Pharmaceutical tablets having height greater than width

1. A compressed, immediate-release pharmaceutical tablet containing a therapeutic dose of one or more active pharmaceutical ingredients and having a greater height than width, said height being measured vertically from the top to the bottom of said tablet while it is in the tablet die in which it is fully compressed, after said compression has been completed; and said width being measured as the greatest horizontal dimension of the tablet at a location halfway between said top and said bottom of said tablet, except that when the horizontal cross-section of said tablet is substantially rectangular, the width is defined by locating the two shorter sides of the perimeter of said horizontal cross-section, and measuring the length of a line that is at right angle to said shorter sides, said tablet consisting essentially of:

a bottom end segment comprising an immediate-release composition containing at least about half of said therapeutic dose of the one or more active pharmaceutical ingredient, said bottom end segment having an exposed bottom end and a contacting face opposite its exposed bottom end;

a top end segment comprising a composition substantially identical to the composition of said bottom end segment, said top end segment having an exposed top end and a contacting face opposite its exposed top end;

a middle segment located between said bottom end segment and said top end segment, said middle segment comprising a composition consisting essentially of immediate-release excipients and being substantially free of active pharmaceutical ingredient, said middle segment having a bottom face in contact with the contacting face of said bottom end segment, a top face in contact with the contacting face of said top end segment, and an exposed outer side surface; and

optionally, an immediate-release coating substantially free of active pharmaceutical ingredient.

2. The tablet of claim 1 wherein said outer side surface of the middle segment comprises a substantially horizontal score transverse to the vertical axis of the tablet.

3. The tablet of claim 1 wherein the score is positioned such that a plane passing through the score substantially bisects the tablet.

4. The tablet of claim 1 wherein the score is positioned such that a plane passing through the score substantially bisects the height or effective height of the middle segment.

5. The tablet of claim 1 wherein the tablet is uncoated.

6. The tablet of claim 1 wherein said tablet is coated, said coating comprising a water-soluble polymer.

7. The compressed pharmaceutical tablet of claim 1 wherein the bottom end segment comprises an active pharmaceutical ingredient selected from the group consisting of warfarin, a statin, risperidone, methotrexate, metformin, atenolol, prednisone, phenytoin, lamotrigine, and meloxicam.

8. The compressed pharmaceutical tablet of claim 1 wherein the bottom end segment comprises warfarin.

9. The compressed pharmaceutical tablet of claim 1 wherein the bottom end segment comprises a statin.

10. The compressed pharmaceutical tablet of claim 1 wherein the bottom end segment comprises methotrexate.

11. The compressed pharmaceutical tablet of claim 1 wherein the bottom end segment comprises metformin.

12. The compressed pharmaceutical tablet of claim 1 wherein the bottom end segment comprises atenolol.

13. The compressed pharmaceutical tablet of claim 1 wherein the bottom end segment comprises phenytoin.

14. The compressed pharmaceutical tablet of claim 1 wherein the bottom end segment comprises lamotrigine.

15. A compressed, immediate-release pharmaceutical tablet containing a therapeutic dose of one or more active pharmaceutical ingredients and having a greater height than width, said height being measured vertically from the top to the bottom of said tablet while it is in the tablet die in which it is fully compressed, after said compression has been completed; and said width being measured as the greatest horizontal dimension of the tablet at a location halfway between said top and said bottom of said tablet, except that when the horizontal cross-section of said tablet is substantially rectangular, the width is defined by locating the two shorter sides of the perimeter of said horizontal cross-section, and measuring the length of a line that is at right angle to said shorter sides, said tablet consisting essentially of:

a bottom end segment comprising an immediate-release composition containing at least about half of said therapeutic dose of the one or more active pharmaceutical ingredient, said bottom end segment having an exposed bottom end and a contacting face opposite its exposed bottom end;

a top end segment comprising a composition substantially identical to the composition of said bottom end segment, said top end segment having an exposed top end and a contacting face opposite its exposed top end;

a middle segment located between said bottom end segment and said top end segment, said middle segment comprising a composition consisting essentially of immediate-release excipients and being substantially free of active pharmaceutical ingredient, said middle segment having a bottom face in contact with the contacting face of said bottom end segment, a top face in contact with the contacting face of said top end segment, and an exposed outer side surface, said outer side surface comprising a substantially horizontal score positioned such that a plane passing through said score substantially bisects the tablet or middle segment; and

optionally, an immediate-release coating substantially free of active pharmaceutical ingredient.

16. The tablet of claim 15 wherein said score is positioned such that a plane passing through said score substantially bisects the height of the middle segment.

17. The tablet of claim 15 wherein said score is positioned such that a plane passing through said score substantially bisects the effective height of the middle segment.

18. The tablet of claim 15 wherein said tablet is uncoated.

19. The tablet of claim 14 wherein said tablet is coated, said coating comprising a water-soluble polymer.

20. A compressed, immediate-release pharmaceutical tablet containing a therapeutic dose of one or more active pharmaceutical ingredients and having a greater height than width, said height being measured vertically from the top to the bottom of said tablet while it is in the tablet die in which it is fully compressed after said compression has been completed; and said width being measured as the greatest horizontal dimension of the tablet at a location halfway between said top and said bottom of said tablet, except that when the horizontal cross-section of said tablet is substantially rectangular, the width is defined by locating the two shorter sides of the perimeter of said horizontal cross-section, and measuring the length of a line that is at right angle to said shorter sides, said tablet consisting essentially of:

a bottom end segment comprising an immediate-release composition containing at least about half of said therapeutic dose of the one or more active pharmaceutical ingredient, said bottom end segment having an exposed bottom end and a contacting face opposite its exposed bottom end;

a top end segment comprising a composition substantially identical to the composition of said bottom end segment, said top end segment having an exposed top end and a contacting face opposite its exposed top end;

a middle segment located between said bottom end segment and said top end segment, said middle segment comprising a composition consisting essentially of immediate-release excipients and being substantially free of active pharmaceutical ingredient, said middle segment having a bottom face in contact with the contacting face of said bottom end segment, a top face in contact with the contacting face of said top end segment and an exposed outer side surface, said outer side surface comprising printed indicia positioned substantially horizontally such that a plane passing through said printed indicia substantially bisects the tablet or middle segment; and

optionally, an immediate-release coating substantially free of active pharmaceutical ingredient.