Cutting pills can be a great way to save money, but how do you split those tiny things?!
In a previous article, I mentioned how cutting pills can help you save money on your medication costs (click here to read that one). But how do you split a pill?
First of all, it is very important to first find out if you’re able to cut the pill you’re taking.
Not all pills can be cut.
A medication can be EXTREMELY dangerous if taken after the pill is cut and it wasn’t suppose to be. What can result? Death. Yes. DEATH. Or, you may experience very serious side effects to that medication. So please, be careful. In general, pills cannot be cut if:
- Your medication is an extended release, delayed release, XR, ER, or any similar formulation
- It has an enteric coating, is a capsule, or contain granules
But again, always check with a pharmacist or your prescriber before cutting any of your pills.
On to the cutting.
For best results, make sure to use a product specifically intended to cut a pill. It makes it super easy to do, and can be fairly accurate in getting the intended dosage. They also work really well for smaller pills. Pill cutters usually cost less than $10. You can use a knife or scissors, but you risk injury, crushing the tablet instead of splitting it, and not obtaining the intended dose. Also, things can take a turn if you lose your pill due to it flying somewhere because you tried to use something other than a pill cutter.
It is important to only cut your pills right before you intend to take them. Exposing your tablets to the air and other elements can degrade the integrity of the drug, possibly making it ineffective. So don’t try to save time by cutting all at once and storing it.
Hope this was helpful! I’ll be creating a video demonstration to accompany this write up. Please reach out to me if you want to see if you can cut your pill or for advice on how to save on your medications.
Take care.
-Richard
richard@medvize.com
As always, do not start or change the way you use any medications without first talking with your pharmacist or primary care provider.
Review of cutters: http://www.consumerreports.org/drugs/get-the-right-pill-splitter-and-save-money-on-your-medication/
Article on how to save on medications: https://medium.com/medvize/how-to-save-on-medication-costs-da73a8897b86
