Pharmaceutical Film coating

• The coating of solid pharmaceutical dosage forms began in the ninth century B.C., with the Egyptians.
• At that time the primary solid dosage form was the pill, a hand-shaped spherical mass containing drug, sugar, and other diluents. A variety of materials were used to coat pills, such as talc, gelatin, and sugar.
• Gold and silver were also used.
• The candy-making industry was the first to develop and enhance the art of coating. It is most likely that the pharmaceutical industry adopted sugar coating technology for its own use.