What about the same medicine and dosage available in both forms? Like a lot of over the counter painkillers or anti inflammatory drugs can be either/or. Is there any big difference between them?
Capsules are more expensive and can’t be easily split by patients so pills are generally preferred by manufacturers. Reasons to use capsules:
- they protect the medicine better from light and moisture and oxygen than tablets
- powder in capsules dissolves faster, more evenly and thus the dose can be frontloaded instead of spread out
- beads in capsules can be coated to control dosage rates or deliver one medication before another. I.e. if the active drug irritates the stomach a coating can counteract that or keep it from dissolving until it reaches the intestines. Extended release medications usually use these coatings to slow down absorption
- capsules can carry multiple physically separated chemicals that are too reactive to be allowed to touch
- the binders in the pill interfere with the medication
- capsules can mask the taste better
There are many factors that go into that decision.
First and foremost is the way to deliver the _active substance_. Can be immediate (pills are not the best for immediate delivery), delayed (most common) or extended release (e.g. the AS gets released in doses over a period of time).
Capsules IIRC can only deliver immediately but AS on capsules has faster absorption compared to pills.
Cost is another factor: AFAIK pills are usually cheaper - although I don't work at the industry so don't quote on me on this.
So it's the way you want to be delivered, characteristics of the AS, cost, etc.
source: I have a 5-year degree (EU) in Pharmaceutical Sciences.
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[ 2.9 ms ] story [ 34.2 ms ] threadFirst and foremost is the way to deliver the _active substance_. Can be immediate (pills are not the best for immediate delivery), delayed (most common) or extended release (e.g. the AS gets released in doses over a period of time).
Capsules IIRC can only deliver immediately but AS on capsules has faster absorption compared to pills.
Cost is another factor: AFAIK pills are usually cheaper - although I don't work at the industry so don't quote on me on this.
So it's the way you want to be delivered, characteristics of the AS, cost, etc.
source: I have a 5-year degree (EU) in Pharmaceutical Sciences.