ORAL DISINTEGRATING TABLETS (ODTs): RECENT ADVANCES IN MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES AND FUTURE PROSPECTS

Tablet swallowing difficulty primarily affects the geriatric and paediatric populations whereas unpalatable taste of drugs leads to patient non-compliance. Swallowing problems also are common in young individuals because of their underdeveloped muscular and nervous systems. Orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs) are one of the fruitful results of continuous technological advancements in the pharmaceutical industry. OD tablets play a major role in improving the patient‟s compliance . A variety of drugs can be administered in the form of OD tablets as they give the advantage of the liquid medication in the solid preparation. These novel types of dosage forms have found acceptance among the geriatric, paediatric and dysphasic patients. Oral-Dissolving Tablet (ODT) is a tablet that dissolves or disintegrates in the oral cavity without the need of water or chewing. It has been developed for oral administration, also called as fast -melt, rapid-melts, porous tablets or fast disintegrating or orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs). Fast or mouth dissolving tablets have been formulated for paediatric, geriatric, and bedridden patients and for active patients who are busy and travelling and may not have access to water. Such tablets readily dissolve or disintegrate in the saliva generally within <60 seconds. Orally disintegrating tablets can be prepared by various conventional methods like direct compression, wet granulation, moulding, spray drying, freeze drying, Cotton Candy Process and sublimation