Tablet Splitting

The economy being what it is, people are turning more and more to splitting tablets as a way to save money. This trend is not just for medicines that the pet owner may be using, but also for they way in which the pet owner is giving their dog or cat the medication prescribed by the veterinarian.

What is tablet splitting? Let's say the pet is taking 5 mg of a medication that is also available as a 10 mg tablet. Both tablets cost the same, so the client convinces the veterinarian to write for the 10 mg tablet to give 1/2 of a tablet to the pet. On the surface this can appear to be a money-saving strategy, but is it?

Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the American Medical Association, and other medical organizations have begun to advise against this practice unless it's specified in the drug's labeling.

Why is tablet splitting not always a safe practice?

• The medicine may not be evenly distributed in each half of the tablet. Even if the tablet has a score (a line that runs down the tablet), each half of the tablet, even if they look the same, may not contain equal amounts of medication. One half may contain more medication and the other half less medication.
• Not all pills are safe to split. Capsules, time-release drugs (ER, XR, TD), and tablets with special coatings, such as enteric coated (EC) tablets should always be swallowed whole.
• Some tablets, especially if they are too small, have an unusual shape, or are soft enough that they would crumble easily, should not be split.
• There is a possibilty that the owner can forget to split the pill and give the full (double strength) dose to the pet.

The FDA has approved drugs where tablet splitting is part of the manufacturer's drug application. According to Mansoor Khan, Ph.D., Director of the Division of Product Quality Research in FDA's Office of Pharmaceutical Science, "FDA does not encourage the practice of tablet splitting unless it's specified in the drug's professional prescribing information. If a patient is considering splitting a tablet, FDA recommends that the patient get advice from his or her doctor or pharmacist to determine whether it is appropriate or not for a particular drug." Obviously, for medication we are giving our pets, we would check with the veterinarian or pharmacist.

For further information featuring the latest on all FDA-regulated proucts, check the FDA's Consumer Updates page.