Inactive Drug Ingredients
Inactive ingredients are components of a drug product that do not increase or affect the therapeutic action of the active ingredient, which is usually the active drug. Inactive ingredients are added during the manufacturing process of pharmaceutical products such as tablets, capsules, suppositories, and injections. Inactive ingredients may also be referred to as inert ingredients or excipients, and generally have no pharmacological effect.
Examples of inactive ingredients include binding materials (which may be excipients), dyes, preservatives, and flavoring agents. Agents that combine with active ingredients to facilitate drug transport in the body are also considered inactive.
The FDA approves inactive ingredients that are included in pharmaceutical products. However, not all inactive ingredients are always inactive. Alcohol is one example of an ingredient that may be active or inactive based on the specific formulation of the medication. Patients may have allergic reactions or other adverse effects to inactive ingredients. If a patient has a known allergic reaction to an inactive ingredient, they should check for the ingredient in new prescription or over-the-counter medications or check with their pharmacist.
Examples of inactive ingredients that are have been reported to cause reactions in some patients include: sulfites, benzoates, aspartame, saccharin, oleic acid, benzyl alcohol, lactose, soya lecithin, propylene glycol, and sorbitan trioleate. Patients who have allergic or adverse reactions to certain inactive ingredients may be able to use products that are color- or preservative-free.
Search inactive ingredients
Browse A-Z
A
- Acacia
- Acesulfame
- Acesulfame potassium
- Acetic acid
- Acetone
- Acetyltributyl citrate
- Alcohol
- Alginic acid
- Alpha-tocopherol
- Aluminum chloride
- Aluminum chlorohydrex propylene glycol
- Aluminum hydroxide
- Aluminum lake dyes
- Aluminum oxide
- Aluminum silicate
- Aluminum stearate
- Aluminum sulfate
- Amide resin
- Aminobenzoate sodium
- Ammonia
- Ammonio methacrylate copolymer
- Ammonio methacrylate copolymer type A
- Ammonio methacrylate copolymer type B
- Ammonio methacrylate copolymers
- Ammonium chloride
- Ammonium laureth-5 sulfate
- Ammonium phosphate dibasic
- Artificial flavor
- Artificial grape flavor
- Artificial mint flavor
- Ascorbic acid
- Ascorbyl palmitate
- Aspartame
B
- Banana
- Barium sulfate
- Benzalkonium chloride
- Benzoic acid
- Benzyl alcohol
- Betadex
- Black currant
- Black currant flavor
- Black ink
- Black pigment
- Blackberry
- Blue dye
- Butyl alcohol
- Butylated hydroxyanisole
- Butylated hydroxytoluene
- Butylparaben
C
- Calcium
- Calcium carbonate
- Calcium phosphate
- Calcium phosphate dibasic anhydrous
- Calcium phosphate dihydrate dibasic
- Calcium silicate
- Calcium stearate
- Calcium sulfate
- Calcium sulfate anhydrous
- Calcium sulfate dihydrate
- Candelilla wax
- Carbomer
- Carbomer 934
- Carbomer homopolymer type A
- Carbomer homopolymer type B
- Carbomer homopolymer type C
- Carboxymethylcellulose
- Carboxymethylcellulose calcium
- Carboxymethylcellulose sodium
- Carmine
- Carnauba wax
- Carrageenan
- Castor oil
- Cellacefate
- Cellulose acetate
- Cellulose compounds
- Cellulose powdered
- Cellulosic polymers
- Cetostearyl alcohol
- Cetyl alcohol
- Cetylpyridinium chloride
- Cherry
- Citric acid anhydrous
- Citric acid monohydrate
- Cochineal
- Coconut oil
- Colophony
- Colorants
- Coloring agent
- Compressible sucrose
- Compressible sugar
- Confectioners sugar
- Copovidone
- Corn
- Corn oil
- Corn starch
- Corn syrup
- Corn-derived proteins
- Cottonseed oil
- Cranberry
- Croscarmellose sodium
- Crospovidone
- Cysteine hydrochloride
D
- D&C Green No. 5
- D&C Red No. 21
- D&C Red No. 22
- D&C Red No. 27
- D&C Red No. 27 Aluminum Lake
- D&C Red No. 28
- D&C Red No. 30
- D&C Red No. 33
- D&C Red No. 6 Lake
- D&C Red No. 7 Calcium Lake
- D&C Yellow No. 10
- D&C Yellow No. 10 Aluminium Lake
- Dextrates
- Dextrose
- Dextrose monohydrate
- Dibutyl phthalate
- Dibutyl sebacate
- Diethyl phthalate
- Dihydroxyaluminum sodium carbonate
- Dimethicone
- Dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate - butyl methacrylate - methyl methacrylate copolymer
- Docusate sodium
E
- Edetate calcium disodium
- Edetate disodium
- Edible black ink
- Egg phospholipids
- Ethanolamine
- Ethyl acrylate - methyl methacrylate copolymer
- Ethyl butyrate
- Ethyl isovalerate
- Ethylcellulose
- Ethylcellulose (10 mPa.s)
- Ethylcellulose (100 mPa.s)
- Ethylcellulose (20 mPa.s)
- Ethylcellulose (7 mPa.s)
- Ethylene glycol monoethyl ether
- Ethylvanillin
- Eudragit
F
- FD&C Blue No. 1
- FD&C Blue No. 1 Aluminium Lake
- FD&C Blue No. 2
- FD&C Blue No. 2 Aluminium Lake
- FD&C Green No. 3
- FD&C Red No. 3
- FD&C Red No. 4
- FD&C Red No. 40
- FD&C Yellow No. 5
- FD&C Yellow No. 5 Aluminum Lake
- FD&C Yellow No. 6
- Ferric oxide brown
- Ferric oxide red
- Ferric oxide yellow
- Ferric oxides
- Ferrosoferric oxide
- Ferrous fumarate
- Ferrous oxide
- Flavor
- Flavors
- Fragrances
- Fumaric acid
G
- Gelatin
- Glucosamine
- Glucosamine hydrochloride
- Glutamic acid hydrochloride
- Glycerin
- Glycerol monooleate
- Glyceryl behenate
- Glyceryl distearate
- Glyceryl monostearate
- Glycine
- Glycolate
- Glycyrrhizin ammoniated
- Guar gum
H
- Hard gelatin capsule
- High fructose corn syrup
- Hydrochloric acid
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Hydrogenated castor oil
- Hydrogenated cottonseed oil
- Hydrogenated soybean oil
- Hydrogenated vegetable oil
- Hydroxyethyl cellulose
- Hydroxypropyl cellulose
- Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose phthalate
- Hypromellose 2208
- Hypromellose 2208 (100 mPa.s)
- Hypromellose 2208 (100000 mPa.s)
- Hypromellose 2208 (15000 mPa.s)
- Hypromellose 2208 (3 mPa.s)
- Hypromellose 2208 (4000 mPa.s)
- Hypromellose 2910
- Hypromellose 2910 (15 mPa.s)
- Hypromellose 2910 (15000 mPa.s)
- Hypromellose 2910 (3 mPa.s)
- Hypromellose 2910 (5 mPa.s)
- Hypromellose 2910 (50 mPa.s)
- Hypromellose 2910 (6 mPa.s)
- Hypromellose phthalate
- Hypromelloses
I
L
M
- Magnesium
- Magnesium aluminum silicate
- Magnesium carbonate
- Magnesium hydroxide
- Magnesium oxide
- Magnesium silicate
- Magnesium stearate
- Magnesium trisilicate
- Maleic acid
- Malic acid
- Maltodextrin
- Mannitol
- Medium-chain triglycerides
- Meglumine
- Menthol
- Methacrylic acid
- Methacrylic acid - ethyl acrylate copolymer (1:1) type a
- Methacrylic acid - methyl methacrylate copolymer (1:1)
- Methacrylic acid - methyl methacrylate copolymer (1:2)
- Methacrylic acid copolymer
- Methyl alcohol
- Methyl cinnamate
- Methyl methacrylate
- Methylcellulose
- Methylcellulose (100 mPa.s)
- Methylcellulose (15 mPa.s)
- Methylcellulose (400 mPa.s)
- Methylene chloride
- Methylparaben
- Methylparaben sodium
- Microcrystalline cellulose
- Microcrystalline wax
- Mineral oil
- Mint
- Mint cream flavor
- Mint menthol
- Modified corn starch
- Monosodium citrate
N
- Natural and artificial orange flavor
- Natural flavor
- Natural mint flavor
- Natural peppermint flavor
- Natural resin
- Nonoxynol-100
O
- Oleic acid
- Olive oil
- Opacode black
- Orange cream flavor
- Orange juice
- Orange oil
- Orange-pineapple flavor
- Other ingredients
P
- Palm kernel oil
- Paraffin
- Partially hydrogenated soybean and palm oils
- Peanut oil
- Peppermint
- Peppermint flavor
- Peppermint oil
- Phenylalanine
- Phosphoric acid
- Piperazine
- Polacrilin potassium
- Polacrilin sodium
- Poloxamer
- Poloxamer 188
- Poloxamer 407
- Polyacrylate dispersion 30%
- Polycarbophil
- Polydextrose
- Polyethylene glycol
- Polyethylene glycol 1450
- Polyethylene glycol 300
- Polyethylene glycol 3000
- Polyethylene glycol 3350
- Polyethylene glycol 400
- Polyethylene glycol 4000
- Polyethylene glycol 600
- Polyethylene glycol 6000
- Polyethylene glycol 800
- Polyethylene glycol 8000
- Polygalacturonic acid
- Polysorbate
- Polysorbate 20
- Polysorbate 80
- Polyvinyl acetate
- Polyvinyl alcohol
- Polyvinylpyrrolidone
- Potassium
- Potassium bicarbonate
- Potassium bitartrate
- Potassium carbonate
- Potassium chloride
- Potassium gluconate
- Potassium hydroxide
- Potassium sorbate
- Potato starch
- Povidone
- Povidone k12
- Povidone k25
- Povidone k30
- Povidone k90
- Propyl gallate
- Propylene glycol
- Propylene glycol alginate
- Propylparaben
- Propylparaben sodium
R
S
- Saccharin
- Saccharin sodium
- Sd-45 alcohol
- Sda-3a alcohol
- Sesame oil
- Shellac
- Silicified microcrystalline cellulose
- Silicon dioxide
- Silicone
- Sodium
- Sodium alginate
- Sodium ascorbate
- Sodium benzoate
- Sodium bicarbonate
- Sodium carbonate
- Sodium carbonate monohydrate
- Sodium caseinate
- Sodium chloride
- Sodium citrate
- Sodium glycolate
- Sodium hydroxide
- Sodium laureth sulfate
- Sodium lauryl sulfate
- Sodium metabisulfite
- Sodium monolaurate
- Sodium phosphate
- Sodium phosphate dibasic
- Sodium propionate
- Sodium starch glycolate
- Sodium starch glycolate type A potato
- Sodium stearate
- Sodium stearyl fumarate
- Sodium thioglycolate
- Sodium tripolyphosphate
- Sorbic acid
- Sorbitan
- Sorbitan monolaurate
- Sorbitan monooleate
- Sorbitol
- Sorbitol special
- Soya lecithin
- Soybean oil
- Spearmint
- Starch
- Stearic acid
- Stearyl alcohol
- Strawberry
- Strawberry guarana flavor
- Succinic acid
- Sucralose
- Sucrose
- Sucrose stearate
- Sugar 6x powder
- Sugar spheres
- Sunflower oil
- Synthetic ferric oxide
- Synthetic ferric oxide red
- Synthetic ferric oxide yellow
- Synthetic ferric oxides
T
- Tapioca starch
- Tartaric acid
- Taurine
- TIMERx-N
- Titanium dioxide
- Tragacanth
- Triacetin
- Tribehenin
- Tricalcium phosphate
- Triethyl citrate
- Trimyristin
- Trisodium citrate anhydrous
- Trisodium citrate dihydrate
- Tromethamine
- Tropical blend flavor