tuggformen

Tuggformen, or chewable dosage forms, refers to dosage forms designed to be chewed or masticated before swallowing. The category includes products such as chewable tablets (tuggtabletter) and chewing gums used for medicinal purposes, as well as other chewable or mastication-friendly formats. These forms are typically formulated to release the active ingredient during chewing and/or after contact with saliva.

Chewable tablets are solid units that are designed to be chewed to aid release of the drug, improve taste masking, and facilitate administration for patients who have difficulty swallowing. Chewing gums and other chewable formats may rely on buccal or sublingual absorption in addition to oral swallowing, enabling varied onset profiles depending on the drug and formulation.

Advantages of tuggformen include ease of administration for children and adults with dysphagia, improved palatability through flavors and sweeteners, and flexible dosing. They can also offer rapid onset for certain drugs due to buccal or oral cavity exposure and may improve adherence in some populations. Disadvantages include higher sugar content in many formulations, potential dental concerns, moisture sensitivity that can affect stability, and limitations on the amount of active ingredient that can be delivered per dose. Not all drugs are suitable for chewable forms, and formulation must balance taste, texture, disintegration, and release kinetics.

Formulation considerations focus on taste masking, flavor and sweetener choice, texture and hardness, disintegration behavior, and stability in the presence of moisture. Common examples include vitamin and mineral chews, analgesic chewables, and calcium carbonate antacids. See also lozenges and orodispersible tablets for related mouth-dissolving dosage forms.