polyvinyl pyrrolidone sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and the like the ethylcellulose polymer with or without a second coating polymer should be employed with a plasticizer in an amount of 10 40 wt and preferably 15 35 wt based on the weight of the polymer solids the plasticizer is desirably selected from the group consisting of propylene glycol triethyl citrate tributyl citrate dibutyl sebacate triacetin polyethylene glycol diethyl phthalate acetylated monoglycerides and mixtures of these the applied film on the analgesic tablet should constitute less than about 2 wt of the coated tablet weight more preferably less than 1 5 wt and most preferably not more than 1 wt of the coated tablet weight the thin film coating should be sufficiently thick to constitute at least 0 4 wt of the coated tablet weight and most preferably should constitute from 0 5 to 1 wt of the coated tablet weight the analgesic core is aspirin acetylsalicylic acid but the invention is suitable for use with ibuprofen and acetominophen the tablet core may contain excipients e g microcrystalline cellulose or other pharmaceutically acceptable components in admixture with the analgesic the thin film ethylcellulose coating on the coated analgesic tablets of this invention offers several benefits while concurrently providing rapid tablet disintegration or dissolution the thin ethylcellulose coating are clear films that offer the following advantages not obtained with uncoated tablets film acts as protective barrier to air water vapor and heat standard acetylsalicylic acid asa tablets were coated with clear continuous smooth and ductile thin films of ethylcellulose using the coating formulations described below all of the coating formulations contained ethylcellulose as the sole coating polymer several plasticizers are illustrated in the various formulations at concentrations of from about 24 30 wt based on the.