Can you cut caplets

In fact, United Healthcare has actively urged its members to ask for more potent drugs with the intention of splitting them to reduce monthly prescription copays. An analysis from Consumer Reports offers 4 smart steps that pharmacy staff can share with patients to ensure they safely split pills.

Certain drugs for certain conditions—including high cholesterol medications like lovastatin Mevacor and rosuvastatin Crestor , and depression medications like sertraline Zoloft —can be split without reducing drug efficacy or causing negative side effects.

However, other medications such as oxycodone Oxycontin , omeprazole Prilosec , chemotherapy drugs, and contraceptives should never be split. Dividing delayed- or extended-released tablets or pills with protective coating for the stomach can be dangerous. Menopause and memory: Know the facts. How to get your child to put away toys. Is a common pain reliever safe during pregnancy?

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Free Healthbeat Signup Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox! Sign Up. Close Thanks for visiting. However, some tablets may not be suitable for this method because of their unique shape and size—even if they appear to be scored. It is important to discuss this issue with your healthcare professional to determine what is best for you. Most sustained, controlled, or timed release medications are not meant for splitting.

When you switch from one brand of medicine to another, you and your healthcare professional should confirm whether the newly prescribed tablet is splitable, even if the original tablet could be split. The same medications can be manufactured differently, thus may not have been developed to be split.