Capsules vs. Tablets

Main Difference

The main difference between Capsules and Tablets is that Capsules are the type of medicine that we cannot cut into two, whereas Tablets are the type of medicine that we can cut into two.

Difference Between Capsules and Tablets

Comparison Chart

Capsules vs. Tablets

Nutrients present in the capsules are absorbed better than the nutrients obtained from the tablets. The drugs which are present in the capsules are considered to enter into the bloodstream of people immediately. Tablets, on the other hand, are referred to as coated with sugar or the same substances that show the medicines present in them would not instantly come into the bloodstream of the people. Tablets are less expensive than capsules.

Capsules retain their potential for a shorter age; on the other hand, the tablets are considered to retain their potential for a longer age as compared to the capsules and therefore referred to have more shelf life.

Capsules are considered easy to swallow. People that have difficulty in swallowing the capsule can open it and blend the contents of the capsule into a drink. This trick is proved beneficial when we have to administer the capsules to children. The only drawback of tablets is that large tablets can be proved hard to swallow. The only way of taking the large tablet is to break that tablet or crush it to the powder.

What are the Capsules?

In order to encapsulate the medicines, we use a shell or a container that is called a capsule. Patients are referred to as intake this type of medicine orally. Capsules are available in the pharmacies in soft and hard-shelled forms. We made capsules by using gelling agents like animal protein.

In order to decrease the hardness of the capsule, we use plasticizers in them, and to change their color, we add coloring agents. Gelatin is used to make the hard-shelled capsules, which in turn contain dry, powdered ingredients. In 1847, James Murdock patented them. Half of the capsule is filled with the powder solution, whereas the rest of the capsule is pressed on.

The active ingredients that are referred to as suspended in oil or the oil are packed in the form of medicines by using soft-shelled capsules. In 1834, Mothes and Dublanc invented the soft-shelled capsules. The method which was used to produce these types of capsules was granted a patent. At an early age, a medicine dropper was used to transfer the medicines into this type of capsule, but now the blow molding process is used to transfer the medicine into the capsules.

Advantages of Capsules

• It is referred to as an odorless, tasteless medicine and is easy to swallow.
• It is responsible for delivering fat and oil-soluble nutrients.
• In order to reduce gastrointestinal irritation, we use capsules.
• We obtain protection for sensitive ingredients through capsules.
• We can open the capsules to obtain the powdered ingredients.
• The capsules which enclose hard gelatin can be proved as good oxygen barriers.
• It is possible for capsules to have unique mixes of ingredients.

Disadvantages of Capsules

• The capsule is referred to as a costly medicine.
• The ingredients which are present in the capsule can interact with the shell of the capsule.
• The variations may occur in the fill volume of the capsule.
• The large size of the capsule results when we use bulky materials.

What are Tablets?

A tablet is referred to as another form of oral pharmaceutical dosage. The compression or molding process is generally used to produce a solid dose of the tablet. About two-thirds of all the prescriptions that are prescribed to a patient are solid dosages and contain half of these solid dosages in the form of tablets. Tablets are generally administered sublingually, rectally, orally or intravaginally.

The earliest records of tablets show that they were first used in 1500 BC in ancient Egypt when pills were thought to be found on papyruses. The spices or plant powders that were thought to be used as medicinal ingredients were mixed and then converted into pills. It is considered as a difficult task to swallow a tablet.

Tablets were thought to be coated with the slippery plant substances during the medieval era so that the patients could take them easily. The coatings and markings on the tablets make them different from the other tablets. Nowadays, some tablets are considered to have special properties like fast-dissolving formulations.

Advantages of Tablets

• They are generally considered as elegant and widely accepted.
• The tablets of custom shape, size, and appearance are available in the pharmacies.
• They are available at low prices.
• To get specific nutrient uptake, we use controlled release agents.
• They are involved in low-cost coatings for the enteric delivery when needed.

Disadvantages of Tablets

• Tablets are referred to as potentially poor during disintegration in the GI tract, except there are proper conditions for controlling the disintegration.
• They are involved in showing potential sensitivities to coatings.
• Heat or moisture is added to components through the granulation technique.

Conclusion

All of the above discussion concludes that both the capsules and tablets are considered as oral pharmaceutical dosage forms. The capsules are the type of medicine that we cannot cut into two and does not have different sizes and shapes, on the flip side, the tablets are the type of medicine that we can cut into two and different shapes, sizes, and appearances of it are available in the pharmacies.