Semi-solid extrusion 3D printing of gelatin tablets incorporating crushed furosemide tablet powder A viable alternative to traditional capsulation in compounding pharmacies?

Abstract

Introduction Compounding personalised medicinal capsules in hospital pharmacy departments is increasingly challenged by time, cost, and staff shortages. Semi-solid extrusion 3D printing, offers a promising alternative by enabling on-demand production of dosage forms tailored to patient needs and allows the use of crushed commercial tablets, such as furosemide, reducing reliance on pure active pharmaceutical ingredients. This study evaluates the use of crushed furosemide tablets in semi-solid extrusion 3D printing to assess its potential as an alternative to traditional capsule compounding in hospital pharmacy settings. Materials and Methods Printed tablets were created from semi-solid formulations containing milled commercial Furosemide (40mg) tablets, polysorbate 80 and CuraBlend® Placebo gelatin excipient base at different powder loadings. Powder loading refers to powder percentage per formulation (5-10-15%). Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry assessed thermal stability and behaviour of formulation ingredients. UV-VIS spectroscopy and UPLC quantified drug content. Statistical analyses determined acceptance values and formulation performance across different powder loadings. Results and Discussion Ten-minute ball milling of furosemide tablets (40 mg) returned > 99% of particles under 125 µm, indicating optimal milling efficiency. Ingredients were thermally stable. Even though most experiments showed acceptable mass uniformity, mechanical inconsistencies might have affected mass uniformity in some experiments. Content uniformity requirements (AV < 15) were met in certain groups of printed tablets, though contents were not consistently within the ± 5% target range, possibly influenced due to solvent limitations. Conclusion While thermal stability within printing temperature ranges was confirmed, mass uniformity and content accuracy remained inconsistent. Tablets with lower powder loading showed greater deviations from the respective target content. While the printing method shows promise, the current analytical techniques lack the precision and reproducibility required for consistent application in routine compounding, underscoring the need for further optimisation of both process and analysis.