pill
A pill (from the Latin pilula "globule") is a drug form usually provided with a coating in the shape of a ball (sometimes in the shape of an egg or roller) for oral intake.
Pills are produced by combining the active ingredient , a filler (e.g. lactose ), a binding agent (e.g. dry yeast extract) and a kick-off agent (e.g. water, glycerin ) into an easily kneadable, easily malleable, but non-sticky Mass is produced. From this mass, the pills are portioned with the help of a pill cutter and then rolled (hence the “pill roll”). Finally, a release agent (e.g. Lycopodium or cocoa powder) prevents the individual pills from sticking together in the dispensing vessel. Coatings made of tolu balsam , glue , silver , gold , urea or sugar can also fulfill the same function . Since the auxiliary materials used can easily become a breeding ground for bacteria and the production method is unsanitary, pills are obsolete . The release of the active ingredient is also difficult to predict because the pills harden. For these reasons, pills have completely disappeared from pharmacy practice and have been replaced by tablets and capsules .
In the vernacular is referred to as "the pill" drugs of solids (in pill, coated tablet - tablets - or capsule form ). In particular, “the pill” means a means of hormonal contraception ( birth control pills ), whereby these are technologically not pills, but dragees or film-coated tablets .
