A pharmaceutical capsule is an easy way to take medication. Capsules may contain powder, liquid or oil. The outer shell is made of hard or soft gelatin. Capsules come in different shapes and colors to identify dose or what company made them. They are also available as timed release which work over a period of time. Capsules should usually be taken whole. Always consult a pharmacist or desk reference before opening a capsule. Capsules should also not be crushed without first checking to see if it is safe.

References 

INFORMATION ABOUT SOFT GELATIN CAPSULE

Soft gelatin capsules, also known as softgels or soft elastic capsules, are hermetically sealed one-piece capsules containing a liquid or a semisolid fill without a bubble of air or gas. They are made from a more flexible, gelatin film plasticized by the addition of glycerine, sorbitol, .

As with hard gelatin capsules, soft gelatin capsules are predominantly administered orally. Some can be formulated and manufactured to produce a number of different drug delivery systems such as

a.    Chewable softgels where a highly-flavoured shell is chewed to release the drug liquid fill matrix

b.    Suckable softgels which consist of a gelatin shell containing the flavoured medicament to be sucked and a liquid matrix (or just air inside the capsule)

c.    Twist-off softgels which are designed with a tag to be twisted or snipped off, thereby allowing access to the fill material and

d.    Meltable softgels designed for use as pessaries or suppositories.

References

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·        Shayne, C. 
Medicine