Two of the most common formulations for oral drug products are tableting and encapsulation.
Tableting is the method of pressing loose materials into a small, hard pill. At a high level, the powder or granule mixture is prepared and filled into a mold. Once in the mold, a tablet press compresses the loose material into a tablet. After compression, tablets are often coated to protect the tablet from the environment, change the taste/smell, or to alter the release of the drug (i.e. extended release). Tablets must be made of a uniform mixture and consistent size to achieve consistency of the dose from pill to pill.
As opposed to compressing the medicine into a tablet, encapsulation provides a "shell" in which the medicine is enclosed. Capsules can be hard-shelled or soft shelled. The hard-shelled capsules contain dry, powdered ingredients or small pellets whereas soft-shelled capsules are mainly used for oils and active ingredients suspended in oil (ex. fish oil supplements).
