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How to use a pill cutter

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What do you do if your doctor prescribes a half a tablet of something or a quarter of a tablet? I'm Dr. Alan Greene and I want to tell you about pill cutters or tablet cutters. They're really inexpensive and you can pick one up at any drugstore. And it's an easy way to get an accurate cutting of a pill in half. There's a little triangle inside and all you do is slide the pill in there as far as it will go. Close the lid and it's cut in half. If you're going to cut it into quarters, take out one of those halves, turn it sideways, close the lid, and it's cut in quarters. Simple, quick, and easy. One thing to note though. If it's a time-release drug, that may throw off the time-release entirely. So check with your doctor before cutting any time-release tablet.

  • Reviewed last on: 3/5/2009
  • Alan Greene, MD, FAAP, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital; Chief of Future Health, A.D.A.M., Inc. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
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