Q.Is it necessary to take the capsule part of a medication or can you open the capsule and pour the contents out? Capsules make me gag, but if I could just pour out the powder I'd have no problem.

A. The "capsule part" of a medication only holds the medication within in it; however the capsule does serve a purpose.

Some are granule-filled and are made to be taken whole or sprinkled on food (example: Prilosec) liquid-filled and are sealed, and some are powder-filled.

Removing the contents of some capsules (example: liquid-filled Procardia) will cause the medication to be absorbed very fast and may cause a problem.

But the main reason for the "capsule part" is the possibility of an awful unpalatable taste of the capsule contents. This can cause even worse gagging.

For a specific medication ask your pharmacist and he/she can tell you if the contents can be taken out of the capsule or if there is an alternative form of the medication.

The pharmacist may also be able to put the medication into a palatable liquid form - this is specialty compounding and expect to pay more for this service.