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Discussion

probably a very basic med question.....

I have patients who take gel capsules (both colace and b12) but because the patients can't swallow these, I'm asked to open them and squirt in with their crushed meds. (Why they don't get these in pure liquid form, I don't know.) Does anyone know the best way of opening these gel capsules? One nurse said she pricks it with a needle, and others have told me they cut the capsules open with scissors. I feel there must be an appropriate way of getting the gel out and I wonder what anyone here might suggest. Thank you to whoever takes the time to answer this :)

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    How about Vitamin D? I've only ever seen it in a gel-cap!

    Some of my patients too are ordered the gel-cap of Colace even though it exists in a crushable tablet form. Apparently this is the doing of the pharmacy for some reason. Is there a pharmacologic difference between the two - gel-cap vs. tablet? I assume there wouldn't be but one can never be too sure!

    Vitamin D also comes in liquid formulation. I've given liquid ergocalciferol and cholecalciferol before.

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    dissolve it in hot water using medicine cup.. but make sure add cold water before giving it to the patient. :)

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    In school I was taught to use a needle to prick the package and the gel cap and extract it that way. I haven't ever done it that way after actually getting my liscense. We always have docs around at night so getting it changed isn't too big of an issue.

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    see if you can change to a crushable form of something similar. My pharmacy usually recommends senna.

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    dissolve it in hot water using medicine cup.. but make sure add cold water before giving it to the patient. :)

    That's what I was thinking, too :-)

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    Colace has liquid for, B12 has sublingual form

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