Which statement correctly describes a gel cap?

Which statement correctly describes a gel cap?

• A. A hard shell capsule contains a gel material.
• B. An oil-based medication enclosed in a soft gelatin capsule.
• C. A gel cap is a dry powder inhalation form.
• D. A gel cap is a syrup in a bottle.

Answer: (B)

Gel caps are soft gelatin capsules that enclose a liquid or oil-based drug inside a flexible gelatin shell. This packaging is ideal for medicines that are oil-based, because the soft capsule provides a tight seal and smooth, easy swallowing. The statement about a hard-shell capsule containing a gel material describes a different form; hard capsules are two-piece shells usually filled with dry powders or pellets, not liquids. A gel cap is not a dry powder inhalation, nor is it a syrup in a bottle, so those descriptions don’t fit.

Gel caps are soft gelatin capsules that enclose a liquid or oil-based drug inside a flexible gelatin shell. This packaging is ideal for medicines that are oil-based, because the soft capsule provides a tight seal and smooth, easy swallowing. The statement about a hard-shell capsule containing a gel material describes a different form; hard capsules are two-piece shells usually filled with dry powders or pellets, not liquids. A gel cap is not a dry powder inhalation, nor is it a syrup in a bottle, so those descriptions don’t fit.