There are many types of tablets on the market, and each type of tablet often comes in different shapes and sizes. In addition to the more common round tablets, we also see many shaped tablets. There are differences in appearance even between medicines with the same effect.

Why do drug manufacturers design different shapes and sizes for tablets? This involves the following factors:

1.Patient adherence

Tablet size and shape have a significant impact on patient adherence. Difficulty swallowing drugs may lead to patient rejection of treatment options, especially for patients with dysphagia and special populations such as the elderly and children. More patient-centric designs can help promote adherence to dosing regimens.

About 16 million people in the U.S. suffer from swallowing disorders, the FDA said in a report. Taking tablets or capsules is not an easy task for patients who have difficulty swallowing. Among those suffering from dysphagia, fewer than 25% discussed the problem with a healthcare professional, 8% choose to skip a dose of prescribed medication, and 4% discontinued therapy because the tablets or capsules were difficult to swallow.

To solve this problem, in addition to strengthening medical guidance and communication, drug manufacturers are also required to make efforts in drug design, such as replacing the flat design that is easy to adhere to the esophagus with an oval design that is easier to swallow, thereby improving patient adherence.

2.The safety of taking medicine

The size and shape of the tablet also affect the transfer of the drug in the throat and esophagus. Studies have shown that smaller pills take significantly less time to pass through the esophagus than larger pills. Swallowing large pills not only causes a choking sensation but also local pain in the esophagus and the potential for serious sequelae including ulceration and perforation. Therefore, drug manufacturers need to consider the potential safety hazards in the design stage of the drug, to determine the shape and size of the drug.

3.Brand awareness

Excellent appearance design can improve the recognition of medicines, so that patients can easily distinguish this brand of products from other medicines, thereby increasing the probability of patients choosing this brand of products.

However, tablet shape contributes more than just appearance. It can create better consumer experiences, translating into improved patient adherence and enhanced brand awareness.

Compared with conventional tablets, shaped tablets are more difficult to package. Shaped tablets are more likely to be damaged during the feeding process, and smaller tablets also have higher requirements for the forming of blisters and the accuracy of feeding.

Hoping Machinery has rich experience in the packaging of shaped tablets. We can complete the precise feeding of various shaped tablets through the method of disc brush feeding. And we have successfully realized the feeding and packaging of tablets of different volumes on the same blister through multi-stage feeding. Our series of DPP plate blister packaging machines and DPH roller blister packaging machines can produce high-quality blisters for various tablets, and you can find a satisfactory packaging solution with the machine of Hoping Machinery.

If you want to order our products or want to know more about our machines, you can ask us for consulting services through the official website, Hoping Machinery sincerely looks forward to your visit!

Reference source：

https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/size-shape-and-other-physical-attributes-generic-tablets-and-capsules