solid dosage forms in which the medicinal agents and/or inert substances are enclosed in a small gelatin shell.

****They may be used to mask the unpleasant tastes, aromas, or appearance of a drug.

****They allow powders to be dispensed in an uncompressed form, thus allowing for quicker dissolution and absorption of the drug following oral dosing (as compared with tablets).

****They offer the pharmacist versatility to prepare any dose desired for a variety of administration routes (e.g. oral, inhalation, rectal, or to be diluted for vaginal, rectal, oral or topical use).

****They may be easier than tablets for some people to swallow.

****They can be make to alter the release rate of the drug.

****Hygroscopic drugs are not suitable for filling into capsules, because they absorb water present in capsule shell makes shell very brittle and ultimately lead to crumble into pieces

****The concentrated solutions which require previous dilution are unsuitable for capsules because if administered as such lead to irritation into stomach

consists of two pieces of cylinders closed at one end.

The empty capsule shells are made of

hey may be colored with various FD&C and D&C dyes and made opaque by adding

Moisture may be absorbed by gelatin capsules that is why capsules are packaged along with a small packet or cylinder of a desiccant material

The size selected for use is determined by the amount of ______ to be encapsulated.

000 CAPULE SIZE

5 CAPSULE SIZE

Larger capsules are available for

made of gelatin to which glycerin or a polyhydric alcohol such as sorbitol has been added.

Warm sheet of plain or colored gelatin is placed on the bottom plate of the mold, and the medication-containing liquid is evenly poured on it. Then a second sheet of gelatin is carefully placed on top of the medication, and the top plate of the mold is put into place

It is a continuous process wherein two plasticized gelatin ribbons are continuously and simultaneously fed with liquid or paste fill between the rollers of the rotary die mechanism

The gelatin ribbons are fed between a set of vertical dies that continually open and close to form rows of packets in gelatin ribbons.

liquids such as vegetable and aromatic oils, aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons, chlorinated hydrocarbons, ethers, esters, alcohols, and organic acids)

Water-miscible nonvolatile liquids

propylene glycol and isopropyl alcohol

Tight, well-closed, and light-resistant container (depending on the item)