A tablet is a pharmaceutical dosage form.

Tablets are the most common forms of oral drug, comprising a

mixture of active substances and excipients which are formulated to produce an accurate dosage specific to
a particular disease. The ingredients in a tablet are in powdered form, which are pressed or compacted to
form a solid dose. A tablet is taken orally. Tablets are different from capsules which are in gel or powdered
form enclosed in a shell. In some cases, the tablets can be consumed by the patient buccally, sublingually,
rectally or intravaginally.

Ingredients in the formation of tablets: Tablets ingredients

The medicated excipients used in the formation of tablets include diluents, granulating agents, lubricants,
dis-integrants, sweeteners or flavors and pigments and each of these has their own characteristics and uses.
Granulating agents are binders that compress the powder, the lubricants help in efficient tabletting,
disintegrants are added to help break-up the tablet in the digestive tract, sweeteners or flavors are used to
enhance taste. Pigments are also added to make the tablets look attractive. A polymer coating is applied on
tablets to make them smoother and also easier to swallow. Besides enhancing the tablet's appearance , the
coating also helps to control the release rate of the active ingredients and to increase the shelf life of the
tablets.

Forms of Tablets
The tablest are available in two basic forms:
o

Compressed Tablets

Solid Dosage Forms

The most popular dosage form today is the compressed tablet while about two-thirds of all prescriptions
are
dispensed
as
solid
dosage
forms.

Tablets Properties
All tablets have certain properties which are taken into consideration while producing them:
o

Tablets are available in various shapes but the most common shape is round or oval. Unusual
shapes are available but there are reports of patients complaining of difficulty in swallowing. Moreover,
they are more prone to chipping.

The diameter and the thickness of tablets are determined using a machine tool - a die and also an
upper and a lower punch. The thickness is determined by the amount of tablet material and the position of
the punches during compression. Tablets are made in such a way that they are hard enough when they are
inside the bottle but soft enough to be easily digested in the digestive tract.

Tablets must be strong and hard to resist the stresses of packaging, shipping and handling by the
patient as well as the pharmacists. Hardness is tested using a hardness tester. The hardness of tablets is the
basic measure of mechanical strength. Mechanical Strength of tablets is determined by using a
combination of tests which can be simple or complex. While the simpler tests are applied for quality
control purposes, the complex tests are applied during the formulation and manufacturing process,
including R&D. The Standards for tablet properties are published in the various international
pharmacopeias (USP/NF, EP, JP, etc.).

List of Tablets: Popular Tablets

We give below a list of some of the most pop