Amount of active ingredient evenly distributed throughout each pill?

[PsychoActivist]

OK, SWIM doesn't know where this thread should actually belong - if it should be here or in chemistry so mods feel free to move it at your discretion.

Okay, so SWIM studies some Pharmacology but he is still quite ignorant about chemistry and production of drugs.

He had an odd thought just a minute ago and figured he would share it.

Take for example, a 7.5/500 Hydrocodone pill. Hardly any of that pill is Hydrocodone right? It's mostly Acetaminophen, fillers, and binders. Then somewhere in there, is this tiny little bit of Hydrocodone. I know a lot of people split pills in halves and take halves at a time (not usually 7.5 mg Hydro's but thats just an example remember?).
So I guess my question is this:
When the drugs are made, do the pharmaceutical companies have surefire ways of knowing and making sure that the 7.5 mg's of Hydrocodone in that pill are evenly distributed and mixed in evenly with the APAP and the fillers and binders? Is it possible that one half of the pill could actually contain, say, 4.7 mg's while the other half only contained 2.8? Or do they make sure is completely even?

Sorry just a weird random thought I got while I was on the toilet. (Isn't that when we all get our greatest revelations?)

Reputation Comments on this post:

Good question. Got me thinkin, and interested in actually researching the topic.