Tablet divider
The tablet divider is a mechanical device used to divide tablets . It contains a hard blade that divides the tablet into two roughly equal parts. The tablet divider is used in particular for reasons of individual dose adjustment to save costs with drugs .
construction
Tablet dividers usually have the shape of a hinged box. There is a hard blade on the inside of one half of the hinged box, and on the inside of the other half there is a groove or holder for attaching the tablet to be divided. By closing the tablet, the tablet is divided into two roughly equal parts. The tablet divider often also contains a compartment in which the tablet half that is not required can be stored.
Benefits and Limits
Around 50% of German patients share at least one of their prescribed drugs. In addition to dividing tablets directly by hand, kitchen knives or tablet dividers in particular are used as aids. The tablet dividing offers the possibility to adjust the dosage individually. Such an adjustment is particularly desirable if a drug in the desired dose is not on the market or if incremental or gradual doses are required. Another reason that is frequently mentioned is the costs for the patient and possibly the prescribing doctor. Since the price of a drug usually does not increase linearly with its dose, costs can be saved by dividing a higher-dose drug. In addition, the range of the drug pack is extended. More rarely, tablets are divided to make them easier to take, especially if they have difficulty swallowing.
Not all tablets can be divided. In particular, tablets with a gastro- resistant coating ( enteric coated tablets ), coated tablets , and osmotic systems (eg. B. OROS) is not intrinsically to divide. In the case of prolonged-release tablets , the rate of release of the active ingredient may be changed. In individual cases, the tablet dividing through the release of the medicinal substances can also have a directly damaging effect on the person dividing the tablets or on third parties who come into contact with dusts from the divided tablets. Whether sharing is possible cannot always be found in the information for use or the product information for the medicinal product. Even a groove or notch on a tablet is not an indication of a possible divisibility. Many tablets that are not intended for division have so-called decorative grooves or notches.
The tablet dividers on the market differ in their dividing accuracy. The result when using a suitable tablet divider is generally more precise than when dividing manually. In particular, tablet dividers prove to be superior in the case of tablets that can in principle be divided without a score line.
See also
literature
- Stiftung Warentest: Share - but do it right . In: test (magazine) . No. 9, 2007, pp. 94-95.
- Clarissa Wild: tablet parts. Make two out of one . In: Pharmaceutical newspaper . No. 40, 2010.
- Mona Tawab, Gabriele Lühr, Janine Bohnet et al .: Knives not as bad as their reputation . In: Pharmaceutical newspaper . No. 43, 2011.
