Medically reviewed by, Russell Braun RPH
You stare back at the pharmacist in disbelief. She just told you the bill for your prescriptions and you wonder if it is going to wipe our your bank account. Thoughts race through your head about how you can make the medicine last longer. Could tablet splitting make sense, if so what are guidelines to stay safe?
The good news, tablet splitting could save you at least 50% on your medication.
This practice saves so much money that some insurance companies are now jumping in and asking patients to do this.
1. How does tablet splitting save money?
Medications often come in many different strengths. However, the prices of the medication is not based on how much of the medicine is in the tablet. Rather prices are typically the same for low, medium and high strengths. That means it is actually the number of tablets you buy that makes the cost go up, not the strength. Therefore, if you can buy 15 tablets and that last 30 days you can reap substantial savings.
At the bottom of this post you will see three examples of medications patients wonder if they can split. The examples walk you through the process and show you the potential savings. They will also show you exactly what to think about, both good and bad for tablet splitting guidelines.
2. How do you split medicine tablets?
Splitting tablets can save you significant cash as mentioned. However, it is important to make sure that you are putting safety at the forefront of this process. First let’s look at what it takes to do this the right way.
Tablet splitting guidelines to remember!
1. Talk to the drug expert
Your pharmacist is the person who has taken six or more years of college courses focused on medications. They are the drug expert and the one who can look at resources that will tell you for sure if you can split a tablet or not.
This question could be posed to your doctor but often they will not even know what kind of dose you will be getting. Remember the doctor doesn’t work at the pharmacy and never actually sees the medicine.
Don’t split medications without taking this step! It could cost you more in the long run.
2. Buy a pill splitter, they are cheap!
Pill splitting with a kitchen knife is NOT the way to go. Aside from the risk of cutting yourself, the tablet will typically not be split evenly. Studies have looked at pill splitters and the dose you get when using one. The results were encouraging for this to be a great way to save money if done properly.
Read the directions!
The most important thing to make sure is that you understand how to use the tablet splitting device.
Tablet splitters come in a few variations and are almost always under $5. This could be the $5 that saves you thousands! Examples are listed in the table below.
| One tablet splitter | Splitter for special shapes | Multiple tablet splitter |
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Don’t want to splurge on a pill splitter? Call you insurance company and see if they provide them. They may just ship you one for free!
3. Only one split
Once you split a tablet in half you have used this hack to its fullest extent. Although it may be tempting in some cases to try and cut a half tablet into a quarter tablet, don’t do it!
Unequal halves can happen when doing the first split. If you try to quarter the tablet this is almost sure to happen. Even worse you might get parts that shatter or crumble.
At the end of the day you are trying to save money, but not at the risk of your health. If you get 5mg of a drug one day and then 15mg the next due to uneven split this could cause problems that are not worth the money saved.
4. Don’t split in advance
Although it may be tempting to split your entire pill bottle as soon as you get them home from the pharmacy, this is a no-no. Most pills have some type of outer shell or coating that keeps the ingredients from being exposed to oxygen. Once you split the pill in half that protection is gone. Oxygen starts the chemical breakdown for most medications. Other problems with exposed ingredients include:
- Heat
- Moisture
- Humidity
These things are especially problematic if you keep medications in the bathroom where frequent showers can cause excessive moisture to be in the air.
The best practice is to split one tablet and use both halves before splitting another one. Talk it over with your pharmacist there is a potential that some medications could be split for a week at a time if you use a pill reminder box.
3. Can you split an unscored pill?
Tablets are sometimes manufactured with a score line on them. These are lines that run across the surface of the tablet making it easier to divide the tablet into two equal pieces. If the tablets you take have a score line it is a good indication you can split them.
What about a tablet that doesn’t have a score line on it?
This is where you MUST ask your pharmacist. It could be dangerous to split a tablet with no score line without consulting a healthcare professional.
4. Can you split a delayed release tablet?
Some medications start dissolving and releasing medication as soon as you swallow them. There are also medications that are supposed to make it through the stomach before they release any medication. There are many reasons why these differences exist and most have to do with chemistry. Let the pharmacists worry about that, you just need to remember that the following terms should cause you to question splitting a tablet.
- Extended release
- Delayed Release
- Enteric coated
- Gelcap
5. Tablet splitting dangers to watch out for
Brands of medication can change
Your pharmacy may not always have the same brand or generic version of medication in stock. Even though it is the same medication and same strength, if they change manufacturers be aware. Just because you can split one manufacturers pill doesnt mean you always can for another. Ask your pharmacist if you notice your tablets are different than last time.
Remember, don’t take a full tablet
If you are following along with the process and splitting your tablets every few days, it can be easy to forget. Then you take a whole tablet by mistake, yikes! This is dangerous as you just doubled your dose on that day. Make sure to put a reminder on your bottle to split the tablet.
If you have problems with memory, eyesight or arthritis you may want to come up with a plan for how to ensure tablets are going to be split.
Tablet splitting examples
Splitting Pradaxa
Pradaxa is a brand name medication that is quite expensive. It is used to treat or prevent blood clots the can cause heart attack or strokes. There is not generic for Praxada today so finding a way to save money on this high cost drug can be huge.
Can Pradaxa be cut in half?
Pradaxa is a capsule, which probably has you wondering if it could be split? Well unfortunately the answer is no, it can’t. The manufacturer recommends to not chew, break or empty the capsule contents out.
Basically you need to swallow the capsule whole.
Why did I include it as an example? To let you see that you must ask a pharmacist for each medication you are considering to split. No exceptions!
Splitting Eliquis tablets
Can you split Eliquis tablets?
Eliquis is a brand only medication used to prevent or treat blood clots that can cause heart attacks or strokes. It is intended to be taken twice a day, and the tablets are not scored.
However, there have been studies showing that crushing the tablet and mixing in water or apple juice is effective and safe. Therefore, splitting one tablet per day and taking it with water or apple juice might be an option for you.
Given this drug can have dangerous health consequences if not used properly you should make sure to ask your doctor and pharmacist before splitting Eliquis! Keep in mind the best practice would be only split one tablet per day if you and your doctor decide to take this route.
| Eliquis 2.5mg | 60 tablets | $472 |
| Eliquis 5mg | 60 tablets | $472 |
The savings could be significant. Given a month supply costs $472 per GoodRx, you could save $236 per month. Click here to learn all the other savings options with Eliquis.
Splitting Viagra Tablets
Can you split any strength of Viagra?
Viagra is a medication used to treat erectile dysfunction. These tablets are film coated and not scored. However, Viagra tablets can be split. Take a look at the cost of 30 tablets of each strength of Viagra.
| Viagra 25mg | 10 tablets | $641 |
| Viagra 50mg | 10 tablets | $641 |
| Viagra 100mg | 10 tablets | $641 |
As you can see all the strengths cost $641 according to GoodRx. If your dose is 50mg you could buy five of the 100mg tablets, split them and save $320!
This is the power tablet splitting can have.
The extra good news is that Viagra is a brand name and a generic exists. Sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra is a generic and much cheaper option which can also be split.
Final thought
Splitting tablets can save you tons of money on your medication. Just be sure to get the thumbs up from your pharmacist. Follow the steps above as your tablet splitting guidelines and enjoy putting the cash back in your pocket.
Your doctor may even consider adjusting your dose if it means you will actually be able to afford the medication. Just don’t be afraid to ask and let the doctor know you need your out of pocket costs to be taken into consideration.
Click here to get Dr. Jason Reed’s exclusive list of medication questions you MUST ask your doctor, for FREE!
Share your story
Have you saved money by splitting tablets? Also, please share how it worked for you. Chime in below with your comments and thoughts.