preferably those disintegrants are selected from the group consisting of croscarmellose sodium sodium starch glycolate corn starch pregelatinized starches sodium carboxymethyl cellulose potato starch microcrystalline cellulose cross linked polyvinylpyrrolidone magnesium aluminium silicate bentonite alginic acid and alginates the effective amount of a disintegrant found useful in the ribavirin compositions of this invention is in the range of about 1 0 to about 3 0 weight percent preferably about 1 5 to about 2 5 weight percent and most preferably about 2 0 weight percent of the ribavirin compositions of this invention the preferred disintegrant is croscarmellose sodium typically suitable lubricants include any pharmaceutically acceptable solid or liquid lubricants which are used to enhance the flow and prevent sticking of the ribavirin composition after compaction and which are chemically and physically compatible with ribavirin typically suitable lubricants include magnesium stearate calcium stearate zinc stearate talc propylene glycol peg 4000 peg 5000 peg 6000 and stearic acid the effective amount of a lubricant found useful in the ribavirin compositions of this invention is in the range of about 0 75 to about 2 0 weight percent preferably about 1 0 to about 1 7 weight percent and most preferably about 1 3 weight percent of the ribavirin compositions of this invention the preferred lubricant is magnesium stearate typically suitable fillers include.