The practice of dividing tablets: An uncertain act

Pareja David; Manrique Clara; Gualdron Diego; Contreras Heidy

doi:https://dx.doi.org/10.26650/IstanbulJPharm.2022.054

Research Article

DOI :10.26650/IstanbulJPharm.2022.054 IUP :10.26650/IstanbulJPharm.2022.054 Full Text (PDF)

The practice of dividing tablets: An uncertain act

David Galvis Pareja, Clara Ines Manrique, Diego Rojas Gualdron, Heidy Contreras

Background and Aims: Tablets can be split by patients for a number of reasons, using various instruments. Tablets can be scored or unscored; if scored, they may be split into pieces, and in spite of guidelines to do so patients are still at risk of resultant drug dose fluctuations, or being exposed to toxic or subtherapeutic doses. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in weight between halves of tablets, split by different populations and with different devices. Methods: 3-factor full factorial design (3 runs) was used with participants: patients, caregivers, nurses, medical doctors, and pharmacists; instruments: scissors, tablet cutters, knives, hand; drugs: losartan, clonidine, metoprolol, and warfarin. The risk of unequal tablet splitting was estimated and analyzed for each factor and their interaction with linearized generalized models. Results: Differences in weight were found to be above 15% and 25% of the theoretical weight as in general, the highest weight variations after splitting were found in clonidine with patients using scissors. The overall risk of non-equal tablet splitting was 22.5% for deviations > 15% and for > 25%. Conclusion: In this study, no tablet was split into halves of equal weight; based on these findings, splitting tablets is a questionable practice.

Keywords: Splitting tablets, Equal weight, Amount, Patients, Risk

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APA

Pareja, D.G., Manrique, C.I., Gualdron, D.R., & Contreras, H. (2022). The practice of dividing tablets: An uncertain act. İstanbul Journal of Pharmacy, 52(2), 143-147. https://doi.org/10.26650/IstanbulJPharm.2022.054

AMA

Pareja D G, Manrique C I, Gualdron D R, Contreras H. The practice of dividing tablets: An uncertain act. İstanbul Journal of Pharmacy. 2022;52(2):143-147. https://doi.org/10.26650/IstanbulJPharm.2022.054

ABNT

Pareja, D.G.; Manrique, C.I.; Gualdron, D.R.; Contreras, H. The practice of dividing tablets: An uncertain act. İstanbul Journal of Pharmacy, [Publisher Location], v. 52, n. 2, p. 143-147, 2022.

Chicago: Author-Date Style

Pareja, David Galvis, and Clara Ines Manrique and Diego Rojas Gualdron and Heidy Contreras. 2022. “The practice of dividing tablets: An uncertain act.” İstanbul Journal of Pharmacy 52, no. 2: 143-147. https://doi.org/10.26650/IstanbulJPharm.2022.054

Chicago: Humanities Style

Pareja, David Galvis, and Clara Ines Manrique and Diego Rojas Gualdron and Heidy Contreras. “The practice of dividing tablets: An uncertain act.” İstanbul Journal of Pharmacy 52, no. 2 (May. 2024): 143-147. https://doi.org/10.26650/IstanbulJPharm.2022.054

Harvard: Australian Style

Pareja, DG & Manrique, CI & Gualdron, DR & Contreras, H 2022, 'The practice of dividing tablets: An uncertain act', İstanbul Journal of Pharmacy, vol. 52, no. 2, pp. 143-147, viewed 18 May. 2024, https://doi.org/10.26650/IstanbulJPharm.2022.054

Harvard: Author-Date Style

Pareja, D.G. and Manrique, C.I. and Gualdron, D.R. and Contreras, H. (2022) ‘The practice of dividing tablets: An uncertain act’, İstanbul Journal of Pharmacy, 52(2), pp. 143-147. https://doi.org/10.26650/IstanbulJPharm.2022.054 (18 May. 2024).

MLA

Pareja, David Galvis, and Clara Ines Manrique and Diego Rojas Gualdron and Heidy Contreras. “The practice of dividing tablets: An uncertain act.” İstanbul Journal of Pharmacy, vol. 52, no. 2, 2022, pp. 143-147. [Database Container], https://doi.org/10.26650/IstanbulJPharm.2022.054

Vancouver

Pareja DG, Manrique CI, Gualdron DR, Contreras H. The practice of dividing tablets: An uncertain act. İstanbul Journal of Pharmacy [Internet]. 18 May. 2024 [cited 18 May. 2024];52(2):143-147. Available from: https://doi.org/10.26650/IstanbulJPharm.2022.054 doi: 10.26650/IstanbulJPharm.2022.054

ISNAD

Pareja, DavidGalvis - Manrique, ClaraInes - Gualdron, DiegoRojas - Contreras, Heidy. “The practice of dividing tablets: An uncertain act”. İstanbul Journal of Pharmacy 52/2 (May. 2024): 143-147. https://doi.org/10.26650/IstanbulJPharm.2022.054

Volume 52, Issue 22022, P. 143-147

TIMELINE

Submitted	09.06.2020
Accepted	10.12.2020
Published Online	29.08.2022

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The practice of dividing tablets: An uncertain act

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