Capsules are an increasingly popular form of medication and offer many advantages over tablets. They’re easy to swallow and mask any unpleasant tastes of medicines – something tablets cannot do, leading to increased patient compliance.
Tablets are easier to formulate than capsules, making development faster and reducing time-to-market more expeditiously – these benefits make capsules the preferred medication form for many pharmaceutical manufacturers.
Capsules are easy to swallow
Capsules have become an increasingly popular alternative to tablets due to their ease of swallowing and ability to mask unpleasant tastes, while being safer than crushed tablets that may contain hazardous ingredients. While most consumers still prefer tablets over capsules, more drug manufacturers now offer both forms of medication; product information will inform you if one exists or the other.
Hard gelatin capsules consist of two parts, including the base or body and a cap that secures around it. This cap has grooves and dimples which interlock with the body to ensure a secure seal after filling and is hermetically sealed, making them difficult to tamper with.
It was found that the “lean-forward” technique is more effective at swallowing large oral dosage forms than using the pop bottle method, however this requires instruction and practice, particularly among older, young, cognitively compromised, or cognitively normal individuals. Furthermore, tilting one’s head backwards becomes second nature over time with practice.
They are convenient
Comparative to tablets, capsules are more convenient, tasteless, and quickly absorbed. Unfortunately, however, they can also be harder to tamper with and more susceptible to humidity affecting their contents.
Traditional hard capsules are created using gelatin or synthetic polymers, with their shell being formed by dipping metal moulds (known as pins) into a solution of gelling agent that contains plasticizers, glycerin, colours, preservatives and lubricants before being dried in controlled air drying kilns.
Capsules are versatile containers that can hold a wide variety of materials ranging from powders, granules, pellets and microparticles to liquids. Their adaptability is invaluable early on in drug development processes when pharmacists weigh and put the drugs directly into capsules for patients (an act known as extemporaneous preparation or compounding). Two-color capsule combinations help patients identify which medications they are taking – something especially helpful when managing chronic diseases that necessitate multiple prescribed treatments.
They are easy to store
Capsules are an increasingly popular alternative to tablets and offer many advantages over other dosage forms. They’re convenient to store, can mask unpleasant tastes or smells, protect medications from heat and humidity exposure and are easier to swallow compared to their tablet counterparts.
Gelatin capsules have long been used for dry solid drugs and come with two pieces that fit together seamlessly, typically animal-derived gelatin but more recently HPMC and pullulan have become popular alternatives.
Hard capsules offer several advantages for pill storage and identification purposes, as they come in different colors to make branding and identification easy. Hard capsules should preferably be kept out of direct light and humidity until needed for consumption, however too much air circulation could cause the contents to lose potency over time.
They are easy to identify
If you’re taking multiple medications, capsules are an easy and efficient way to take them. Their oblong shape makes them easily identifiable, and their shells can come in one color or feature patterns which makes distinguishing between each pill easier. You could even look out for lines or speckles in its composition as visual markers.
Capsules can be especially helpful when the drug in question is too solid to compact into tablets, or when mixed with oil or other liquids for easier absorption by the body. Furthermore, capsules are more adept than tablets at masking unpleasant tastes, odours or textures of certain drugs.
Traditional capsule shells were typically composed of gelatin; however, recent changes have enabled manufacturers to utilize plant-based alternatives like hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC). HPMC is non-toxic and recognized by regulatory bodies as being “Generally Regarded as Safe”. Unlike its gelatin predecessors, HPMC films do not degrade under water or heat exposure and less likely cross-link with time compared to gelatin films.
