Cutting Pills Could Be Dangerous

Scientists at the University of Ghent in Belgium conducted a study which affirms that cutting pills can be dangerous for health.

At the study five volunteers were asked to divide eight tablets of different shape and size; among the objects that patients used to split the pill were a kitchen knife, scissors and a special device for the division.

The scientists found that 31% of the cut tablets contained different amounts of the dose. It was found that with the use of the special device for division was achieved a more accurate cutting, however, this also produced errors in the 13% of cases.

Unequal sizes can alter the dose that the patient needs and trigger a serious problem; in the pills that contain a toxic and a therapeutic part is more dangerous the case.

Dr. Charlotte Verrue, who led the study, explains that there are many reasons of why people cut their pills. “It is done to increase the dose, to make easy to swallow, and save money by both: patients and doctors.” She also believes that drug companies should provide greater variety of doses and liquid formulations in order to finish with tablets division.

Source: BBC