{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]],"date-time":"2026-06-02T18:13:57Z","timestamp":1780424037180,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"7","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["DTB"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2009,7]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>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 <jats:italic>excipere<\/jats:italic>, meaning \u2018to take out or receive\u2019).1<jats:sup>,<\/jats:sup>2 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.3 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.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1136\/dtb.2009.06.0026","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2009,6,30]],"date-time":"2009-06-30T17:37:57Z","timestamp":1246383477000},"page":"81-84","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["What are excipients doing in medicinal products?"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"47","member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2009,6,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025082702064264000_47.7.81.1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2535","DOI":"10.2174\/092986706778201648","article-title":"Drug excipients.","volume":"13","author":"Kal\u00c3\u00a1sz","year":"2006","journal-title":"Curr Med Chem"},{"key":"2025082702064264000_47.7.81.2","unstructured":"Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP). Guideline on excipients in the dossier for application for marketing authorisation of a medicinal product [online] Available: http:\/\/www.emea.europa.eu\/pdfs\/human\/qwp\/39695106enfin.pdf [Accessed 19 June 2009] 2007."},{"key":"2025082702064264000_47.7.81.3","unstructured":"Joint Formulary Committee. British National Formulary Edition 57. London: BMJ Group and RPS Publishing March 2009."},{"key":"2025082702064264000_47.7.81.4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"985","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fct.2005.01.020","article-title":"Safety assessment of esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (parabens).","volume":"43","author":"Soni","year":"2005","journal-title":"Food Chem Toxicol"},{"key":"2025082702064264000_47.7.81.5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fct.2005.01.020"},{"key":"2025082702064264000_47.7.81.6","unstructured":"UK Medicines Information. Which antidepressants are available in lactose-free formulations? [online] Available: http:\/\/www.nelm.nhs.uk\/en\/NeLM-Area\/Evidence\/Medicines-Q--A\/Which-antidepressants-are-available-in-lactose-free-formulations\/ [Accessed 19 June 2009] 2008."},{"key":"2025082702064264000_47.7.81.7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"46","DOI":"10.1136\/dtb.2008.05.0013","article-title":"Switching to CFC-free beclometasone for asthma","volume":"46","year":"2008","journal-title":"DTB"},{"key":"2025082702064264000_47.7.81.8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/dtb.2008.05.0013"},{"key":"2025082702064264000_47.7.81.9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"233","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1365-2273.2002.00584.x","article-title":"Allergic otitis externa.","volume":"27","author":"Sood","year":"2002","journal-title":"Clin Otolaryngol"},{"key":"2025082702064264000_47.7.81.10","unstructured":"European Commission. Excipients in the label and package leaflet of medicinal products for human use [online] Available: http:\/\/www.emea.europa.eu\/pdfs\/human\/productinfo\/3bc7a_200307en.pdf [Accessed 19 June 2009] 2003."},{"key":"2025082702064264000_47.7.81.11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"95","DOI":"10.1097\/CAD.0b013e3280113338","article-title":"Alternative drug formulations of docetaxel: a review.","volume":"18","author":"Engels","year":"2007","journal-title":"Anticancer Drugs"},{"key":"2025082702064264000_47.7.81.12","unstructured":"Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment. Peanut allergy [online] Available: http:\/\/www.dh.gov.uk\/en\/Publicationsandstatistics\/Publications\/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance\/DH_4006895?IdcService\u00e2\u0080\u008a=\u00e2\u0080\u008aGET_FILE&dID\u00e2\u0080\u008a=\u00e2\u0080\u008a6790&Rendition\u00e2\u0080\u008a=\u00e2\u0080\u008aWeb [Accessed 19\u00c2\u00a0June 2009] 1998."},{"key":"2025082702064264000_47.7.81.13","unstructured":"Utrogestan 200 mg capsules Summary of product characteristics, UK, Ferring Pharmaceutical Ltd, February 2006."},{"key":"2025082702064264000_47.7.81.14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"977","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMoa013536","article-title":"Factors associated with the development of peanut allergy in childhood.","volume":"348","author":"Lack","year":"2003","journal-title":"N Engl J Med"},{"key":"2025082702064264000_47.7.81.15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMoa013536"},{"key":"2025082702064264000_47.7.81.16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1368","DOI":"10.1023\/A:1020315228237","article-title":"Influence of polyethylene glycol 400 on the gastrointestinal absorption of ranitidine.","volume":"19","author":"Basit","year":"2002","journal-title":"Pharm Res"},{"key":"2025082702064264000_47.7.81.17","unstructured":"Aulton ME . Aulton's Pharmaceutics. The design and manufacture of medicines. Third edition. Elsevier Limited 2007."},{"key":"2025082702064264000_47.7.81.18","first-page":"4","article-title":"Tigecycline: new formulation affects compatibility.","volume":"2","author":"Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency","year":"2008","journal-title":"Drug Safety Update"},{"key":"2025082702064264000_47.7.81.19","unstructured":"Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP). Reflection paper: formulations of choice for the paediatric population [online] Available: http:\/\/www.emea.europa.eu\/pdfs\/human\/paediatrics\/19481005en.pdf [Accessed 19 June 2009] 2006."},{"key":"2025082702064264000_47.7.81.20","first-page":"263","article-title":"Dyes, preservatives and salicylates in the induction of food intolerance and\/or hypersensitivity in children.","volume":"10","author":"Ibero","year":"1982","journal-title":"Allergol Immunopathol"},{"key":"2025082702064264000_47.7.81.21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1560","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(07)61306-3","article-title":"Food additives and hyperactive behaviour in 3-year-old and 8\/9-year-old children in the community: a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial.","volume":"370","author":"McCann","year":"2007","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"2025082702064264000_47.7.81.22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(07)61306-3"},{"key":"2025082702064264000_47.7.81.23","unstructured":"Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP). CHMP scientific article 5(3) opinion on the potential risks of carcinogens, mutagens and substances toxic to reproduction when these substances are used as excipients of medicinal products for human use. Available http:\/\/www.emea.europa.eu\/pdfs\/human\/opiniongen\/14616607en.pdf [Accessed 19 June 2009] 2007."},{"key":"2025082702064264000_47.7.81.24","unstructured":"Department of Health. Immunisation against infectious disease 2006 [online] Available: http:\/\/www.dh.gov.uk\/en\/Publicationsandstatistics\/Publications\/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance\/DH_079917?IdcService\u00e2\u0080\u008a=\u00e2\u0080\u008aGET_FILE&dID\u00e2\u0080\u008a=\u00e2\u0080\u008a115974&Rendition\u00e2\u0080\u008a=\u00e2\u0080\u008aWeb [Accessed 19 June 2009] 2006."},{"key":"2025082702064264000_47.7.81.25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"56","DOI":"10.1136\/dtb.2009.04.0016","article-title":"Why look at an SPC?","volume":"47","year":"2009","journal-title":"DTB"},{"key":"2025082702064264000_47.7.81.26","unstructured":"Rowe RC . Handbook of pharmaceutical excipients Fifth Edition. London and Chicago: Pharmaceutical Press 2006."}],"container-title":["Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/syndication.highwire.org\/content\/doi\/10.1136\/dtb.2009.06.0026","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,27]],"date-time":"2025-08-27T09:06:55Z","timestamp":1756285615000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dtb.bmj.com\/lookup\/doi\/10.1136\/dtb.2009.06.0026"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2009,6,30]]},"references-count":26,"journal-issue":{"issue":"7","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2009,6,30]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2009,7]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1136\/dtb.2009.06.0026"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/dtb.2009.06.0026","relation":{},"ISSN":["0012-6543","1755-5248"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0012-6543","type":"print"},{"value":"1755-5248","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2009,6,30]]}}}