SUPERABSORBENT MATERIALS TO HINDER DRUG EXTRACTION AND SYRINGEABILIT

POSTER PRESENTATIONS

Objective. This research was aimed at evaluating the kinetics and thermodynamics of water absorption of high swelling polymers when used in tablet formulations containing an abusable medication. Background. Superabsorbent polymers have large swelling capacities and rapidly swell in aqueous media. This property can be used to help deter different forms of prescription abuse, particularly injection of drug extracts from crushed products. SAPs can accomplish this by rapidly absorbing and limiting recoverable volume of extraction media and preventing aspiration into a syringe. Methods. Superabsorbent polymers based on acrylamide, sodium acrylate, and potassium acrylate were fashioned into one side of a bilayer tablet with the other side being an inactive drug-carrier layer; 175 mg each layer. Post-compaction swelling and deterrence properties were determined after the tablets were crushed and 10 mL of water added with no stirring or mixing. The time to complete gelation and final flow properties were then monitored for each sample. After complete gelation, the ability to draw any non-absorbed water or swollen superabsorbent particles through a 26-gauge needle was assessed. Results. Each crushed tablet completely turned into a gel mass in 60 seconds or less. The larger the swollen particles the more capable they were in clogging the needle and making it more difficult to draw up a noticeable amount of liquid compared to control tablets. Conclusion. Overall, the acrylic-based superabsorbents performed best with complete gelling in less than 30 seconds, which immediately made the extracting solution non-syringeable. Grants. Nova Southeastern University’s President’s Grants #335357 & #335867