When a tablet tablet capping, the separation of the top or bottom layer of a compressed pill during manufacturing. This isn’t just a cosmetic issue—it’s a serious quality failure that can mean your medication doesn’t dissolve properly, or worse, delivers the wrong dose. You might not notice it until you see a pill split in half, or feel a gritty texture when swallowing. But behind that crack is a chain of problems: inconsistent dosing, reduced shelf life, and even safety risks if the active ingredient isn’t evenly distributed.
tablet manufacturing, the process of compressing powdered drugs into solid dosage forms is more complex than it looks. Factors like moisture content, particle size, and compression force all play a role. If the powder isn’t blended right, or if the machine presses too fast, the tablet can’t hold together. This is especially common with drug formulation, the science of designing how a medicine is delivered in the body for drugs with sticky or brittle ingredients—like lithium or certain antibiotics. Even small changes in raw material from one batch to the next can trigger capping, which is why generic drug makers sometimes struggle to match brand-name consistency.
That’s why pharmaceutical quality, the system of controls ensuring drugs are safe, effective, and consistently made matters. Regulators like the FDA don’t just check if a pill works—they inspect how it’s made. Tablet capping is one of the top defects flagged in inspections. It’s not just about money or speed; it’s about whether you’re getting what the label says. A cracked tablet might still look fine, but if the active ingredient is uneven, you could be underdosed—or worse, overdose if the layers separate in your stomach.
You won’t always know if your pills have this flaw. But if you’ve ever noticed a pill breaking apart in your hand, or if your doctor says your medication isn’t working like it used to, tablet capping could be why. The posts below dive into real cases where generic drugs failed because of manufacturing flaws, how to spot bad pills, and what to do if you suspect your meds aren’t holding up. You’ll also find guides on how to read drug labels for clues, how formulary changes can force switches to lower-quality generics, and why some drugs—like lithium—are more prone to these issues than others. This isn’t just about pills cracking. It’s about your health depending on something you can’t see.
Generic drugs save money but often carry hidden risks due to manufacturing defects like capping, contamination, and dosing errors. Learn how these flaws impact safety and what you can do to protect yourself.
