Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 4 complete abstracts (753 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
Solid dosage forms, of varying weight, size, and shape, which may be molded or compressed, and which contain a medicinal substance in pure or diluted form. (Dorland, 28th ed)
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Tablet.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Dosage Forms
- Narrower topics
- Tablets, Enteric-Coated
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 29,821 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Tablets” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 5,272 of them (17.7%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 10,820 records.
Reviews account for 1,096 records (3.7%) and meta-analyses for 91. Randomized controlled trials number 3,822 (12.8%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up a comparatively large share of this literature, which means many treatment questions have been tested directly.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 10,820 |
| 2000-2009 | 5,927 |
| 2010-2019 | 7,802 |
| 2020 onward | 5,272 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 1,096 | 3.7% |
| Meta-analyses | 91 | 0.3% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 3,822 | 12.8% |
Method: PubMed query "Tablets"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in drugs and chemicals
Studies of a chemical or drug can answer very different questions: what it is and how it behaves in cells and animals, how the body handles it, and whether it changes outcomes in people. Laboratory and animal findings often do not carry over to patients, and observational studies of exposures are confounded by who uses a substance and why. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to use, avoid, start or stop any substance or medicine; talk to a qualified clinician or pharmacist about your own situation. Check the dose, the species, the comparison group and whether a patient-relevant outcome was measured.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Review of Disintegration Mechanisms and Measurement Techniques | 2017 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 218 | cc by PMID 28251425 · DOI · PMC5382187 |
| Extended-release ketamine tablets for treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled phase 2 trial | 2024 | Randomized controlled trial Design not recorded in structured metadata | 48 | cc by PMID 38914860 · DOI · PMC11271411 |
| Formulation and Quality Control of Orally Disintegrating Tablets (ODTs): Recent Advances and Perspectives | 2021 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 43 | cc by PMID 34977245 · DOI · PMC8719989 |
| Spatial and Temporal Visualization of Polymorphic Transformations in Pharmaceutical Tablets | 2025 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 5 | cc by PMID 39545584 · DOI · PMC11720378 |
A Review of Disintegration Mechanisms and Measurement Techniques [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Pharmaceutical solid dosage forms (tablets or capsules) are the predominant form to administer active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to the patient.
- Closing excerpt
- This review further summarises mathematical models used to simulate disintegration phenomena and to predict drug release kinetics.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (146 words)
Pharmaceutical solid dosage forms (tablets or capsules) are the predominant form to administer active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to the patient. Tablets are typically powder compacts consisting of several different excipients in addition to the API. Excipients are added to a formulation in order to achieve the desired fill weight of a dosage form, to improve the processability or to affect the drug release behaviour in the body. These complex porous systems undergo different mechanisms when they come in contact with physiological fluids. The performance of a drug is primarily influenced by the disintegration and dissolution behaviour of the powder compact. The disintegration process is specifically critical for immediate-release dosage forms. Its mechanisms and the factors impacting disintegration are discussed and methods used to study the disintegration in-situ are presented. This review further summarises mathematical models used to simulate disintegration phenomena and to predict drug release kinetics.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 28251425 · DOI · PMC5382187
Extended-release ketamine tablets for treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled phase 2 trial [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Ketamine has rapid-onset antidepressant activity in patients with treatment-resistant major depression (TRD).
- Closing excerpt
- gov registration: ACTRN12618001042235 .
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (300 words)
Ketamine has rapid-onset antidepressant activity in patients with treatment-resistant major depression (TRD). The safety and tolerability of racemic ketamine may be improved if given orally, as an extended-release tablet (R-107), compared with other routes of administration. In this phase 2 multicenter clinical trial, male and female adult patients with TRD and Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores ≥20 received open-label R-107 tablets 120 mg per day for 5 days and were assessed on day 8 (enrichment phase). On day 8, responders (MADRS scores ≤12 and reduction ≥50%) were randomized on a 1:1:1:1:1 basis to receive double-blind R-107 doses of 30, 60, 120 or 180 mg, or placebo, twice weekly for a further 12 weeks. Nonresponders on day 8 exited the study. The primary endpoint was least square mean change in MADRS for each active treatment compared with placebo at 13 weeks, starting with the 180 mg dose, using a fixed sequence step-down closed test procedure. Between May 2019 and August 2021, 329 individuals were screened for eligibility, 231 entered the open-label enrichment phase (days 1-8) and 168 responders were randomized to double-blind treatment. The primary objective was met; the least square mean difference of MADRS score for the 180 mg tablet group and placebo was -6.1 (95% confidence interval 1.0 to 11.16, P = 0.019) at 13 weeks. Relapse rates during double-blind treatment showed a dose response from 70.6% for placebo to 42.9% for 180 mg. Tolerability was excellent, with no changes in blood pressure, minimal reports of sedation and minimal dissociation. The most common adverse events were headache, dizziness and anxiety. During the randomized phase of the study, most patient dosing occurred at home. R-107 tablets were effective, safe and well tolerated in a patient population with TRD, enriched for initial response to R-107 tablets. ClinicalTrials.gov registration: ACTRN12618001042235 .
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 38914860 · DOI · PMC11271411
Formulation and Quality Control of Orally Disintegrating Tablets (ODTs): Recent Advances and Perspectives [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs) rapidly disintegrate or dissolve in the oral cavity without using water.
- Closing excerpt
- Moreover, quality control steps and required considerations are presented.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (152 words)
Orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs) rapidly disintegrate or dissolve in the oral cavity without using water. Demand for ODTs has increased, and the field has overgrown in the pharmaceutical industry and academia. It is reported that ODTs have several advantages over other conventional tablets. Since some of them are absorbed from the mouth, pharynx, and esophagus as the saliva passes down into the stomach, in such cases, the bioavailability of the drug improves meaningfully. Furthermore, the immediate release property of ODTs makes them a popular oral dosage form in patients with swallowing challenges, children, and for cases with a need for rapid onset of action. The current review article explains the features of active ingredients and excipients used in the formulation of ODTs, discusses multiple ODT formulation and preparation techniques with their merits and demerits, and also, offers remedies for problems associated with ODTs. Moreover, quality control steps and required considerations are presented.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 34977245 · DOI · PMC8719989
Spatial and Temporal Visualization of Polymorphic Transformations in Pharmaceutical Tablets [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- X-ray Diffraction Computed Tomography (XRD-CT) represents a cutting-edge method for non-destructive material analysis, offering the unique capability of providing molecular-level information with spatial resolution.
- Closing excerpt
- Through the complementary use of electron diffraction, we have elucidated the structure of the hydrolysis product, further enhancing our understanding of temporal changes in the tablets.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (155 words)
X-ray Diffraction Computed Tomography (XRD-CT) represents a cutting-edge method for non-destructive material analysis, offering the unique capability of providing molecular-level information with spatial resolution. In this study, we have applied XRD-CT to investigate pharmaceutically relevant tablets that have been subjected to a range of compression pressures typical in tablet manufacturing. By employing XRD-CT to pharmaceutical tablets, we reveal material changes without tablet destruction, thereby avoiding potential phase transformations during sample preparation that could lead to errors in the interpretation of the processes that have occurred. Utilizing a pressure-sensitive marker, glycolide, we have tracked changes within tablet structures induced by compression, pinpointing locations where glycolide undergoes pressure-induced transformation. Additionally, we conducted a follow-up study with analysis one month later, observing an in situ hydrolysis reaction of glycolide within the tablets. Through the complementary use of electron diffraction, we have elucidated the structure of the hydrolysis product, further enhancing our understanding of temporal changes in the tablets.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 39545584 · DOI · PMC11720378
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article 3D Printing technologies for drug delivery: a review [5]
- Research article Review of Disintegrants and the Disintegration Phenomena [6]
- Research article Compression physics in the formulation development of tablets [7]
- Research article Downstream processing of polymer-based amorphous solid dispersions to generate tablet formulations [8]
- Research article Why is mannitol becoming more and more popular as a pharmaceutical excipient in solid dosage forms? [9]
- Research article A critical review on tablet disintegration [10]
References
- Markl D, Zeitler JA. A Review of Disintegration Mechanisms and Measurement Techniques. . 2017. PMID 28251425 · DOI · PMC5382187
- Glue P, Loo C, Fam J, Lane HY, Young AH, Surman P, et al.. Extended-release ketamine tablets for treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled phase 2 trial. . 2024. PMID 38914860 · DOI · PMC11271411
- Ghourichay MP, Kiaie SH, Nokhodchi A, Javadzadeh Y. Formulation and Quality Control of Orally Disintegrating Tablets (ODTs): Recent Advances and Perspectives. . 2021. PMID 34977245 · DOI · PMC8719989
- Gasol-Cardona J, Ward MR, Gutowski O, Drnec J, Jandl C, Stam D, et al.. Spatial and Temporal Visualization of Polymorphic Transformations in Pharmaceutical Tablets. . 2025. PMID 39545584 · DOI · PMC11720378
- Prasad LK, Smyth H. 3D Printing technologies for drug delivery: a review. Drug Dev Ind Pharm. 2016. PMID 26625986 · DOI
- Desai PM, Liew CV, Heng PWS. Review of Disintegrants and the Disintegration Phenomena. J Pharm Sci. 2016. PMID 27506604 · DOI
- Patel S, Kaushal AM, Bansal AK. Compression physics in the formulation development of tablets. Crit Rev Ther Drug Carrier Syst. 2006. PMID 16749898 · DOI
- Démuth B, Nagy ZK, Balogh A, Vigh T, Marosi G, Verreck G, et al.. Downstream processing of polymer-based amorphous solid dispersions to generate tablet formulations. Int J Pharm. 2015. PMID 25827903 · DOI
- Ohrem HL, Schornick E, Kalivoda A, Ognibene R. Why is mannitol becoming more and more popular as a pharmaceutical excipient in solid dosage forms?. Pharm Dev Technol. 2014. PMID 23528124 · DOI
- Quodbach J, Kleinebudde P. A critical review on tablet disintegration. Pharm Dev Technol. 2016. PMID 25975586 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-31.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.