RESUMEN
The in vitro recovery of three different dosage forms of carbamazepine (CBZ) when dispersed in gastric or intestinal fluids, in the presence or absence of Ensure was determined. An equivalent of 1 mg of pure CBZ from Tegretol 200 mg of conventional tablets, chewtablets of Tegretol 200-mg and Apo-carbamazepine (200-mg tablets) were dispersed in five dissolution mediums (0.5 ml of Ensure; 0.5 ml of Ensure and 1.0 ml of gastric fluid; 1.0 ml of gastric fluid; 0.5 ml of Ensure and 1.0 ml of intestinal fluid; and 1.0 ml intestinal fluid) and mixed for 1 hr and filtered. The filtrates were then assayed for CBZ using a UV spectrophotometer. The mean recoveries of CBZ for all dosage forms in the various dissolution mediums were: Ensure/gastric fluid, 85%; gastric fluid, 75%, Ensure/intestinal fluid, 59%; intestinal fluid, 79%; and Ensure, 58%. The differences in CBZ recovery from gastric or intestinal fluid, in the presence or absence of Ensure were found to be statistically significant (p less than 0.05). The difference in dosage forms were statistically not discernible. The significant differences observed in recoveries of CBZ due to Ensure warrants an in vivo study to realize the clinical implication of administering CBZ with Ensure.