What are excipients doing in medicinal products?

Abstract

Medicinal products contain not only active drugs but also other ingredients included for a variety of purposes and collectively known as excipients (from the Latin word excipere, meaning 'to take out or receive'). Prescribers may wrongly overlook or dismiss excipients on the assumption that these are inactive. In reality, such substances are not always inert and may have risks. Here we consider why excipients are present in medicines, their potential unwanted effects, how they are regulated and where to find out more about them.

Blinding in pharmacological trials: the devil is in the details

“…Moreover, the use of any excipient requires additional concern considering the fact that excipients have proved to be anything but inert, 19 and these possible specific effects represent a potential confounding factor that may be vital to interpreting the study results. The appropriateness of using nebulised saline as a placebo in bronchodilator studies assessing symptoms relief involving patients with respiratory problem has been questioned.…”