Adverse effects of pharmaceutical excipients in drug therapy

Everyone who prescribes a modern formulated drug is aware of the risks of adverse reactions due to the properties inherent in the active ingredients, but not all are aware of the latent risks due to the excipients. The latter risks are compounded when inappropriate and inferior quality excipients are used. When investigating reports of adverse drug reactions, the possibilities of excipient-contributed reactions must not be overlooked, though such possibilities may appear to be remote. Tragic accidents attributable to excipients have occurred and are on record. Preventive measures include frequent inspection and laboratory examination of imported and locally manufactured formulated drugs to monitor the safety of their excipients and the quality of the raw materials used in their manufacture.