Can You Crush Eliquis?
In our latest question and answer, the pharmacist discusses the safety of crushing Eliquis.
I was just discharged on Eliquis. Can I crush these and take them that way?
Jun 11, 2022- Eliquis can be safely crushed and mixed with water, apple juice, or applesauce before taking it.
- Crushed Eliquis must be taken within 4 hours and should not be stored for later use.
- You can also mix crushed Eliquis with water or dextrose solution and deliver it through a nasogastric tube if you cannot swallow tablets.
Thanks for reaching out to us! It's always a good idea to reach out to a pharmacist or another health care professional regarding whether or not it is safe to crush/split your medication. For some drugs, it's perfectly fine, for others, doing so could potentially ruin the release mechanism, causing them to be either ineffective, dangerous, or both. Crushing Eliquis
As it concerns Eliquis (apixaban), it can safely be crushed and mixed with certain liquids and foods before taking.
In fact, the FDA prescribing information for the drug states this specifically, which is nice to have, since many other package inserts for drugs don't discuss the safety of crushing one way or the other.
Per the prescribing information:
For patients who are unable to swallow whole tablets, 5 mg and 2.5 mg ELIQUIS tablets may be crushed and suspended in water, 5% dextrose in water (D5W), or apple juice, or mixed with applesauce and promptly administered orally. Alternatively, ELIQUIS tablets may be crushed and suspended in 60 mL of water or D5W and promptly delivered through a nasogastric tube. Crushed ELIQUIS tablets are stable in water, D5W, apple juice, and applesauce for up to 4 hours.
It is important to know that if you do crush Eliquis and intend to take your dose that way, it should be taken within 4 hours (as stated above), and not stored for later use.
Final Words
Thanks again for your question!
We always appreciate our readers reaching out!
References & sources
- Eliquis Prescribing Information — AccessFDA
Glossary — Terms in This Answer
- Eliquis
- A prescription medication (apixaban) used to prevent blood clots and reduce stroke risk in certain patients.
- Apixaban
- The active drug ingredient in Eliquis that works as a blood thinner to prevent clot formation.
- Release mechanism
- The way a medication is designed to release its active ingredient into your body over time or all at once.
- FDA prescribing information
- Official government-approved instructions from the Food and Drug Administration that detail how a drug should be used safely.
- Dextrose in water
- A liquid solution containing sugar and water, commonly used in medical settings and sometimes abbreviated as D5W.
- Nasogastric tube
- A thin tube passed through the nose down into the stomach, used to deliver medications or nutrition when a patient cannot swallow.
- Suspended
- Mixed into a liquid so that small particles are spread throughout without fully dissolving.
- Stable
- Remaining safe and effective without breaking down or losing its medicinal properties.
Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD
Doctor of Pharmacy, board certified clinical pharmacist (BCPS), American Herbalist Guild, Medication Therapy Management certified
Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS, is a licensed pharmacist with more than 13 years of experience across retail pharmacy, clinical pharmacy, medication safety, pharmacy program development, and healthcare administration. He is the founder of HelloPharmacist.com, where he helps patients...
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