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[Drug Excipients. Necessary, but not Harmless]
M D López Alarcón1, A Justo Hernández2, P Santos Cruz3
1Farmacéutica comunitaria en Murcia España.
Farmaceuticos Comunitarios
|October 22, 2025
Summary
Excipients, inactive ingredients in medications, can cause adverse reactions. This review identifies potentially harmful excipients and provides guidance for pharmacists to ensure patient safety, especially for pediatric populations.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Drug Safety
- Pharmaceutical Sciences
Background:
- Medicines contain active ingredients and excipients.
- While active ingredients cause intended effects and adverse reactions, excipients are often overlooked.
- Excipients, crucial for medication formulation, can also elicit adverse reactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify potential adverse reactions associated with medication and vaccine excipients.
- To provide community pharmacists with quick reference material for safe medicine dispensing.
- To highlight excipient risks in both pediatric and adult populations.
Main Methods:
- Bibliographic review of available literature.
- Focus on identifying adverse reactions linked to specific excipients.
- Development of reference tables for clinical use.
Main Results:
- Identification of potentially dangerous excipients.
- Documentation of associated adverse reactions.
- Outline of precautions for specific pathologies and pediatric use.
Conclusions:
- Excipients are not always harmless and can cause adverse drug reactions.
- Reference tables aid pharmacists in recognizing and managing excipient-related risks.
- Ensuring safe medicine use requires consideration of excipient safety profiles.
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