Complete Guide to Different Pill Types

Tablets, the most widely used solid dosage form in pharmaceuticals, exhibit a multi-dimensional classification system. In addition to being categorized by drug release characteristics into immediate-release tablets, sustained or controlled-release tablets, and enteric-coated tablets, tablets can also be classified by usage into pill types including oral tablets, lozenges, and effervescent tablets; by composition into plain tablets, coated tablets, and multi-layer tablets; and by tablet manufacturing process into molded and compressed tablets. Different pill types reflect the development of formulation technologies and the demand for precision medicine.

What are different types of pills? Here is a detailed classification of tablet types, and we hope it gives you a more comprehensive understanding of this dosage form.

This detailed classification aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the world of tablets. Different pill types have specific usage methods and precautions. Please be sure to read instructions or seek professional medical advice before you take any medicine.

1. Viên thuốc Classification by Drug Release Characteristics

This is the most essential classification method in modern pharmaceutics, as it directly determines the drug’s release rate, absorption extent, and medication efficacy in the human body. By precisely controlling drug release properties, optimal therapeutic outcomes can be achieved while minimizing side effects, a basis for designing drug administration regimens.

1.1 Thông thường Compressed Tablet

Conventional compressed tablets are the most common pill type. This type of tablets are produced by uniformly mixing active pharmaceutical ingredient with excipients such as diluents, binders, and disintegrants, followed by tablet pressing. A key feature of these compressed tablets is their rapid disintegration in the gastrointestinal tract, which promotes drug dissolution and efficient absorption, leading to a quick onset of action.

A typical example is aspirin tablets. Due to the simple tablet manufacturing process, low cost, consistent quality, and ease of administration, this tablet type is the most widely used solid oral preparation in clinical practice.

1.2 Coated Tablet

Coated tablets are the dosage form in which a standard tablet core is enveloped by a thin film or sugar coating. This tablet type can be specifically categorized into film-coated and sugar-coated tablets.

●Sugar-coated tablets: Primarily use sucrose as the coating material, masking the bitter taste or unpleasant odor of drugs. However, due to the complex and time-consuming tablet manufacturing, this type of pills now become less commonly used, with early examples such as berberine tablets.  

●Film-coated tablets: More widely used today. This type of tablets employ thin polymer-based coatings that not only improve tablet taste but also provide moisture protection, light resistance, and enhanced stability. Coating technology improves drug safety and patient compliance, representing advancement in pharmaceutical manufacturing process.

1.3 Enteric-Coated Tablet

Enteric-coated tablets are a specialized category of film-coated tablets. The defining characteristic of this tablet type is an outer layer, or coating, protecting medication tablets from disintegrating or dissolving in gastric acid (pH 1-3). This protective barrier only dissolves upon reaching the near-neutral or alkaline conditions of small intestines (pH 7+). This design serves several critical purposes.

●Protecting API: The primary objective is to protect active pharmaceutical ingredients easily degraded or destroyed by stomach acid, such as certain antibiotics and enzymes.

●Protecting gastric mucosa: The pill coating shields the gastric mucosa from potential irritation or nausea caused by the drug.

●Targeted drug release: The tablet coating also allows for targeted medication release at a specific intestinal site for optimal absorption.

Importantly, enteric-coated pills must never be split or crushed, as this compromises the protective tablet coating and defeats its purposes. Common pill coating materials include pH-sensitive polymers.

1.4 Sustained Release Tablet & Controlled Release Tablet

Sustained-release and controlled-release tablets are advanced drug delivery systems designed to modulate how a medication is released in the body. Utilizing specialized formulation technologies, these types of pills prolong the drug release, and reduce a patient’s dosing frequency—for instance, from three times a day to just once. These types of tablets provide a more consistent, long-lasting therapeutic effect and minimize sharp peaks and troughs of drug content concentration in blood.

The key distinction between sustained/ controlled release tablets lies in the release pattern. Sustained release tablets deliver the drug non-constantly, merely extending drug duration of action, as seen in some 12-hour cold and flu capsules.

In contrast, controlled release pills are engineered for a precise, nearly constant (zero-order kinetic) release rate. This offers an exceptionally steady plasma level but demands a more complex technical achievement in design of pharmaceutical tablets, and tablet manufacturing.

1.5 Dispersible Tablet

Dispersible tablets are designed to form an even suspension by fast disintegrating in water. This type of tablets offer flexible administration—either swallowed whole like conventional tablets or dispersed in liquid for drinking, making them suitable for children, the elderly, and individuals with swallowing difficulties. Moreover, this pill type provides quick absorption and higher bioavailability, improving therapeutic effectiveness.

Additionally, dispersible tablets often ensure accurate dosing and ease of use, ideal for improving compliance in populations who struggle with traditional solid oral dosage forms. The rapid dispersion also allows for faster onset of action.

1.6 Effervescent Tablet

Effervescent tablets are a popular pharmaceutical or dietary supplement form that contains an effervescent disintegrant. As an effervescent tablet falls into drinking water, these agents react, producing carbon dioxide gas. This reaction causes fizzy tablets to rapidly disintegrate, creating a pleasantly fizzy solution.

To enhance user experience, effervescent tablets are often flavored with fruit tastes like lemon or orange, especially for those who have difficulty swallowing traditional pills. A common example is lemon-flavored vitamin C effervescent tablets.

When you use these tablets, they must be fully dissolved in water. Under no circumstances should an effervescent tablet ever be swallowed whole, as this can lead to a dangerous rapid gas release in the esophagus, potentially causing life-threatening choking.

2. Pill Classification by Usage & Administration Routes

This system classifies pharmaceutical tablets by their usage and route of administration, focusing on intended methods of consumption and how pharmaceutical tablets are administered.

2.1 Oral Tablet

Oral tablets are the most common tablet type, with the vast majority being designed for oral ingestion and subsequent absorption through the gastrointestinal tract. Most types of pills mentioned above are oral tablets.

2.2 Buccal Tablet

Buccal tablets are designed to dissolve slowly in the mouth, either exerting local effects, such as reducing inflammation, killing germs, or soothing throats. With the help of oral mucosa, this type of tablets are absorbed. Buccal tablets feature a firm texture and pleasant taste. A well-known example is Watermelon Frost Lozenges.

2.3 Sublingual Tablet

Sublingual tablets are designed to be placed under tongues. This type of pills can dissolve quickly and are absorbed directly into bloodstream through the mucosal tissue. This bypasses first-pass liver metabolism, resulting in a faster onset of drug action, ideal for drugs requiring rapid effects.

2.4 Chewable Tablet

Chewable tablets are designed to be broken down by chewing before swallowing, eliminating the need for water, a convenient option for children, the elderly, or individuals on the go. They are often pleasantly flavored, with children’s chewable vitamin tablets being a common example.

2.5 Buccal Patch

Oral patches are thin, flexible films designed to adhere to the inner cheek or gums. For achieving systemic absorption or localized treatment, buccal patches work by releasing medication slowly. A common example is the buccal patch that aids smokers in kicking away their smoking habits.

2.6 Solution Tablets

Solution tablets are not for direct oral consumption, while this pill type must be dissolved in water to create a solution for purposes like oral gargling, disinfection, or wound cleansing. It’s worth paying attention to a rule that this type of pills are strictly not for oral intake. If this type of tablets are swallowed, seek immediate medical help.

3. Classification by Material & Tablet Manufacturing Process

This classification is more aligned with tablet production techniques in pharmaceutics.

3.1 Compressed Tablets

Compressed tablets are the most common pill type of oral solid dosage form, manufactured either by direct tablet compression of powdered pharmaceutical ingredients or by granulation prior to tablet pressing. Key benefits include precise dosing, portability, excellent stability, and cost-effective tablet manufacturing.

3.2 Multi–layer Tablets

Multilayer tablets consist of two or more layers, each containing different drugs or varying release profiles for the same drug. This tablet type design prevents ingredient interactions, or creates combined products with different release rates. Examples include certain cold medicines and vitamin-mineral dietary supplements.

3.3 Matrix Tablets

Matrix tablets are a sustained-release dosage form where drug is dispersed within an inert skeleton material and compressed. The drug is then slowly released through the pores of this matrix.

4. Core Equipment of Tablet Manufacturing

Last but not least, how are tablets made? Among various types of tablet production machines incorporating the pulverizer, wet granulator, dry granulation machine, ingredient mixing machine, and tablet coating machine, tablet presses handling diverse pill types stand as the core tablet manufacturing machine to solve the issue of how to make pills.

A tablet pill press machine is a vital piece of equipment designed to compress powdered or granular ingredients into solid pharmaceutical tablets of precise pill shapes, sizes, and weight. The core function of pill presses is to ensure dosage accuracy and pill production efficiency, indispensable in mass-scale tablet manufacturing.

In terms of further functions, a reliable pharmaceutical tablet pressing machine guarantees consistent tablet hardness, thickness, and weight, critical metrics for tablet quality and regulatory compliance. Modern pill tablet presses are engineered for easy cleaning, quick mold changeover between different pill types and pill production batches.

In addition, an intelligent pill press tablet presser comprises excellent features for impressive automation and data integrity. Take RD HGZP 26D pill tablet press manufactured by Ruida Packing for an example. This pill presser enjoys:

●Automatic Lubrication: Intelligently lubricates components such as pressing wheels, and punch guide rails based on frequency and amount that you set, ensuring consistent machine performance and reducing wear on critical parts.

●Real-time Punch Pressure Tôionitoring: Allows for immediate detection and correction of variation on each punch’s compression force, preventing defective tablet hardness and weight.

●Tablet Weight Management: Uses sensors and feedback control to continuously adjust fill amount, making sure each compressed tablet meets stringent weight standards.

●Single-piece Waste Rejection: Automatically rejects any substandard tablet from the compression cycle without stopping production.

●Three-tiered Password Management: Restricts machine access and operational changes to authorized personnel, safeguarding the tablet manufacturing process and tablet pressing data security.

Final Lines

Pharmaceutical tablets are a diverse dosage form classified by their drug release profiles, routes of administration, and manufacturing methods. The successful tablet production of all these pill types relies on the essential auto tablet press machine to ensure the quality and medication efficacy of drug tablets.