GI tract cannot be made into
tablets.
2. It is difficult to convert a high dose poorly compressible API into a tablet of suitable
size for human use.
3. Difficult to formulate a drug with poor wettability, slow dissolution into a tablet.
4. Slow onset of action as compared to parenterals, liquid orals and capsules.
5. The amount of liquid drug (e.g. Vitamin E, Simethicone) that can be trapped into a
tablet is very less.
6. Difficult to swallow for kids, terminally ill and geriatric patients.
7. Patients undergoing radiotherapy cannot swallow tablet.

5. Essential qualities of a good tablet
They should be accurate and uniform in weight.
The drugs should be uniformly distributed throughout the tablets.
The size and shape should be reasonable for easy administration.
The tablets should not be too hard that it may not be disintegrate in the stomach.
After administration it should disintegrate readily.
They should be attractive in appearance.
They should not have any manufacturing defects like cracking, capping or
discoloration.

6. Absorption of drug from tablets
• The most common mechanism of absorption for
drugs is passive diffusion.
• This process can be explained through the Fick law
of diffusion, in which the drug molecule moves
according to the concentration gradient from a
higher drug concentration to a lower
concentration until equilibrium is reached.

7. Tablet excipients
• Compressed tablets usually consist of active medicaments mixed with a
number of inert substances known as excipient or additives i.e. all non –
drug components of a formula are termed excipients or additives.
• Although these additives are termed as inert but they have a great
influence on stability, bioavailability and the process by which the dosage
forms are prepared.

8. Classification of Tablet excipients
Diluent
Disintegrant
Binder
Glidan
t
Lubricant
Antiadherent
Sorbent
Flavo
r
Color

9. Tablet excipients
Type of Excipient Example of substances
Filler
Lactose, Sucrose, Glucose, Mannitol, Sorbitol, Calcium
phosphate, Calcium carbonate, Cellulose
Disintegrant
Starch, Cellulose, Crosslinked polyvinyl pyrrolidine, Sodium starch
glycolate, Sodium CMC
Solution Binder
Gelatin, Polyvinyl pyrrolidine, Cellulose derivatives
(hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, Sucrose, Starch
Dry Binder
Cellulose, Methylcellulose, Polyvinyl pyrrolidine, Polyethylene
glycol
Glidant Silica, Magnesium stearate, Talc
Lubricant
Magnesium stearate, Stearic acid, Polyethylene glycol, Liquid
Paraffin
Antiadherent Magnesium stearate, Talc, Starch, Cellulose

10. Tablet Manufacturing
• Tablets are prepared by forcing particles into close proximity to each
other by powder compression, which enables the particles to cohere
into a porous, solid specimen of defined geometry.
• The compression takes place in a die by the action of two punches, the
lower and the upper, by which the compressive force is applied.
• Powder compression is defined as the reduction in volume of a powder
owing to the application of a force.

11. Tablets Types
• Swallowable tablets
• The most common types of tablets are swallowed whole. These tablets
dis-integrate and release their contents in the GI tract.
• Effervescent tablets
• These tablets are formulated to allow dissolution or dispersion in water
prior to administration and should not be swallowed whole. In addition
to the DS, these tablets contain sodium carbonate or bicarbonate and
an organic acid such as tartaric acid.

12. Tablets Types
• Sugar Coated Tablets
• The compressed tablets having a sugar coating are called sugar coated
tablets.
• It masks the bitter and upleasant odour and improves the taste of the
tablets.
• Film Coated Tablets
• Film Coated Tablets are compressed tablets having a thin layer of
polymer capable of forming a skin like film

13. Tablets Types
• Enteric Coated Tablets
• These are compressed tablets meant for administration by swallowing
and are designed to bypass the stomach and get disintegrated in the
intestines only.
• Sustained Release Tablets
• Sustained release tablets are designed to achieve prolonged therapeutic
effect by continously releasing medication over an extended period of
time after the administration of a single dose.

14. References
• Ansel’s Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms and Drug Delivery System
• Aulton’s Pharmaceutics- The science of Dosage Form