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Introduction: Capsules vs Tablets
When we take medicines or certain supplements, we can observe that they are usually in the form of tablets or capsules. Therefore, consumers need to understand the difference between capsules and tablets to choose the most suitable dosage form for them. Understanding the characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages of capsules and tablets, as well as how to choose between capsules and tablets, is also conducive to a more rational use of drugs.
Capsule refers to the raw material of the drug, or with the appropriate excipients filled in a hollow hard capsule shell or sealed in a flexible soft capsule made of solid preparations. Tablets are drugs and suitable excipients mixed and pressed into round or shaped tablets of solid preparations. So, what is the difference between capsules and tablets?
What are tablets?
More than half of the commonly used oral medicines are tablets, which are made by mixing the drug with excipients and then pressing them. The biggest advantages are accurate dosage, stable physical and chemical properties, long storage period and low price.
Tablets can be divided into many types, such as enteric-coated tablets, sustained-release tablets, controlled-release tablets, buccal tablets, chewable tablets, and sugar-coated tablets.
Tablets are usually taken with 150-200 ml of water. Too much water will dilute the gastric juice and accelerate gastric emptying, which is not conducive to the absorption of the drug. For example, the Jianwei Xiaoshi tablets used to treat spleen and stomach weakness and indigestion can even be chewed when taken.
What are capsules?
Capsule agent refers to the drug or plus excipients filled in a hollow capsule or sealed in a soft capsule shell of a class of solid preparations, which can mainly be divided into hard capsules, soft capsules, slow-release capsules, controlled-release capsules, enteric capsules, and so on. The role of the capsule can be used to wrap the drug, so that it avoids the influence of water, air, and light. It also masks the bitter, foul, and other undesirable odors of the drug, thus reducing the unpleasant experience for the patient when taking the medication.
The medication in capsules is often in the form of powder or granules. Compared to tablets, it is rapidly dissolved and absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract with higher bioavailability. Because capsules are generally prepared without excipients or pressure, they are faster dispersed and better absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract than pills and tablets.
Secondly, some drugs are easy to be destroyed in the stomach or have strong gastric irritation, so often made into enteric capsules. This ensures that the capsule shell reaches the intestinal tract before dissolving and releasing the drug. Finally, capsules can make up for the shortcomings of other solid dosage forms. Drugs with high oil content or in liquid form are difficult to make into pills and tablets, but can be made into soft capsules.
Key differences between capsules and tablets
Differences in packaging
Tablets are ordinary medicines with no outer packaging. Capsules need to be wrapped in capsule skin.
Differences in drug absorption
Part of the capsule can protect the drug from being absorbed by the gastric mucosa, and it will be absorbed only when it enters the intestines, which can reduce the stimulation of the gastric mucosa. But tablets generally enter the stomach and will soon disintegrate, be absorbed, and even melt in the mouth.
Differences in medicinal properties
The ingredients of some drugs can easily irritate the oral cavity, esophagus, gastric mucosa, etc. They need to be wrapped in capsules to reduce the impact on the mucosa. But most of the tablets have no obvious stimulation to the mucous membranes and will be quickly absorbed after entering the organism.
In clinical different drug packaging, dosage forms will be some differences. If you want to take drugs, you need to follow the doctor's instructions for medication, It is best not to blindly use drugs. Each kind of drug has its own efficacy and method of taking. Understanding the instructions of the drug before you take the drug. Determine exactly how the medication is to be taken before taking it. If there are obvious adverse reactions to the medication, you need to consult a doctor in time.
Differences in disintegration time
Hard capsules should be disintegrated within 30 minutes; soft capsules and enteric capsules should be disintegrated within 1h.
The disintegration time limit for ordinary tablets is 15 min. Dispersible tablets and soluble tablets are 3 min. Sublingual tablets and effervescent tablets are 5 minutes. Film-coated tablets are 30 minutes. Impregnated tablets, sugar-coated tablets, and enteric-coated tablets are 1h.
Differences in manufacturing process
Compared to the perspective of the preparation process, the drug excipients, the capsule manufacturing preparation process is relatively simple. It is mainly filled with drugs in the capsule shell. The capsule shell is mostly made of gelatin, so the capsule can be quickly dispersed in the gastrointestinal tract, dissolved, and absorbed.
Tablets are subjected to mechanical pressure and impact for compression molding. Tablets also have a lot of excipients, affecting the dissolution and absorption of the main drug. So the capsule of the same drug will work faster than the tablet, and the tablet does not work.
Pros and cons of tablets
Pros:
- Accurate dosage, less variation in drug content within tablets.
- Stable quality, tablets are dry solids. Certain drugs that are easy to oxidize and deteriorate, and easy to deliquesce, can be protected by coating. Light, air, moisture, etc. have less effect on them.
- It is more convenient to take, carry, and transport.
- Mechanized production, large output, low cost.
Cons: Children are not easy to swallow, and volatile drugs are reduced after long storage.
Pros and cons of capsules
Pros:
- Masks taste and improve drug stability.
- Rapid onset of action. The drug is filled into the capsule with powder or granules. Compared with tablets, pills, etc., the drug can be rapidly dispersed, dissolved, and absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract.
- Liquid drug solidification. Liquid drugs or drugs with high oil content can be filled in soft capsules to make solid preparations, easy to take and carry.
Cons: It is difficult to swallow for children, and the elderly easy to getting stuck in the throat. Some tablets need to be swallowed whole (such as extended-release tablets); broken open may not work. Slower onset of action: needs to be broken down in the stomach before absorption.
When to choose tablets and capsules?
When you need to take medication for a long period, tablets are the most affordable and cost-effective option.
When you need to take fat-soluble vitamins, probiotics, and some herbal extracts, capsules may be the best choice.
FAQs
Can I take the capsules apart and just take the medication inside?
Capsules mask the undesirable odor of the drug and improve compliance; they reduce the irritation of the drug. It can be made into a variety of types such as sustained release, controlled release and enteric dissolution. According to its characteristics, capsules should be swallowed whole. Infants and young children who cannot swallow can take the capsules apart under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.
Do capsules take longer to work than tablets?
Capsules usually take longer to work than pills. Because the capsule shell is usually made of gelatin, it also takes some time for the shell to digest, dissolve, and absorb. In contrast, tablets will work much faster than capsules.
How long does it take for a capsule to dissolve in the stomach or intestines?
Generally, an ordinary capsule can be dissolved in two or three hours when it comes into contact with water. But in the case of enteric capsules, it takes three hours, or even longer, to melt away. So the melting time is different for different capsules. There are two types of capsules, gastric soluble and enteric soluble.
Generally, gastric soluble capsules will melt in half an hour, thus releasing the drug for therapeutic purposes. But enteric capsules will not melt away in the stomach; only in the intestine will they melt, and the melting time will be very fast.
Conclusion
In conclusion, different dosage forms are suitable for different diseases and different people. Only by choosing the right dosage form can you maximize the efficacy of your medication and become a guardian of your health. Hopefully, by reading this article on the differences between science capsules and pills, it will make you aware of the respective characteristics of these two dosage forms.
