An-Najah Staff

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the weight uniformity of some commonly divided tablets produced by Palestinian Pharmaceutical companies. Volunteers were asked to divide scored tablets. The split units were individually weighed and the relative standard deviation for each product was calculated. Five scored tablet products failed the United States Pharmacopeia test of mass uniformity; this indicates that the splitting of these tablet products is not reliable for the provision of accurate doses. The practice of dividing tablets to achieve therapeutic and economic benefits for the patient may cause significant problems, especially in drugs with low therapeutic indices. Pharmacists may resolve this inconvenience by reformulating the tablet into a new dosage form, such as capsules, which should contain the exact amount of the medication.