Does a Hot Drink Provide Faster Absorption of Paracetamol Than a Tablet? A Pharmacoscintigraphic Study in Healthy Male Volunteers

PURPOSE: To investigate the hypothesis that paracetamol is absorbed faster from a hot drink than from a standard tablet using simultaneous scintigraphic imaging and pharmacokinetic sampling. METHODS: Twenty-five healthy male volunteers received both paracetamol formulations in a randomised manner. The formulation administered in the first treatment arm was radiolabelled to allow scintigraphic monitoring. In both treatment arms, blood samples were taken for assessing paracetamol absorption. RESULTS: Following the hot drink, paracetamol absorption was both significantly faster and greater over the first 60 min post-dose compared with the tablet, as evidenced by the median time to reach t(0.25) μg/mL of 4.6 and 23.1 min, respectively, and AUC(0-60) of 4668.00 and 1331.17 h*ng/mL, respectively. In addition, t(max) was significantly shorter for the hot drink (median time = 1.50 h) compared with the tablet (1.99 h). However, C(max) was significantly greater following the tablet (9,077 ng/mL) compared with the hot drink (8,062 ng/mL). Onset of gastric emptying after the hot drink was significantly faster than after the standard tablet (7.9 versus 54.2 min), as confirmed scintigraphically. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with a standard tablet, a hot drink provides faster absorption of paracetamol potentially due to more rapid gastric emptying.