Clinicians and patients look to pill splitting to reduce psychotropics’ costs and fine-tune pharmacotherapy, but pill splitting has not been rigorously studied for safety or efficacy. It is important to understand the risks and benefits of pill splitting before you recommend the practice to patients.
Pros of pill splitting
Lower costs for patients. Many psychotropics come in multiple strengths, and one larger pill often costs less than 2 smaller pills of equivalent dosage.1 Writing a prescription for a higher dose and instructing the patient to cut the pill in half can lower costs.
Fine-tune titration. Pill splitting allows you to prescribe a lower strength to gradually titrate dosages up or taper them down. This practice can prevent side effects and improve adherence because a lower dose may have a more favorable pharmacokinetic profile.
Improve tolerability. Patients might better tolerate half a pill taken twice daily rather than an entire pill once daily. A smaller dose may prevent a spike in serum level, which could aid tolerability.
Questions to ask before you recommend pill splitting
- Will there be a cost saving for the patient?
- Can the patient understand and follow your recommendations?
- Can the patient tolerate minor dosage variability that can occur with pill splitting?
- Is the medication’s integrity maintained when the pill is split?
If the answer is yes to all 4 questions, then pill splitting is an option.
Cons of pill splitting
Unequal dosing. In most instances, pill splitting leads to slightly unequal dosing.2 This could be a problem if:
- the medication such as lithium has a narrow therapeutic index
- the patient’s condition is unstable
- the patient’s condition is stable but minor dose variations might cause problems, such as a patient who relapses with small dosing changes.
Table
Appropriate and inappropriate medications for pill splitting
| OK to split | Do not split |
| Adderall tablets | Adderall XR capsules* |
| Effexor tablets† | Effexor-XR capsule* |
| Paxil or paroxetine tablets | Paxil CR |
| Prozac 10 mg tablet or fluoxetine tablets | Prozac 20 mg capsule |
| Risperdal tablet | Risperdal M-TAB |
| Tegretol | Tegretol XR |
| Wellbutrin and bupropion tablets | Wellbutrin XL |
| Zyprexa tablets | Zyprexa Zydis |
| Abilify tablets | Concerta capsules |
| Celexa or citalopram tablets | Cymbalta capsules |
| Lamictal tablets† | Depakote ER |
| Lexapro tablets | Equetro* |
| Luvox tablets | Eskalith CR, Lithobid tablets |
| Remeron or mirtazapine tablets | Geodon capsules |
| Seroquel tablets | Ritalin LA* |
| Zoloft tablets | Strattera capsules |
| * Capsule can be opened and contents sprinkled on food | |
| † Tablets may have uneven shapes, making even cuts difficult | |
Scoring. Cutting unscored tablets can be difficult, especially if the pills are not round or oval. Because patients can get injured using a knife, recommend pill cutters, which are available at most pharmacies.
Capsule splitting. Some psychotropics are sold only in capsules. Some capsules can be opened and sprinkled on food, but splitting the contents into approximately equal dosages can be difficult.