Advantage And Disadvantage Of Pharmaceutical Capsule

Capsules are solid pharmaceutical dosage forms in which the drug or a mixture of drugs is enclosed in a Gelatin Shell or any other suitable material to form various shapes. Capsules generally contain a single dose of active ingredients and are taken orally.

Pharmaceutical capsules

Excipients such as opaque fillers, antimicrobial preservatives, sweetening agents, permitted flavoring agents and one or more coloring agents may be added. Capsules may be printed on the outer surface.

Capsules may contain medications in solid, paste or liquid forms. The API filled in the capsules may contain excipients as solvents or fillers but the shell should not be attacked by the content thereby releasing the contents of the capsule.

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There are two main types of capsules. They are hard and soft gelatin. Hard shelled capsules, which are the typically made using gelatins and contains dry, powdered ingredients or pellets made by e.g. processes of extrusion. These are made in the two halves: a lower-diameter "body" that is filled and sealed with a higher diameter "cap." Soft shelled capsules, primarily used for oils and for active ingredients that are dissolved or suspended in oil.

Advantage Of Capsule

1. Enclosing the medication within capsule shells provides a tasteless, odourless means of administering medication

2. The ready solubility of gelatin at gastric pH provides rapid release of medication in the stomach

3. Ease of use due to the fact that it is smooth, slippery and easy to swallow

4. Unit dosage form

5. Easy to produce with minimal cost

6. Minimum excipients required

7. Can be coloured to improve adherence

8. The gelatin shell can give protection of the drug from light

9. Capsules can also be used for poorly compressible drugs

10. Capsules provide relatively better stability than other oral solid dosage forms

11. Encapsulation does not create high heat and pressure, thus heat-sensitive drugs can be more readily formulated as capsules

12. capsules can be used for active ingredients that need modified release

13. possible to imprint brand logo, brand name, and graphics on the capsule, providing further brand identity

Disadvantage Of Capsules

1. Capsules are not suitable containers for liquids that dissolve gelatin, such as aqueous or hydroalcoholic solutions.

2. Very soluble salts, such as bromides or iodides should not be dispensed in capsules, as the rapid release of such materials may cause gastric irritation

3. Content of capsules can become brittle if it is hygroscopic and absorb water from the shell

Read Also: Classification Of Pharmaceutical Capsule

4. Not appropriate for highly efflorescent 

5. Capsule are less stable than many form of drug as the react to environmental conditions especially humidity

6. Capsules expire more quickly than tablets

7. Capsules that contain liquids are generally more expensive to manufacture than tablets and may cost more as a result

8. Cannot accommodate high quantity of drug