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Author: Admin | 2025-04-28
This most often comes up in the case of generic substitution.The 'Orange Book' will designate generic drugs that are equivalent to their brand-name counterpart and assign the appropriate 'therapeutic equivalence' code (or 'TE Code')As it concerns diltiazem products, I mentioned there are several on the market, including:diltiazem 12 hour extended-release capsulesdiltiazem 24 hour extended-release capsules [brand names Cardizem CD, Tiazac, Cartia XT, Taztia XT]diltiazem immediate-release tabletsdiltiazem 24 hour extended-release tablets [brand name Tiazac XC, Matzim LA, Cardizem LA]If we compare how the Orange Book classifies capsules versus tablets, they do not have the same designation.For example, Cardizem CD capsules have an 'AB3' rating, while Cardizem LA tablets have an 'AB' rating.Since these two products have different ratings, they are not considered therapeutically equivalent to one another.Final WordsSo, I've answered the main question here in regard to whether or not diltiazem ER tablets and capsules are technically interchangeable, and as discussed, they are not.This likely has very little real-world, clinical significance, but the point remains, they are not interchangeable and your pharmacy shouldn't be switching you between capsules and tablets unless your doctor wrote your prescription for one or the other.Thanks again for your question and be sure to reach out again with further questions!
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