Quality Control During Tablet Compression
Tablet compression in the pharmaceutical industry is an important stage in the drug production process. At this stage, a powder is subjected to compression into tablets having a specific size and shape. Manufacturers have to ensure that the production of tablets meets certain quality control standards in order to be sure that the tablets can be utilized safely and efficiently. In this article, we are going to discuss how different aspects and factors of tablet compression should be monitored.
Tablet Weight Check
The weight of each tablet produced should be checked to make sure it falls within an allowable range. This range is determined by the weight of the tablet with its fill material and coating taken into account. If any tablets fall outside of this acceptable range, they should be discarded immediately, as they may not contain the correct amount of active ingredients or excipients.
Hardness Test
During compression, tablets are tested for hardness using a special device called a hardness tester. The device measures the amount of force needed to break a tablet along its length. If a tablet needs a lot of force to break, it is also considered harder. Hardness tests are necessary to ensure that each tablet is strong enough to survive the handling process during its transportation and storage periods without breaking into powder.
Friability Test
These are just some of the quality control parameters that must be monitored during tablet compression in order to ensure that all products manufactured meet safety requirements set forth by regulatory agencies such as the FDA, USP, and ICH guidelines. Manufacturers in the pharmaceutical industry need to adhere strictly to these quality control standards in order to guarantee that their products maintain their efficacy throughout shipping and storage, so that end users can receive only safe and effective medications every time.
A friability test measures how much abrasion a tablet can take before it begins to disintegrate or crumble apart due to wear and tear from packaging and transport. The standard friability test subjects 10 tablets at a time to 25 rotations inside a drum lined with abrasive paper; if more than one per cent of any given batch breaks apart during this test, then those tablets should be discarded immediately as they are too fragile for use.