Many people break the tablet in half, crush it to make it easier to consume.
We’ve all done this — difficulty swallowing a tablet, so we break it, crush it, or chew it.
Seems harmless, right?
But for some medicines, this can completely change how the drug works.
Not all tablets are designed to release the drug immediately.
Some are made with special formulations like:
• Enteric-coated tablets
These have a protective layer so the drug doesn’t get destroyed by stomach acid or irritate the stomach. Crushing them removes this protection.
• Sustained/extended-release tablets (SR, CR, ER, XL)
These release medicine slowly over many hours.
Crushing them can cause the entire dose to release at once — leading to side effects or toxicity.
• Film-coated or special delivery tablets
Some coatings control taste, absorption site, or stability.
So when these are crushed:
The drug may act too fast
Side effects may increase
The intended effect may be reduced
That’s why instructions like “Do not crush or chew” are very important.
Have you ever crushed a tablet without knowing it could change how the medicine works?
MBH/AB