Capsules and caplets both are formulated to be easier to swallow. The major difference between capsules and caplets is that the capsule is the solid drug dosage form in which drugs and excipients are enclosed in a gelatin shell, whereas the caplet is a compressed oval-shaped tablet which appears the same as a capsule.
Solid dosage formulations such as capsules, tablets, granules, sachets, and powders are significant dosage forms in pharmaceuticals. Capsules and caplets both are the solid dosage forms that deliver precise doses of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) to patients. The capsules are made of gelatin (soft/ hard) or some other plant-based material and contain medication that provides an effectual delivery mechanism. Caplet is a tablet, prepared, or formulate similar to a tablet, which has a capsule shape and is coated with a smooth layer to make it easy to swallow.
Capsules:
The capsules come in two types i.e. hard-shelled capsules and soft-shelled capsules, the hard gelatin capsules are used for powdered (solid) medication while soft gelatin capsules are used for medicines that are dissolved or suspended in oil. The shells can be made of two pieces in the form of cylinders called the cap and body or they can be prepared as a single piece. The major advantage of the capsule is that a unique mix of ingredients is possible, it is easy to swallow for patients, protects the medicine from light, moisture, and unpleasant taste and odor.
Caplets:
Caplets are oval-shaped pellets, which are made by compressing the powder mixture with a binding medium. It can generally a gelatin-coated or film-coated to masking the unpleasant taste and odor of drugs, to control the release rate, and make it easier to swallow for the elderly and children. The caplets have similar advantages to tablets except that they are smooth and small in size, making them easy to swallow. However, they are used as a tamper-resistant substitute to a capsule but are often more expensive than pills so fewer products are offered by pharmaceutical industries.
The following are some of the differences between capsules and caplets.
- If small doses are required, the capsule may be cut into two or more pieces, while capsules cannot cut into pieces.
- The one more major difference between capsules and caplets is that the rate at which the drug is absorbed by the body and the speed at which the drug is released varies.
- The capsules are expensive than the caplets as the manufacturing process is complex.
- The capsules can be formulated with many drugs, but the caplet has certain limitations.
- Gel or semi-solid medicines can be used in capsules, but caplets can only be prepared with solids.
- Compared to caplets, the capsule is easy to absorb.
- As per the need for dose, the caplet can be formulated as an immediate-release or extended-release.
Commonly asked questions on dosage forms are as follows.
What is the difference between tablets and capsules?
The major difference between tablet and capsule is that the tablet consists of a solid, compressed powder, whereas the capsule consists of a powder or jelly stored in a dissolvable gelatin shell.
What are the types of tablet coating?
Sugarcoating, enteric coating, film coating, gelatin coating, compression coating, dip coating, electrostatic coating, and rotary-die coating are types of tablet coating.
What is the main application of granulation?
Granulation have two types’ wet granulation and dry granulation. It is primarily used in the production process of solid dosage forms such as tablets and capsules in the pharmaceutical industry.
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