I was opening 135 capsules, the other day, for a compound I was making in our pharmacy lab and got me thinking about the procedure. Some capsules open easily and some are, sometimes, seemingly impossible, even within the same lot of capsules.
The first tip is to wear gloves, whether the drug is harmful to you or not. This gives you some grip which you’ll be needing. The next thing is to gently squeeze the long, base, end of the capsule then twisting the cap end. While it is turning, hopefully, pull gently to get the capsule to unlock.
Gelatin and Vegetable capsules have a locking mechanism, inside, to ensure that they stay together, holding the contents safely inside. If you have trouble the next step is to squeeze harder, twist and pull with more force. If you are opening your medication to sprinkle into food or drink a good thing to do is open over a piece of wax paper. If it is hard to open and happens more violently than planned, it can be saved on your base of paper.
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