These letter codes on medicine labels describe how the tablet breaks down and releases the active drug into your body.
What the Letters Mean
- DT (Dispersible Tablet): A tablet designed to dissolve or disperse in a small amount of water before you swallow it, rather than swallowing it whole.
- ER (Extended Release): A pill formulated to release the medication slowly over a long period, usually 12 to 24 hours, so you need fewer daily doses.
- MD (Melt-in-Mouth / Mouth-Dissolving): A tablet that rapidly disintegrates on your tongue with saliva without needing water.
- SR (Sustained Release): A type of modified-release pill that slowly gives off medicine over time, though not always at a completely constant rate.
- CR (Controlled Release): A formulation engineered to release the drug at a strictly predetermined, nearly constant rate to maintain steady levels in the blood.
Important Safety Tips
- Do not crush or chew ER, SR, or CR tablets. Doing so breaks the special delivery mechanism, releasing the entire drug dose into your system all at once, which can cause dangerous side effects or toxicity.
- Check with your pharmacist or doctor if you have trouble swallowing pills, as altering them depends entirely on the specific formulation technology used.