1. When opening a pill to be used as medicine for a choleh she’ein bo sakanah, one may tear open the wrapping to remove it, but one should try to avoid tearing in a place with lettering, as most poskim hold that this is forbidden due to “erasing” letters (mochek) (Shemirat Shabbat K'hilchatah 33:4). If tearing the letters is unavoidable, one may open the wrapping anyway and rely on the lenient opinions that permit ripping letters in this manner.

2. One who needs to cut a pill into parts for whatever reason is permitted to do so, even when using a pill cutter. This does not violate the melachah of mechatech (cutting into measured pieces), since mechatech does not apply to food, and medicine is considered like food in this respect (Ibid.).

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Dedicated by Fran Broder as a zechus for the hostages to be released safely to their families and may everlasting peace come to Eretz Yisrael in the merit of learning Hilchos Shabbos.