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To the Editor: The cost of some medication regimens can be decreased by as much as 50% if patients split high-dose tablets to achieve an intended lower dose.¹ Some studies have concluded that tablet splitting does not affect compliance.¹ On the other hand, actual dosages of hand-split tablets may deviate by more than 20%, and some patients may be willing to pay more to avoid splitting.^1-2 Another study, however, found that splitting lisinopril did not change control of stable hypertension, and most patients were willing to split tablets.³ Nonetheless, a recent literature review concluded available literature was too limited to adequately address the safety of this practice.⁴

Tablet splitting may be influenced by tablet shape, size, splitting technique/device, and patient ability. We assessed the ability of elderly patients to split various tablet types with 2 tablet splitters of different designs.

Methods

Both tablet splitters consist of a base that holds the . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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