The main purpose of the sugar coating on tablets is to mask bitterness the moment the tablet touches your tongue. Many active ingredients taste quite bitter, and that taste can spread quickly in the mouth during swallowing. A sugar coating creates a protective layer that blocks the unpleasant flavor and makes the tablet easier to take.

Sugar coating does not stop a tablet from dissolving. Once the tablet reaches the stomach and comes into contact with gastric fluid, the sugar layer dissolves almost immediately. After that, the drug behaves exactly the same way it would without a sugar coating. In short, sugar coating improves the swallowing experience but does not change how the medication works inside the body.

Some tablets, however, are designed to release their ingredients slowly over time—such as extended-release or controlled-release formulations. These use a completely different type of coating that controls how quickly the drug is released. This is why patients are usually instructed not to split or crush slow-release tablets, even when a lower dose is needed. Sugar-coated tablets only improve taste; they do not provide any extended-release function.

There are also tablets that have no coating at all because they’re intended to dissolve directly in the mouth. For example, ondansetron is an anti-nausea medication that dissolves almost instantly upon contact with the tongue. It forms a paste-like texture and starts working immediately, without the need to swallow—making sugar coating unnecessary for this type of medication.

In summary, sugar coating is used to make tablets easier and more pleasant to take. It improves taste, helps with swallowing, and gives tablets a smoother, more uniform appearance—but it does not affect how or when the medication takes effect.

If you’re involved in tablet manufacturing and want to optimize coating quality, appearance, and patient experience, LTPM CHINA provides customized tablet coating equipment and complete solid dosage solutions. Feel free to contact us to discuss your production needs and find the right solution for your manufacturing line.