A Hard Pill to Swallow: How does the Size of Pharmaceutical Capsules affect the Rate of Reaction

Overview

Swallowing pills can be a massive fear and nuisance, that begs the question; does the size of pharmaceutical capsules affect how fast they dissolve in our bodies? There were three capsule sizes used of both plant based and animal based structures, all containing the same mass of Sodium Bicarbonate measured on a pharmaceutical grade scale. By simulating the environment of the stomach, following dissolution guidelines in a closed system, I collected the gases produced when antacids reach our stomach acid. I found that smaller plant-based capsules dissolve faster than larger capsules and that the largest animal-based ones were the slowest. These findings not only improve patient comfort by reducing the sizes necessary but could also improve environmental standards reducing the plastic waste associated with larger capsules in the world of pharmacy.

Awards (1)

• Selected for CWSF 2026

Competition history

• CWSF 2026 Health & Wellness

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