ABSTRACT
Pharmaceutical tablets may be defined as solid dosage forms containing drug substances
with or without adjuvants and prepared either by molding or compression. The features of
compressed tablets which propel their popularity with both producers and users include
ease and economy of production, precision of dosage, physical and chemical stability of
drug, durability, portability, compactness, elegance, and convenience of dispensing and
administration. Pharmaceutical tablets vary greatly in size, shape, and color. Size is
generally related to the amount of drug required for the desired dosage. The shape is
usually discoid with flat or biconvex surfaces although a wide variety of other shapes can
be found. Tablets may also be scored to facilitate tablet division or embossed for iden-
tification. Tablets may be sugar-, film-, or enteric-coated. Coating tablets helps in taste-
masking and gives protection against air, light, and moisture. Film coating offers better
moisture protection than sugar coats and is popular in the development of controlled drug
delivery systems. Enteric coatings resist dissolution in gastric fluid and prevent deacti-
vation of acid-sensitive drugs in the acidic environment but allow dissolution in the
alkaline intestinal fluid. Sometimes, enteric coating is applied for the purpose of pro-
longed release.
