title: [Orally disintegrating tablets--advantages and drawbacks].
abstract: Orally disintegrating tablets (ODT) or fast-melting tablets have  gained appeal lately. ODT are tablets which disintegrate in the mouth  within seconds without the need for additional liquid. This dosage  form was originally developed to improve the compliance of patients  who had difficulty in swallowing tablets, such as children, the  elderly and bedridden patients. ODTs combine the advantages of solid  dosage forms with those of liquid forms and appeal to broader groups  of patients than originally expected. ODTs may prove to have higher  bioavailability and an earlier pharmacological effect than conventional  tablets. Technical challenges are related to taste masking, mechanical  strength and stability to humidity.
authors.affiliation: Institutt for farmasi, Universitetet i Tromsø, Norway. ingunn.tho@uit.no
authors.forename: Ingunn
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tho
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D004355:Drug Stability; D006801:Humans; D013607:Tablets / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D013678:Technology, Pharmaceutical
chemical_list: D013607:Tablets