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The Laminitis Site

Splitting Prascend tablets

11/25/2013

4 Comments

 
The ECIR group recommends slowly increasing the dose of pergolide when introducing it, ideally in 0.25 mg increments - see www.ecirhorse.org - Pergolide.

And the Equine Endocrinology Group now also recommends introducing Prascend gradually:
"Some horses show a transient reduction in appetite. It is therefore recommended that PRASCEND be introduced gradually by giving partial doses for the first four days or by administering half the dose morning and evening."

Prascend comes in 1 mg tablets scored in half for easy division into 0.5 mg doses. If you need to divide tablets into 4 (for small ponies or for tapering the dose in 0.25 mg increments), talk to your vet to discuss options.  It is important that tablets are split accurately, and vets sometimes suggest using a pill cutter/splitter.

Other suggestions for dividing Prascend tablets may not be safe or effective - always ask your vet and check the datasheet - NOAH Compendium - Prascend.
Picture
Half of a 1 mg Prascend tablet
The following suggestions for administering 0.25 mg Prascend (as seen on the internet) are not recommended:

Dissolving 0.5 mg tablet in a small quantity of water and giving half one day and the remaining half the next day - the datasheet states that if dissolving the tablet in liquid, the whole amount should be administered immediately.

Giving 0.5 mg every other day - the datasheet states that Prascend should be given once daily. As the average half life of pergolide has been found to be around 6 hours in horses (Abra Wright Pharmacokinetics of pergolide in normal mares, MSc thesis 2009), extending the time between doses seems counter-intuitive.

Cutting 0.5 mg half tablets into two with a knife - cutting the pills with a knife risks crushing/wasting some of the tablet (the datasheet states that tablets should not be crushed), as well as operator injury (and many horses seem to hate the taste of blood)!

Keep your fingers safe and your horse's medication effective - if you have to divide tablets, use a pill splitter.
4 Comments
Beverly Rampey
4/12/2021 09:44:48 pm

I use coca cola instead of water to dissolve the tablet. Is this okay?

Reply
The Laminitis Site
4/27/2021 11:01:59 am

As the data sheet for Prascend suggests that Prascend can be dissolved in water and/or mixed with molasses or other sweetener, as far as we are aware it should be ok to use Coca Cola to dissolve the tablet. Do check this with your vet too.

Reply
Elizabeth
4/17/2021 11:07:47 pm

How are cut tablets stored when titration of dose is required

Reply
The Laminitis Site
4/27/2021 10:47:18 am

We have contacted Boehringer Ingelheim, manufacturers of Prascend, on several occasions to ask how half tablets should be stored and how potency is affected once the blister is opened. We have received no reply, although we have had confirmation of receipt of our enquiry from them.

We have been unable to find this information in the data sheet that accompanies Prascend tablets, or elsewhere.

Pergolide is also available (in the UK) as Bova pergolide paste. We have been informed by Bova that the stability of their pergolide paste is 12 months from manufacture. The Bova pergolide paste comes in a syringe with 0.2 mg increments, so this may be more suitable for horses and ponies that need a small dose or for increasing and decreasing the dose. Although the Bova pergolide paste is not yet licensed, it can be obtained through your vet (in the UK) under the Cascade rules if it is considered a more suitable product than the licensed product.

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