Changes

*To obtain the correct dosage; for example, in some cases a doctor might advise a half-tablet dosage for a child.

*To obtain the correct dosage; for example, in some cases a doctor might advise a half-tablet dosage for a child.

*To stretch out a supply of a drug when the patient cannot afford the proper dosage. Obviously this is a dangerous practice, but impoverished patients have been known to do it.

*To stretch out a supply of a drug when the patient cannot afford the proper dosage. Obviously this is a dangerous practice, but impoverished patients have been known to do it.

*To save money, by deliberately purchasing tablets that contain twice the proper dosage and splitting them.

*To save money by deliberately purchasing tablets that contain twice the proper dosage and splitting them.

The phrase '''pill splitting''' sometimes refers to this third strategy. It is made possible by the fact that ''the price of a tablet is almost the same regardless of the dosage.'' For example, one online pharmacy quotes these prices for simvastatin, a frequently-prescribed cholesterol-reducing drug:<ref>[http://www.drugstore.com/pharmacy/drugindex/rxsearch.asp?search=simvastatin&expand=Simvastatin&trx=1Z5007 Simvastatin], drugstore.com.</ref>

The phrase '''pill splitting''' sometimes refers to this third strategy. It is made possible by the fact that ''the price of a tablet is almost the same regardless of the dosage.'' For example, one online pharmacy quotes these prices for simvastatin, a frequently-prescribed cholesterol-reducing drug:<ref>[http://www.drugstore.com/pharmacy/drugindex/rxsearch.asp?search=simvastatin&expand=Simvastatin&trx=1Z5007 Simvastatin], drugstore.com.</ref>