Tablets splitter

When tablets may be subdivided and they have a break-mark, the halves have to comply with the requirements on the uniformity of mass of the Ph. Eur. under Subdivision of tablets [2]. Up till now these requirements only apply for scored tablets where subdivision is necessary to meet all the doses that are mentioned in the product information, not for break-marks intended to ease swallowing. There are also requirements proposed on the loss of mass by subdivision and the ease of breaking. In a Dutch study on a representative selection of tablets with a market authorisation only 24 % complied with the requirements on the uniformity of mass of the halves, and 34 % with the proposed standards on ease of subdivision [19]. These results were comparable to those of other studies on patient experiences with the performance of score lines [16, 17]. A so called tablet splitter can be useful (Fig. 37.3), although it does not always give better results than a kitchen knife or breaking by hand. 

For patients with rheumatism several assistive devices exist, such as easy to open tablet containers and devices for opening blister packaged medication [23], Tablet splitters have already been mentioned (Sect. 37.4.3). A variety of assistive devices are available for the administration of eye drops. See Sect. 24.4.19.8. 

Van Riet-Nales DA, Doeve E, Nicia AE, Teerenstra S, Nootenboom K, Hekster Y, van den Bemt B (2014) The accuracy, precision, sustainability of different techniques for tablet subdivision breaking by hand and the use of tablet splitters or a kitchen knife. Int J Pharm. http //dx.doi.Org/10.1016/j.ijpharm2014.02.031... 

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