Can You Split Lipitor (Atorvastatin) Tablets In Half?

Quick Answer

Yes, Lipitor (atorvastatin) can safely be cut or split in half. Doing so does not negatively affect how the medication works. However, cutting or splitting Lipitor tablets should only be done if it is recommended by your doctor or pharmacist.

Detailed Answer

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Lipitor (atorvastatin) is a medication that is used to lower cholesterol levels in the blood. It belongs to a class of medications known as HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, which are more commonly known as 'statins'.

Statins work by blocking an enzyme (HMG-CoA reductase) in the liver that is responsible for producing cholesterol. By reducing the amount of cholesterol in the blood, statins can help reduce the risk of negative outcomes, like heart attacks and strokes.

Lipitor tablets (and associated generics) are available in several different strengths, including 10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg, and 80 mg.

Depending on the situation, splitting Lipitor tablets can be a good cost-saving measure for some people.

Splitting Lipitor Tablets

As mentioned, Lipitor tablets (and generics) can safely be split. Doing so does not affect how the medication works or is absorbed.

However, and this is an important point, brand-name Lipitor tablets (and generics) are not scored, which means they do not have a groove down the middle to make them easier to break in half.

If you attempt to split an unscored tablet, there is a risk that you could end up with uneven halves or even crumble the tablet entirely. This could result in an inaccurate dosage, which could be dangerous. Therefore, you must be careful when splitting these tablets.

Below is an image of Lipitor tablets, and a generic, showing the tablets are not scored.

If your doctor or pharmacist has advised you to split your Lipitor tablets, it's important to use a good pill-splitter. A pill splitter is a device that is specifically designed to split tablets evenly and safely.

It's not recommended to use a knife or scissors to split tablets, as this could also result in uneven halves. Pill splitters have very sharp blades and are designed in a way to accurately split a tablet into two even halves.

It's also important not to cut all of your tablets ahead of time and store them for later use. This could make them more susceptible to breakdown from environmental factors (such as moisture in the air) and potentially reduce their effectiveness. Instead, it's best to split your tablets on a per-dose basis.

Additional Thoughts From The Pharmacist

It's important to emphasize that if you are considering splitting your Lipitor tablets, you shouldn't reduce your dose or make any changes to your therapy without talking to your doctor first.

Additionally, while splitting tablets can be a cost-saving measure, it's important to remember that this may not always be the case.

Some insurance plans will charge the same copay, regardless if you get #15 tablets or #30 tablets per month. Plans vary, so it is important to talk to your pharmacist about this.

Furthering this point, if you have a prescription for Lipitor that your doctor wrote as #30 tablets for 30 days, and you start splitting tablets to make the prescription last longer, both your pharmacy and insurance company may flag you as potentially 'non-adherent' to your medication, and try to connect with you regarding what is going on.

Lastly, I do want to point out that if you are considering splitting tablets because you have difficulty swallowing, Lipitor tablets (and generics) can be crushed if necessary. Also, a liquid version of atorvastatin is available too (Atorvaliq), but it is only available as a brand name and insurance coverage for it varies.

Final Words

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