Information for health care professionals

Why tablet crushing or opening capsules should be avoided

Before a health professional decides to crush a tablet or open a capsule there are both clinical and legal issues that they must be aware of.

Clinical Issues

Certain types of medicine should never be crushed or opened prior to administration.

An explanation of how tablets are formulated.

Find out about the various tablet and capsule coatings and how these affect the action of the medicine.

Learn more about how medicines work.

General overview of which types of tablets and capsules cannot be crushed or opened and why.

Legal Issues

Information on the legal Issues surrounding tablet crushing and capsule opening.

Go to the Protocol and find out what questions should be asked before making the decision to crush a medicine.

Comprehensive list of liquid and non-oral alternatives to tablet or capsule formulations.

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