ABSTRACT
The coating of dosage forms can be traced to ancient times; it evolved to largescale pan coating using sugar and, finally, to the use of polymers for film coating (1). The application of polymeric films onto solid oral dosage forms was a major advance in drug delivery, because the coatings could modulate drug release as well as protect the drug from a surrounding environment. Traditionally, most polymer-based film coating has been done using solvated solutions of polymers. The acceptability of using organic solvents for pharmaceutical coating processes has been decreasing due to a variety of factors, including stricter emission limits, worker safety, and health issues.
