From what I remember, it is a way for telling them apart since there's so many different types of pills, different manufacturers, off-brand vs on brand medications, etc. If you look at a pill bottle (at least my pill bottles have them) there's a descriptor box that describes the size, shape, and color of the meds inside so it's harder to mix them up with other things. Not to mention the amount of dosage for each medication differs, the engineered coatings for different types of meds change things too, the surface area required for the most effective release rate; each type of pill is as unique as possible for their own reasons
DovahBay t1_iyd1kl8 wrote
Reply to ELI5: Why are pills those specific shapes and sizes? I've noticed ibuprofen is always smaller and tastes sweeter than paracetamol. Codeine is tiny and amoxiclav pills are huge. Is this to make it harder to confuse them, or is it because of the way the active ingredient is released in the stomach? by mwclarkson
From what I remember, it is a way for telling them apart since there's so many different types of pills, different manufacturers, off-brand vs on brand medications, etc. If you look at a pill bottle (at least my pill bottles have them) there's a descriptor box that describes the size, shape, and color of the meds inside so it's harder to mix them up with other things. Not to mention the amount of dosage for each medication differs, the engineered coatings for different types of meds change things too, the surface area required for the most effective release rate; each type of pill is as unique as possible for their own reasons