Tablets
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DEFINITION
Tablets are solid preparations each containing a single dose of one or more active substances. They are obtained by compressing uniform volumes of particles or by another suitable manufacturing technique, such as extrusion, moulding or freeze-drying (lyophilisation). Tablets are intended for oral administration. Some are swallowed whole, some after being chewed, some are dissolved or dispersed in water before being administered and some are retained in the mouth where the active substance is liberated.
The particles consist of one or more active substances with or without excipients such as diluents, binders, disintegrating agents, glidants, lubricants, substances capable of modifying the behaviour of the preparation in the digestive tract, colouring matter authorised by the competent authority and flavouring substances.
Tablets are usually straight, solid cylinders, the end surfaces of which are flat or convex and the edges of which may be bevelled. They may have break-marks and may bear a symbol or other markings. Tablets may be coated.
Where applicable, containers for tablets comply with the requirements for materials used for the manufacture of containers (3.1 and subsections) and containers (3.2 and subsections).
Several categories of tablets for oral use may be distinguished:
PRODUCTION
Tablets are usually prepared by compressing uniform volumes of particles or particle aggregates produced by granulation methods. In the manufacture of tablets, measures are taken to ensure that they possess a suitable mechanical strength to avoid crumbling or breaking on handling or subsequent processing. This may be demonstrated using the tests described in general chapters 2.9.7. Friability of uncoated tablets and 2.9.8. Resistance to crushing of tablets.
In the manufacture, packaging, storage and distribution of tablets, suitable measures are taken to ensure their microbiological quality; recommendations on this aspect are provided in general chapter 5.1.4. Microbiological quality of non-sterile pharmaceutical preparations and substances for pharmaceutical use.
Subdivision of tablets Tablets may bear a break-mark or break-marks for the purpose of being subdivided into parts, either to ease the intake of the medicinal product or to deliver fractional doses. In cases where fractions of tablets are necessary to deliver the intended dose stated on the label, the efficacy of the breakmark is assessed during product development or for validation purposes by determining the uniformity of mass of the sub-divided parts using the following test.
Take 30 tablets at random, break them by hand and, from all the parts obtained from 1 tablet, take 1 part for the test and reject the other part(s). Weigh each of the 30 parts individually and calculate the average mass. The tablets comply with the test if not more than 1 individual mass is outside the limits of 85 per cent to 115 per cent of the average mass. The tablets fail to comply with the test if more than 1 individual mass is outside these limits, or if 1 individual mass is outside the limits of 75 per cent to 125 per cent of the average mass.
TESTS
Uniformity of dosage units (2.9.40)
Tablets comply with the test or, where justified and authorised, with the tests for uniformity of content and/or uniformity of mass shown below. Herbal drugs and herbal drug preparations present in the dosage form are not subject to the provisions of this paragraph.
Uniformity of content (2.9.6)
Unless otherwise prescribed or justified and authorised, tablets with a content of active substance less than 2 mg or less than 2 per cent of the total mass comply with test A. If the preparation has more than 1 active substance, the requirement applies only to those substances that correspond to the above conditions.
Unless otherwise justified and authorised, coated tablets other than film-coated tablets comply with test A irrespective of their content of active substance(s).
Uniformity of mass (2.9.5)
Uncoated tablets and, unless otherwise justified and authorised, film-coated tablets comply with the test. If the test for uniformity of content is prescribed or justified and authorised for all the active substances, the test for uniformity of mass is not required.
Dissolution
Unless otherwise justified and authorised, a suitable test is carried out, for example one of the tests described in general chapter 2.9.3. Dissolution test for solid dosage forms.
Where a dissolution test is prescribed, a disintegration test may not be required.
Uncoated tablets
DEFINITION
Uncoated tablets include single-layer tablets resulting from a single compression of particles and multi-layer tablets consisting of concentric or parallel layers obtained by successive compression of particles of different composition. The excipients used are not specifically intended to modify the release of the active substance in the digestive fluids.
Uncoated tablets conform to the general definition of tablets. A broken section, when examined under a lens, shows either a relatively uniform texture (single-layer tablets) or a stratified texture (multi-layer tablets) but no signs of coating.
TESTS
Disintegration (2.9.1)
Uncoated tablets comply with the test using water R as the liquid medium. Add a disc to each tube. Operate the apparatus for 15 min, unless otherwise justified and authorised, and examine the state of the tablets. If the tablets fail to comply because of adherence to the discs, the results are invalid. Repeat the test on a further 6 tablets, omitting the discs.
Coated tablets
DEFINITION
Coated tablets are tablets covered with one or more layers of mixtures of various substances such as natural or synthetic resins, gums, gelatin, inactive and insoluble fillers, sugars, plasticisers, polyols, waxes, colouring matter authorised by the competent authority and sometimes flavouring substances and active substances. The substances used as coatings are usually applied as a solution or suspension in conditions in which evaporation of the vehicle occurs. When the coating is a very thin polymeric coating, the tablets are known as film-coated tablets.
Coated tablets have a smooth surface, which is often coloured and may be polished; a broken section, when examined under a lens, shows a core surrounded by one or more continuous layers with a different texture.
PRODUCTION
Where justified, uniformity of mass or uniformity of content of coated tablets other than film-coated tablets may be ensured by control of the cores.
TESTS
Disintegration (2.9.1)
Coated tablets other than film-coated tablets comply with the test using water R as the liquid medium. Add a disc to each tube. Operate the apparatus for 60 min, unless otherwise justified and authorised, and examine the state of the tablets. If any of the tablets has not disintegrated, repeat the test on a further 6 tablets, replacing water R with 0.1 M hydrochloric acid. If 1 or 2 tablets fail to disintegrate, repeat the test on 12 additional tablets.
The requirements of the test are met if not fewer than 16 of the 18 tablets tested have disintegrated.
Film-coated tablets comply with the disintegration test prescribed above except that the apparatus is operated for 30 min, unless otherwise justified and authorised.
If coated tablets or film-coated tablets fail to comply because of adherence to the discs, the results are invalid. Repeat the test on a further 6 tablets, omitting the discs.
Gastro-resistant tablets
DEFINITION
Gastro-resistant tablets are delayed-release tablets that are intended to resist the gastric fluid and to release their active substance(s) in the intestinal fluid. Usually they are prepared by covering tablets with a gastro-resistant coating or from granules or particles already covered with a gastro-resistant coating.
Tablets covered with a gastro-resistant coating conform to the definition of coated tablets.
TESTS
Disintegration (2.9.1)
Tablets covered with a gastro-resistant coating comply with the test with the following modifications. Use 0.1 M hydrochloric acid as the liquid medium. Operate the apparatus for 2 h, or another such time as may be justified and authorised, without the discs, and examine the state of the tablets. The time of resistance to the acid medium varies according to the formulation of the tablets to be examined. It is typically 2 h to 3 h but even with authorised deviations is not less than 1 h. No tablet shows signs of either disintegration (apart from fragments of coating) or cracks that would allow the escape of the contents. Replace the acid by phosphate buffer solution pH 6.8 R and add a disc to each tube. Operate the apparatus for 60 min and examine the state of the tablets. If the tablets fail to comply because of adherence to the discs, the results are invalid. Repeat the test on a further 6 tablets, omitting the discs.
Modified-release tablets
DEFINITION
Modified-release tablets are coated or uncoated tablets that contain special excipients or are prepared by special procedures, or both, designed to modify the rate, the place or the time at which the active substance(s) are released.
Modified-release tablets include prolonged-release tablets, delayed-release tablets and pulsatile-release tablets.
Effervescent tablets
DEFINITION
Effervescent tablets are uncoated tablets generally containing acid substances and carbonates or hydrogen carbonates, which react rapidly in the presence of water to release carbon dioxide. They are intended to be dissolved or dispersed in water before administration.
TESTS
Disintegration
Place 1 tablet in a beaker containing 200 mL of water R at 15-25 °C; numerous bubbles of gas are evolved. When the evolution of gas around the tablet or its fragments ceases the tablet has disintegrated, being either dissolved or dispersed in the water so that no agglomerates of particles remain. Repeat the operation on 5 other tablets. The tablets comply with the test if each of the 6 tablets used disintegrates in the manner prescribed within 5 min, unless otherwise justified and authorised.
Soluble tablets
DEFINITION
Soluble tablets are uncoated or film-coated tablets. They are intended to be dissolved in water before administration. The solution produced may be slightly opalescent due to the added excipients used in the manufacture of the tablets.
TESTS
Disintegration (2.9.1)
Soluble tablets disintegrate within 3 min, using water R at 15-25 °C as the liquid medium.
Dispersible tablets
DEFINITION
Dispersible tablets are uncoated or film-coated tablets intended to be dispersed in water before administration, giving a homogeneous dispersion.
TESTS
Disintegration (2.9.1)
Dispersible tablets disintegrate within 3 min, using water R at 15-25 °C as the liquid medium.
Fineness of dispersion
Place 2 tablets in 100 mL of water R and stir until completely dispersed. A smooth dispersion is produced, which passes through a sieve screen with a nominal mesh aperture of 710 µm.
Orodispersible tablets
DEFINITION
Orodispersible tablets are uncoated tablets intended to be placed in the mouth where they disperse rapidly before being swallowed.
TESTS
Disintegration (2.9.1)
Orodispersible tablets disintegrate within 3 min, using water R as the liquid medium.
Chewable tablets
DEFINITION
Chewable tablets are intended to be chewed before being swallowed.
PRODUCTION
Chewable tablets are prepared to ensure that they are easily crushed by chewing.
Oral lyophilisates
DEFINITION
Oral lyophilisates are solid single-dose preparations made by freeze-drying of a liquid or semi-solid preparation. These fast-releasing preparations are intended to be placed in the mouth where their contents are released in saliva and swallowed or, alternatively, are intended to be dissolved or dispersed in water before oral administration.
PRODUCTION
Oral lyophilisates are obtained by freeze-drying (lyophilisation), involving division into single doses, freezing, sublimation and drying of usually aqueous, liquid or semi-solid preparations.
TESTS
Disintegration
Place 1 oral lyophilisate in a beaker containing 200 mL of water R at 15-25 °C. It disintegrates within 3 min. Repeat the test on 5 other oral lyophilisates. They comply with the test if all 6 have disintegrated.
Water (2.5.12)
Oral lyophilisates comply with the test; the limits are approved by the competent authority.
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