Splitting pills in half is dangerous

LONDON - Splitting tablets into two or more parts is potentially dangerous and could lead to people taking the wrong dose, warns researchers.

There could be serious consequences, especially with pills that have a narrow margin between a therapeutic and a toxic dose, the Daily Express reported citing the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

Splitting means tablet parts are often unequal in size. Researchers found that 31 percent of split tablets deviated from the recommended dose by at least 15 percent and sometimes by more than 25 percent.

The study involved drugs prescribed for Parkinson’s disease, congestive heart failure, thrombosis and arthritis, among others.

The experts were also concerned about nursing homes where splitting was a “daily practice”.

They recommended in the study that firms should produce a range of options, including smaller or bigger dose tablets.