Why is it not a good idea to crush tablets?

Many people who have trouble swallowing often resort to crushing their tablets to make them easier to swallow. This can be a dangerous thing to do and along with opening capsules should not be done unless you have checked with your pharmacist first.

Tablets can be ‘sugar coated’, ‘enteric coated’ or coated to modify how the medicine is released into the body. Each of these coatings is there for a different reason.

A sugar coating or film coating surrounds the tablet to make it taste better. Crushing these tablets may not seriously affect how the tablet works but may cause it to taste very unpleasant.

If a tablet has an ‘enteric coating’, it should never be crushed before being taken. The coating is designed to hold the tablet together in the stomach, which could be to: 

• Protect the stomach from the medicine
• Protect the medicine from the stomach
• Release the medicine after leaving the stomach e.g. in the intestines

 ‘Modified release’ means the medicine inside the tablet has been modified so that it is released slowly and doesn’t require to be taken as often. Also the amount of medicine in the body increases slowly and reduces the chance of side effects. If this type of ‘modified release’ is crushed and taken the whole dose is released and absorbed quickly which could be harmful.

If tablets are difficult for you to take then consult your GP or pharmacist and ask for a liquid alternative.