Tablet Splitting Practice And Its Implications

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), health is defined not only as the absence of disease, but also as a state of physical, psychological and social well-being as an individual, as well as collectively. Thus, the concept of public health acknowledges the fact that health worker interventions include not only clinical services which focus mostly on somatic and psychological aspects, but also social interventions such as production, rent distribution, consumption, housing, work environment, etc. On the other hand irrational use of medicines is also a public health concern and major problem worldwide. Rational use of medications requires that patients receive correct dose at the correct period of time.Tablet Splitting Practice And Its Implications

Public education on this subject is fundamental, since the vast majority of medications are prescribed by a physician, including dosage, frequency, length of treatment and the correct method of administration; and even if a pharmacist were able to solve all the patient’s questions on common administration practices and the best hours to take the medications, it is the patient who decides whether or not to follow those instructions, basing his/her decision on a complex set of family beliefs, social, economic, and health factors. The patient decides whether or not to buy the medication, take the right doses at the correct frequency, and take it as indicated or split it, especially when dealing with over-the-counter medications.