How to Ensure Quality and Compliance in the Pharmaceutical Film Coating Process

January 8, 2024

In the dynamic landscape of health and wellness, medication consumption plays a pivotal role in managing and treating health conditions. Both acute and chronic conditions necessitate the use of pharmaceuticals and often the addition of nutritional supplements. These products need to be not only effective but also convenient, safe, and support user needs.

With billions of tablets produced and consumed annually, it is imperative to focus on their design and presentation for the end consumer. The goal is to enhance user experience, ensuring that each dosage is easy to handle, consume, and recognize. This article delves into the critical aspects of tablet design, shedding light on how we can improve health and wellness through pharmaceutical innovation.

Improving Medication Adherence: The Role of Tablet Design

Medication adherence stands as a crucial factor in successful health outcomes. Patients are more likely to follow a prescribed routine when the medication is convenient to carry and take, and easily recognizable.

A well designed tablet, free from defects, not only instills confidence in the product's quality but also fosters trust in the manufacturer.

• Shape, size, and color significantly influence appeal and functionality.
• Consistency in these elements ensures ease of identification, reducing the risk of medication errors.
• Especially in cases of polymedication, distinct tablet designs become indispensable.

Film Coating: Enhancing Quality and Safety

The application of a film coating on tablets serves multiple purposes:

• Safeguards the integrity of the active ingredients, protecting them from environmental factors.
• Aids in differentiating products, preventing medication mix-ups.
• Enhances patient adherence by improving swallowability and masking unpleasant tastes or odors.

While some manufacturers might opt for a simple white or clear coating, diversity in appearance reduces the risks associated with medication confusion and adds to the brand value.

Addressing the Titanium Dioxide Dilemma

The use of titanium dioxide (TiO2) in tablet coatings has come under scrutiny due to recent EU regulations concerning its use in food products. While these regulations do not directly apply to pharmaceuticals, they have sparked a debate on the use of TiO2 in tablet coatings. Here’s what you should know:

• TiO2 serves as an opacifier, protecting active ingredients.
• Provides whiteness and brightens colored coatings
• Despite its widespread use, alternatives are under consideration, driven by the regulatory uncertainty
• Opadry® TiO2 Free Film Coating System emerges as a viable and sustainable alternative, ensuring product stability and consumer safety.

Navigating Regulatory Landscapes and Ensuring Patient Safety

The ever-evolving regulatory landscape poses challenges but also opens doors to innovation in pharmaceutical development. Ensuring patient safety remains at the forefront:

• Compliance with regulatory expectations on tablet design, including considerations of size, shape, and color, is now paramount.
• Proactive adaptation to regulatory changes, especially concerning ingredients like TiO2, safeguards a brand’s market presence and consumer trust.
• Investing in alternative coating solutions aligns with current trends and positions a brand for future success.

Embracing Alternatives: The Future of Tablet Coatings

The industry is undergoing a shift away from traditional ingredients. This is being influenced by consumer concerns and a proactive move towards use of more sustainable materials.

Alternatives to solve the ongoing TiO2 dilemma include:

• Calcium carbonate emerges as a noteworthy alternative for film coating, providing protection against light degradation and enhancing product stability.
• Opadry TiO2 Free Film Coating System exemplifies innovation in this domain, ensuring visually appealing and safe tablet coatings.
• Strengthening Brand Reputation and Consumer Trust

In a market saturated with options, building and maintaining consumer trust becomes crucial. A brand's reputation hinges on the quality and safety of its products.

• Consistently delivering high-quality tablets with safe, compliant coatings solidifies a brand's standing in the market.
• Transparency about ingredients and manufacturing processes fosters consumer trust.
• Investing in alternative, safe coating solutions demonstrates a commitment to consumer safety and regulatory compliance.

These practices ensure a brand not only survives but thrives in the competitive pharmaceutical landscape.

Embrace the Future of Tablet Manufacturing

The pharmaceutical industry stands at a crossroads, with the EU food regulatory changes prompting a reevaluation of longstanding practices.

In navigating potential changes, Colorcon stands tall as a valuable partner, offering expertise and innovative solutions for tablet coatings. By choosing Colorcon, you choose a future of quality, efficacy, and success in pharmaceutical development and manufacturing.

As the industry navigates the conundrum presented by TiO2  the exploration of alternative coating solutions becomes a strategic choice. Colorcon offers a wealth of expertise and practical solutions ensuring that your products are not only compliant with current regulations but also positioned for long-term success.

Contact Colorcon today to explore how we can enhance your tablet coatings, strengthen your brand reputation, and support efficiency in pharmaceutical manufacturing.