Difference between Capsules and Tablets

Nowadays, modern technology has made it possible for people to take their medication or supplements in different manners or methods.  A few examples of these are suspensions, syrups, drops, tablets A capsule is a shell used to encapsulate medicine - they either come as soft or hard-shelled. Capsules can come in different colors and sizes, although they cannot be cut or crushed like tablets. They also generally cost more. Capsules are made using animal protein or gelling agents, as well as plasticizers and coloring agents.

	Tablets	Capsules
Definition	A flat oral pharmaceutical dosage item that is usually in compressed powder form	A shell or container containing a drug or vitamins
Methods of administration	Oral, sublingual, rectal, intervaginal	Oral
Appearance	Flat, compressed powder, comes in different shapes and sizes	Shiny, comes in different sizes and colors; can be soft or hard-shelled
Processing method	Molding or compression	Use of animal proteins or gelling agents to contain medicine, using the process of extrusion and spheronization or blow molding
Can it be cut?	Yes	No, can be opened
Can it be crushed?	Yes	No
History	Used in the 1500s in ancient Egypt	Patented in 1834 by Mothes and Dublanc
Advantages	Different sizes and shapes, scoring allows convenient splitting, low costs, widely accepted	Sealed capsules serves as good oxygen barriers, protection of sensitive ingredients, odorless, tasteless, easy to take, absorbed easily, reduces gastrointestinal irritation
Disadvantages	Risk of sensitivity on coatings, processing can add heat or moisture and affect contents, possibility of poor disintegration in gastrointestinal tract	Can be too large, possibility of ingredients interacting inside, limited fill weight, costs more

Venn Diagram