How should patients take their nitroglycerin sublingual tablet?

Unless otherwise specified, most patients will assume that the medications they receive in tablet or capsule form should be swallowed whole. A sublingual tablet, however, should be placed under the tongue or between the cheek and gum and left to dissolve on its own. Sublingual means under-the-tongue. Of note, sublingual tablets should not be chewed first. The concept of chewing, stopping, and parking only applies to nicotine gum.