Introduction

Ifyou or someone you care for struggles to swallow pills, you should discuss it with your doctor or pharmacist.

Alternative forms of the medicine are sometimes available, or you may just need to experiment with some simple swallowing techniques.

Thispage gives some basic adviceand outlines the clinical and legal issues around crushing tablets or opening capsules.

This advice applies to:

  • adults who have difficulty swallowing pills
  • parents of children who struggle to swallow pills
  • nurses or carers of people withdysphagia (swallowing problems)
Content supplied by the NHS Website

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 4 Jan 2017