Bahlai TO
There are many patients for whom traditional tablets and capsules are not ideal dosage forms. It is difficult to persuade infants and very young children to swallow them, and they may pose a choking hazard. Older children may simply not want to take them. Adults can have difficulties, too, for example bariatric or geriatric patients often find swallowing a challenge, and those who have Parkinson’s disease can be particularly badly affected. Flash tablets or Orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs) provide an alternative to overcome these challenges. They resemble a traditional tablet but have one important difference: they disintegrate rapidly in the mouth, and therefore do not need to be swallowed. As well as the patient groups identified above, a significant proportion of the general population finds swallowing tablets difficult, and an ODT can greatly increase compliance. No liquid is required when taking the medication either, which is a significant advantage when on the go. ODTs have remarkable disintegration properties: They disintegrate rapidly, usually within a matter of seconds, when placed upon the tongue and can be swallowed without water or chewing (3). ODTs offer ease of administration and improved compliance, particularly in certain populations such as paediatric, elderly, and patients with swallowing difficulties. ODTs are also useful for those who have little or no access to water, such as travellers. The rapid onset of action is of benefit in drugs designed to treat acute conditions, such as migraines and psychiatric incidents, as well as conditions like insomnia. Furthermore, if the drug is absorbed within the oral cavity rather than being digested, it avoids the first pass of the liver. This pre-gastric absorption can reduce side effects caused by metabolites formed by liver enzymes. However, ODT technology experience serious challenges in the form of bad taste. Therefore, taste masking is key for the success of such technology. Hence one of the main applications of ODT is taste masking of active Pharmaceutical ingredients.
