QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
WHAT IS MEDCOAT® USED FOR?
MEDCOAT® is used to coat tablets with a coating that makes them easier to swallow and better tasting. People with difficulty swallowing tablets and patients taking bad tasting tablets can benefit from the product.
HOW DOES MEDCOAT® WORK?
The MEDCOAT® coating becomes very slippery in contact with water or saliva and thereby making the tablet easier to swallow. It also contains saliva stimulating ingredients that further improves the swallowing. The coating also camouflages the taste of the tablet and gives it a new good taste of citrus, strawberry and cola.
HOW IS MEDCOAT® USED?
Click here for user instructions.
HOW MANY TABLETS CAN BE COATED WITH A PACKAGE OF MEDCOAT®?
There are different package sizes of MEDCOAT®; 10-, 20-, 30- and 50-packs are sold currently. Each applicator can be used to coat two small or one big tablet, so a 20-pack can be used for 20-40 tablets depending on the tablet size. When an applicator should be used for two table
ts you first push through one tablet and twist it off. After that you can push through a second tablet as long as the they are not too big. Swallow the coated tablets one and one (separately) with water, since otherwise they can stick to each other.
WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS IN MEDCOAT®
MEDCOAT® only contains common food classed ingredients and is sugar free. Below are the ingredients in the differents flavours.
MEDCOAT® CITRUS:
Sweetening agent (maltitol syrup), vegetable fat, acidity regulator (citric acid), emulsifier (sucrose fatty acid esters), gelatine, natural colour (curcumin), natural flavour.
MEDCOAT® STRAWBERRY:
Sweetening agent (maltitol syrup), vegetable fat, acidity regulator (citric acid), emulsifier (sucrose fatty acid esters), gelatine, natural colour (anthocyanins), natural flavour.
MEDCOAT® COLA:
Sweetening agent (maltitol syrup), vegetable fat, acidity regulator (citric acid), emulsifier (sucrose fatty acid esters), gelatine, natural colour (caramel), flavour.
FOR WHAT TABLETS CAN MEDCOAT® BE USED?
MEDCOAT® can be used for tablets and capsules of different shape and size that should be swallowed whole or divided. Round tablets that are bigger than 12 mm in diameter can result in that the coating is missing on the edges. Do not use MEDCOAT® with tablets and capsules that must be taken alone with plain water only..
FROM WHAT AGE CAN MEDCOAT® BE USED
MEDCOAT® can be used by adults and also children from the time they should learn to swallow whole or divided tablets. Often children can learn to swallow small tablets from the age of 3-4 years. Please note that some tablets should not be divided. Consult your doctor or your pharmacist if you are uncertain.
WHICH GROUPS OF PEOPLE OFTEN HAVE DIFFICULTY SWALLOWING TABLETS?
Children often have difficulty swallowing tablets, especially bad tasting tablets such as antibiotics etc. The elderly often have difficulty to swallow tablets due to dry mouth or dysphagia (swallowing disorders). Also many healthy adults also have difficulty swallowing tablets, often they are afraid that the tablet would get stuck in the throat so they cannot breath (pill phagophobia). In a large Norwegian study about 25% in the age 20-69 years said they had mild to severe difficulties swallowing tablets. Temporary difficulties can also occur as a result of a throut infection etc.
WHICH TABLETS ARE OFTEN DIFFICULT TO SWALLOW?
Big, uncoated and bad tasting tablets are usually considered difficult to swallow.
WHEN SHOULD MEDCOAT® NOT BE USED?
Do not use MEDCOAT® if you are allergic to any of the ingredients in MEDCOAT® . Do not use MEDCOAT® with chewable tablets, tablets that should melt in the mouth, tablets that should be dissolved in water and tablets capsules that must be taken alone with plain water only.
IS MEDCOAT® SAFE TO USE?
The MEDCOAT® coating dissolves quickly after the tablet has been swallowed (about 45 seconds) and it only contains food classed ingredients that are not known to interact with drugs. Each coating is only about 0.2 gram.
DOES MEDCOAT® REALLY MAKE TABLETS EASIER TO SWALLOW?
In a clinical study on adults with difficulty swallowing tablets 98 % of the subjects stated that it was easier to swallow tablets coated with MEDCOAT® compared to identical uncoated tablets. The study also showed that MEDCOAT® could completely camouflage the taste of a bitter flavoured tablet for 100 % of the subjects. The study has been published in the journal Pharmacy World & Science/International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy (PharmWorldSci:2010;32,420-423). www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20524068
In another clinical study at Karolinska University Hospital on sick children aged 2-17 years with difficulties taking their medication it was concluded that MEDCOAT® made it easier to swallow tablets for 87% of the children and improved palatability for 85%. The study has been published in the journal Acta Pædiatrica. (Acta Pædiatrica 2015;104, 956–961). www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4744733/
DOES MEDCOAT® CONTAIN GLUTEN, LACTOSE OR SOY?
No, MEDCOAT® does not contain gluten, lactose or or soy.
IS MEDCOAT® SUGAR FREE
Yes, MEDCOAT® is sugar free and instead sweetened with maltitol syrup.
HOW CAN I REMOVE THE MEDCOAT® COATING FROM A TABLET?
Use a dry tissue to remove the MEDCOAT® coating from a tablet or capsule.