CHAPTER 7: CAPSULES

Usually preferred to administered

in adults because they are
conveniently carried, readily
identified and easily taken
There is no need for spoon or
other measuring devices, which
may be inconvenient and may
result in less than accurate
dosing
Tasteless when swallowed
Shapes, colours, manufacturers
name and product code number
embossed or imprinted on their
surface helps to identify capsules
and tablets. This characteristic
helps:
1. Enhances communication
between patient and health
care providers
2. Assists patient compliance
3. Fosters safe and effective
medication use
Available for many medications in
a variety of dosage strengths,
providing flexibility to the
prescriber and accurate
individualized dosage for the
patient
They are packaged and shipped
at lower cost and less breakage
More stable and have a longer
shelf life

Overview of Capsules
Capsules
- Solid dosage forms in which
medicinal agents and/or inert
substances are enclosed in a
small shell of gelatin
Gelatin
- May be hard or soft

May be composed of two pieces,

a body and a cap (hard-shell
capsules), or they may be
composed of a single piece (softshell capsules)
Most filled capsules are intended
to be swallowed whole

Hard Gelatine Capsules

-

Used in most commercial

medicated capsules
Employed in clinical drug trials to
compare the effects of an
investigational drug with those of
another drug product or placebo
Used in extemporaneous
compounding of prescription

Empty Capsule Shell

- Made up of gelatine, sugar and
water
- They can be clear, colourless
and tasteless
- May be coloured with various
FD&C and D&C dyes
- Made opaque by adding agents
such as Titanium dioxide
Gelatine
- Obtain by partial hydrolysis of
collagen obtained from the skin
- Available in the form of a fine
powder, a coarse powder,
shreds, flakes, or sheets
- Stable in air when dry
- Subjected to microbial
decomposition when it becomes
moist
- Contain 13%-16% of moisture
-

If stored in high humidity,

additional moisture is absorbed
by the capsules, and they may
become distorted and lose their
rigid shape

If stored in extreme dryness,

moisture normally present in the
gelatine capsule is lost and the
capsules may become brittle
and crumble when handled

It is desirable to maintain hard

gelatine capsules in an
environment free from excessive
humidity or dryness

Capsules are packaged along

with small packet or cylinder of
a desiccant material to protect
against the absorption of
atmospheric pressure

Prolonged exposure to high

humidity can affect in vitro
capsule dissolution. Changes
have been observed in capsules
containing:
1. Tetracycline
2. Chloramphenicol
3. Nitrofurantion
-

Materials used are dried silica

gel, clay, and activated charcoal

Capsule shells are usually made

from gelatine, they may also be
made from cellulose polymers
Capsules are designed for oral
administration
When no deliberate effort has
been made to modify API release
rate, they are referred as
modified release
Gel