Tabletformulering

Tabletformulering is the process of combining active pharmaceutical ingredients with excipients to create a finished tablet dosage form. This formulation development is a critical step in pharmaceutical manufacturing, aiming to ensure the tablet's stability, efficacy, and patient acceptability. The choice of excipients is vital and depends on the properties of the active ingredient, the desired release profile, and the manufacturing process. Common excipients include diluents to add bulk, binders to hold the tablet together, disintegrants to help the tablet break apart in the body, lubricants to prevent sticking during manufacturing, and glidants to improve powder flow.

The goals of tablet formulation are multifaceted. It must ensure the accurate and consistent dosage of the drug. The formulation must also protect the active ingredient from degradation, allowing for a suitable shelf life. Furthermore, it should facilitate the drug's release at the intended site of absorption within the body, whether immediate or modified (e.g., sustained-release or enteric-coated). Patient factors such as ease of swallowing, taste, and appearance are also considered to improve compliance.

Tablet formulation involves a series of tests and evaluations throughout the development process. These include pre-formulation studies to understand the physicochemical properties of the drug and excipients, compatibility studies to ensure no adverse interactions, and optimization of the formulation to achieve desired tablet characteristics. Manufacturing processes like wet granulation, dry granulation, and direct compression are selected based on the formulation's properties. Finally, the finished tablets undergo rigorous quality control testing to confirm their weight uniformity, hardness, friability, disintegration time, and drug content.