Most of the drug products available in the market are for oral drug administration. Oral route is preferred due to ease of administration, versatility, patient compliance and accurate dosing. However, oral administration is not suitable for people with dysphasia, a condition that results in difficulty in swallowing. Also, for many geriatric and pediatric patients, oral administration might not be a preferred route. In this regards, oral disintegrating tablets (ODT) provide a useful alternative. When ODT comes in contact with saliva, these tablets disintegrate instantaneously (within 30 sec) resulting in the release of drug. Furthermore, since it undergoes pre-gastric absorption, it bypasses first pass metabolism, which can be beneficial for drugs with significant hepatic metabolism. This review article discusses the traditional and advanced technologies utilized in manufacturing of ODT, excipient selection and quality control test. The article also discusses its application in various disease conditions.
College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY, USA
Advance Pharmaceutical Journal 2017; 2(2): 54-64