Is 1/2 of a 10 mg tablet of a medicine the bioequivalent of one whole 5 mg tablet of the same medicine?

Question

Assuming the two tablets, the 10mg and the 5 mg, have the same size, is 1/2 tablet of the 10 mg bioequivalent to 1 whole tablet of the 5mg.

Answer 1

Yes, but you have to be careful with what kind of medication it is. Some pills are designed to be time-released and if you cut it in half, you can alter how it releases and possibly overdose because you would be absorbing more of the drug at once than you were supposed to. So, yes it is half, but never cut a pill in half unless you ask a doctor or pharmacist first.

Answer 2

Yes it is.  Some medications have a special coating that lets them get through the stomach acids before desolving in the intestine.  These kinds of coated meds should not be cut in half.

Answer 3

Depending on your definition of "bioequivalent" it may depend on the medication,  some extended release medications will behave differently if the tablet is cut (or, especially, crushed), but if the tablet is homogeneous, and especially if factory scored for breaking, then half a 10mg tablet is the same as one 5mg tablet

Answer 4

yes it is! ... is just half of it! doctors will tell you the same!