The belief that soft gel capsules work faster than tablet-form medications may be misguided.
A pharmacist has challenged the common claim in the pharmaceutical market that soft gel capsules act faster than tablets.
The billion-dollar soft gel capsule industry promotes the idea that the capsules’ soft material allows them to dissolve faster in the body, leading to quicker effects. However, Dr. Grant Harting argued through experiments that tablets break down faster than capsules.
Dr. Harting explained that the tablet dissolved more quickly when he dissolved both a tablet and a soft gel capsule in water. This suggests tablets may also be absorbed faster in the body. Soft gel capsules are often more expensive than tablets, which could be valuable information for consumers. For example, a 24-count bottle of regular Tylenol tablets costs about $5, while the soft gel version marketed for its “fast relief” can cost up to $8.
Soft gel capsules contain medication enclosed in a soft outer shell that dissolves in the stomach to release the drug. On the other hand, tablets are solid forms made by compressing active ingredients, which break down in the stomach before being absorbed into the bloodstream. Addressing concerns about differences between stomach acid and water, Dr. Harting explained that he repeated his tests in a simulated gastric environment and found that tablets dissolved faster.
He added that body temperature and internal moisture levels significantly affect how fast a drug dissolves—higher temperatures and more moisture lead to faster molecular movement, which speeds up dissolution.
The same results appeared in Harting’s viral TikTok video. In the experiment comparing ibuprofen soft gel capsules and tablets, the tablets broke down faster. He argued that this might reflect how they behave inside the body.
Meanwhile, there was controversy over Tylenol’s soft gel capsules, which were marketed for fast relief last year. Some questioned whether they actually worked faster than regular tablets.
In response, consumers filed a class-action lawsuit claiming the advertising was misleading. However, in August 2024, a New York court dismissed the case, ruling that fast relief was similar to immediate release as defined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
However, a 2018 study found that the 500mg “fast relief” Tylenol tablet took an average of 3 minutes and 56 seconds to dissolve 80%, which is only 23 seconds faster than the standard tablet. Some consumers said that if they had known the difference had been so small, they would have chosen the cheaper tablet instead of the pricier soft gel version.
Experts emphasize that consumers need to understand that soft gel capsules don’t always work faster than tablets. They explained that a drug’s effectiveness depends on more than just how quickly it dissolves. Also, people should choose medication that fits their health needs rather than relying on marketing claims.
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