This viral TikTok hack liquifies pills in seconds — but is it safe?

Medication can be a hard pill to swallow for some people — literally.

If you're one of those who hate taking pills, you might want to try this hack popularised by nursing student Nicholas Curry.

In a TikTok video uploaded on July 17 that's since garnered over 9.3 million views, Curry demonstrates what he calls a "new way of crushing pills" using just a plastic syringe.

Simply remove the plunger and place the pill in the syringe. Put the plunger back in, push down to remove the air from the syringe and draw up some water.

Curry then covers the syringe opening with his thumb and pulls the plunger back a few times.

He then shows how the pill has been completely crushed, adding: "Imagine how easy tube feeds would be. There's nothing. It's completely mixed that whole pill."

@yo_curry6

#tubefeed #nursing #nursingstudent

♬ original sound - yo_curry

 

The hack left some commenters amazed. One said: "As someone who can't take pills and has been crushing them with a spoon her whole life, thank you for your service."

Another commented: "Bro, this is perfect for dogs!"

However, some also cautioned that the hack should not be used on extended release pills, which are meant to be taken whole so that the medication can be released slowly.

According to SingHealth Community Hospitals' (SCH) website, crushing certain types of medication can be dangerous as it can affect the medication's absorption and stability.

As a rule of thumb, medication bearing the following acronyms should not be crushed:

• SR: Sustained release
• CR: Controlled release
• MR: Modified release
• XR: Extended release
• PR: Prolonged release
• LA: Long acting
• EC: Enteric coated
• HBS: Hemodynamically balance system

Medication that comes in capsules, granules or pellets, as well as hazardous drugs, should not be crushed also.

Some medication will also bear a warning label stating "Swallow whole, do not crush".

When in doubt, check with your doctor or pharmacist if it is safe for you to cut or crush your pills, SCH advises.

kimberlylim@asiaone.com