Splitting pills in half?

Question

Sometimes a physician will instruct the patient to reduce the dosage of a prescription medication by 50%.Obviously, if the tablet has an enteric coating, or is in a special encapsulation (such as with medications like Pristiq), it should not be split in half.But what about other medications? Can they be split in half?I have heard that, unless the pill is scored, the patient should not split the pill in half. The reasoning I have always been provided is that the active ingredient in the pill may not be evenly distributed.Is this true? Or is it a way to sell more medications and increase profits?Is there any scientific (or even anecdotal) evidence regarding this?

Answer 1

In general, pills that have a score may be split in half. Pills that have an extended release mechanism, enteric coating, capsules and others are not meant to be split. There are a number of medications that may be split in half safely, but do not have a score. The easiest way is to ask the prescribing physician, or the pharmacist whether it is safe to split the pill, and whether you will be effectively treated by 1/2 of the dose.

For instance, antibiotics generally should not be split unless specifically instructed to do so, as 1/2 of the prescribed dose is not likely to be effective. Some patients are very sensitive to medications, and some patients, like children, often require that the dosage be cut in half or reduced.

As always, prescription drugs are prescription for a reason - they require expert advice to be used safely and effectively.