Throughout our lives, we all tend to have developed our own medicinal needs that require us to consume supplements in order to remain healthy and fight diseases. Supplements in the form of tablets are regarded for their effectiveness and ease of administration than compared with other alternatives. However, not all medicines in form of tablets have substantial efficacy. Normal uncoated tablets are prone to dissociate in the early stages of digestive processes due to different pH environments. This results in the partial assimilation of the drug and insufficient response in the body against illnesses or other complications after the drug has been administrated. In order to make the drug remain intact until it reaches the required point of digestion, enteric-coated drugs were introduced that prevented the dissociation of drug in unfavorable pH conditions found inside the human body.
Enteric coating is a type of polymer which prevents the disintegration of degradation of the drug in gastric or unsuitable pH environments. This coating favors the controlled or delayed release of the drug in designated space that is the small intestine where it is to be assimilated. The assimilation usually takes place in the small intestine due to the appropriate pH level of 6.6, while in the stomach the pH is much lower which do not allow efficient absorption of the drug. The enteric coating is usually made of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose phthalate (HPMCP), polyvinyl acetate phthalate, diethyl phthalate, and cellulose acetate phthalate. Examples of Enteric-coated drugs include Erythromycin, Pancrelipase, Ibuprofen etc.
Enteric-coated tablets are often used to protect the inner lining of the stomach from side effects such as irritation, nausea and bleeding. These side effects are caused by uncoated drugs such as aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Similarly, Enteric-coated drugs have a longer shelf life than compared to normal drugs. Also, entric-coated drugs can shield the order or the taste of some medicines that a consumer might find unsuitable, this can be especially beneficial for children or elderly. Furthermore, these drugs can reduce the frequent uptake of un-coated drugs as enteric-coated ones can be fully absorbed once and can have increased efficacy. Although these drugs are a better alternative to traditional uncoated drugs, there are some disadvantages that need to be considered.
The first disadvantage involved is that It can interfere with the pharmacodynamic properties of active ingredients. Active ingredients are the most crucial part of the drug which helps create a reaction that is beneficial for the body. If the active ingredient is altered, it can lead to non-functionality of the drug. This particular drug delivery process using enteric coating is relatively expensive, causing enteric coated medicine to be significantly expensive than uncoated ones. Also, the expense involved in the creation of these drugs is also relatively large due to the various ingredients required in the manufacturing of the coating.
In conclusion, although enteric-coated drugs have been in use since 1930s, further research and investigations into this field can invoke new prospects regarding the overall pharmacokinetics of the drugs and how it can be modified in order to suit personal medication needs of every individual.
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