GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has come up with a way to print active pharmaceutical ingredients onto tablets, where the new process can be applied to a whopping 40% of all medicines used in tablet form. Since a medicine droplet is around 20 times larger compared to an ink droplet in a standard ink-jet system, which is why there are many challenges facing the researchers, including the numbers of drops that each tablet can hold as well as figuring out how to increase the level of active ingredient in each drop. Further research is required to look into the properties and behavior of the suspension, shape and size of the printing nozzle and methods to pump the suspension through the printing equipment. This new system will speed up production and offer a greater quality assurance and consistency of dosage compared to the current standards possible under even the highest pharmaceutical standards. Will this usher in a new era in the manufacturing of prescription pills?
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