What is the purpose of an enteric-coated tablet?

What is the purpose of an enteric-coated tablet?

• A. Protect drug and taste
• B. Dissolves in the small intestine
• C. Increase shelf life
• D. Mask odor

Answer: (B)

Enteric-coated tablets use a coating that resists dissolving in the stomach’s acidic environment and only breaks down when it reaches the higher pH of the small intestine. This protects drugs that would be damaged by stomach acid and also helps prevent irritation of the stomach lining from certain medications. So, the drug is released in the small intestine, not in the stomach. Other options aren’t the primary purpose of this coating: taste masking or odor masking can be achieved by other formulations, and simply increasing shelf life isn’t the main function of an enteric coating.

Enteric-coated tablets use a coating that resists dissolving in the stomach’s acidic environment and only breaks down when it reaches the higher pH of the small intestine. This protects drugs that would be damaged by stomach acid and also helps prevent irritation of the stomach lining from certain medications. So, the drug is released in the small intestine, not in the stomach. Other options aren’t the primary purpose of this coating: taste masking or odor masking can be achieved by other formulations, and simply increasing shelf life isn’t the main function of an enteric coating.