Patent ID: 7138139

Claim:
A process for preparing a water soluble tablet coating which comprises the steps of: (a) applying a water-soluble film forming polymer in liquid form to a tablet surface, the film forming polymer comprising one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of: acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, itaconic acid, and hydroxyalkyl(meth)acrylic acid, maleic acid, alkyl (meth)acrylates, hydroxyalkyl(meth)acrylates and styrene and having acidic functional groups and a degree of neutralization ranging from 30 to 100 weight percent, based on the weight of polymer, wherein the acidic functional groups are neutralized with a secondary amine, and including at least one film modifying agent selected from the group consisting of: triethyl citrate, polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, esters of polyalkylene glycols, polyalkylene glycol adducts, fatty alcohols, alkyl phenols, trimethylol propane, neopentyl glycol, hexane diol, alkyl lactates, ethyl lactate, alkyl citrates, alkyl gluconates and combinations thereof; and (b) drying the film to form a protective film coating around the tablet, wherein the film forming polymer formulation consists essentially of at least one water soluble, film-forming polymer having acidic functional groups and a degree of neutralization ranging from 30 to 100 weight percent, based on the weight of polymer and at least one film modifying agent.