What are Medication Excipients? 

Most of the modern drugs that are manufactured and made by compounding pharmacists consist of other ingredients that enhance or protect the medication. These medication excipients are non-active ingredients that act as stabilizers, enhancers, or fillers to help make the medication more effective. 

These inactive ingredients are harmless in most cases and do not produce any reaction, however, a few patients can have intolerances or allergic reactions to certain excipients. A compounding pharmacy can offer formulations that are free of many excipients that are found in manufactured drugs.

What are the Different Types of Excipients?

1. Fillers:

When a drug is made into a pill/capsule, it generally will not take up the entire space inside. A filler is used to make sure the entire pill is filled. This is especially beneficial when a drug is measured in a very small unit like micrograms.

2. Binders:

Ingredients are frequently added to capsules to help the material bound together. Drugs can be manufactured into tablets due to binders. A compounding pharmacy can sometimes offer a drug like this in capsules with only one filler, especially in weight loss compounding medication. 

3. Flavors:

Compounding helps to add flavors to medicines as per the wish and taste of the individual.

4. Dyes:

The color of the drugs can affect how appetizing it looks. It also gave some ideas about the flavor used in the drug. A dye is dyed in orange color to match the orange taste. Patients sometimes will request a compounded medication that is free of dyes.

There are many alternatives available from a compounding pharmacy to get the same drug but reduce the number of excipients. Our pharmacists regularly work with docs and patients to help get them treatments that can be optimized to their specific needs.