A REVIEW ON FAST DISSOLVING TABLETS: A NEW PERSPECTIVE IN DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM

Parthiban S. and Manjesh Gowda U. S.*

ABSTRACT

Fast dissolving tablets have emerged as one of the most popular and widely accepted dosage forms, particularly for pediatric patients with incomplete muscular and nervous system development, as well as geriatric patients suffering from Parkinson's disease or hand tremors. Few solid dosage forms, such as capsules and tablets, are currently facing issues such as difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), resulting in a substantial amount of noncompliance and rendering therapy ineffective. The oral dosage form and route of administration are the most recommended routes of administration for a variety of medications; however, they have limitations such as first-pass metabolism, mental patients, immobile and unwilling patients. FDTs disintegrate or dissolve quickly in saliva, without the need for water. Fast dissolving tablets are designed to dissolve in saliva much faster, within a few seconds. FDTs formulations contain super disintegrants to enhance the disintegration rate of a tablet in the buccal cavity. FDT formulations have the advantage of both conventional tablet formulation and liquid dosage formulations such as easy portability and manufacturing, accurate dosing, good chemical and physical stability. FDTs have disintegrated quickly, absorb faster so, in vitro drug release time improve and this property of drugs (dosage form) enhanced bioavailability. Several conventional or patented technologies for producing FDTs have been developed, including spray drying, cotton candy process, sublimation, melt granulation, direct compression freezes drying/lyophilization, phase transition process, mass extrusion, and many more. In this review contain detailed information about FDTs including definition, advantages, needs or requirements of FDTs, salient features of FDTs, limitations, challenges to developing FDT, excipients used in formulation, etc.

Keywords: Fast dissolving tablets, disintegration, bioavailability, granulation technique.