Parents always find it difficult to make their children take pills. Children always refuse to take them because of the taste, sizes, etc. So empty capsules become increasingly popular now. Because they are easier to swallow and hide the unpleasant taste. If you want to make empty capsules for children, you’d better know the following factors.
Dosage
Children need smaller amounts of medicine than adults, and they are also more sensitive. Even a little too much medicine can cause side effects or harm. On the other hand, too little medicine may not help them get better. So you must choose a suitable dosage for children capsules. It relates to if the medicine can work properly without risks.
When referring to dosage, you must consider capsules sizes. Capsules come in different sizes. They range from very small (Size 5) to larger ones (Size 000). For children, smaller capsules are usually better because they’re easier to swallow. Size 4 or 5 capsules are often good choices for kids, as they can hold a small but accurate amount of medicine.
Material Safety
Children have more sensitivity to ingredients in medicines, so more attention is needed to all materials when making capsules. Some capsules might contain lactose or gluten. These may cause allergies to some children. Because of this, many capsule manufacturers use lactose-free and gluten-free materials to make capsules. Moreover, some capsules might have artificial colors or preservatives. These ingredients may also lead to allergies or other health issues. Natural colors are thus a better option.
You need to get a strict control over material sources. A reliable material supplier is key. This means they should have proper qualifications and certifications, like GMP. These ensure the production process meets international standards. You can ask suppliers for detailed information about the source of materials. It usually includes where the materials come from or how they are grown or extracted. This helps prevent suppliers use non-compliant or harmful materials.
Compatibility
Please note that avoid reactions between the capsule material and the medicine inside. This could affect how the medicine is released and its stability. So, during the production process, compatibility tests are necessary to ensure that the material works well with the medicine.
Sealing and Stability
In children’s medications, the capsules’ sealing must stay secure. This is especially important when using liquid or oily medications. This helps reduce the risk of leaks. At the same time, the capsule design should improve heat and moisture resistance. So parents won’t worry about capsules getting damp or spoiled during storage.
Dissolution
The dissolution of capsule materials is key to how well the medicine works and gets absorbed. The capsule must dissolve properly in a child’s stomach and intestines to take effect. You’d better do some dissolution test before product launching. Special dissolution testing machines can be used to measure how fast and how much the capsule dissolves. The test results should be compared with set standards. Then you know if the capsule dissolves in the right time frame. If the capsule does not meet the standards, changes to the material may be needed. You can try out different materials or improve the current one, and test them again.
Taste and Odor
Taste and odor are big challenges when giving medicine to children. Many kids refuse to take medicine because of the bad taste or smell. Generally, empty capsules can hide both the taste and odor. But sometimes, when a medicine has a strong smell, the capsule might still let a bit of the taste through. For this, you can choose capsules with better sealing properties during making process. Some special plant-based capsules always work better than regular gelatin capsules to block taste and odor.
Dietary Restrictions
Many parents choose vegetarian capsules for their children. On the one hand, some children could be allergic to certain materials, such as gelatin. It may lead to skin rashes, stomach upset, or even more serious conditions like difficulty breathing. So it will be safer if they take vegetarian capsules. On the other hand, some people avoid animal products due to religious or personal dietary reasons. Thus, vegetarian capsules suit them well. Before making capsules, you’d better check how many customers fall into this group. This helps in deciding how to balance the number of gelatin and vegetarian capsules.
Providing Necessary Capsule Filling Tools
Many parents, especially new ones, often face problems with overfilling or underfilling capsules. This is mainly because they don’t have suitable tools. If you offer filling tools along with the empty capsules, it can be a great help. In this way, parents ensure that each capsule has the right amount of medicine. Manual and semi-automatic capsule filling machines are the most common tool. It is ideal for home use or small pharmacies. With a simple design and affordable price, they can quickly fill powder or granules into capsules. They come in different sizes to fit various capsule sizes.
Another common tool is a dosing spoon or powder dispenser. These tools help parents measure the right amount of medicine. Especially for children needing small doses, dosing tools ensures safety and effectiveness.
To make your products more appealing, you can add small capsule storage boxes or moisture-proof containers to your capsule sets. It can prevent moisture from affecting the medicine's effectiveness.
The End
There are many factors need to be considered when making child-friendly capsules. They pose higher requirements compared to adult medicine. If you’re involved in this business, keep a close eye on your production. This can build trust and strong relationships with your customers. If you struggle to find a high-quality capsule filler in your set, HUADA Pharma is your best partner. We offer various types of capsule filling machines, such as manual capsule filler, semi-automatic and fully automatic capsule fillers.