Names, strength, active ingredients & inactive ingredients

Question 1

What are combination products (3)

Answer 1

1. Products containing more than one active ingredient.
2. For example, co-codamol tablets contain paracetamol and codeine.
3. Both of these are active ingredient(s), and when combined they make a stronger painkiller than either ingredient on its own.

Question 2

What is the brand name (2)

Answer 2

1. ‘Brand name’is sometimes also called‘proprietary name’, but they have the same meaning.
2. The most effective way to remember and be sure of what the product does, is to know the active ingredient(s) in a product and how they work, rather than the brand.

Question 3

What is the strength of a medicine (5)

Answer 3

1. measured by the amount of active ingredient that it contains
2. in weight, and is usually written as ‘mg’ (milligrams) or ‘g’ (grams)
3. in international units (IU).
4. In the dispensary, there are some medicines that are measured in ‘mcg’ (micrograms) Micrograms are smaller than milligrams, but there are only a few OTC products that you will come across with a strength that small.
5. You cannot compare the strength of two different active ingredients, but you can compare two different strengths of the same ingredient.

Question 4

What are inactive ingredients

Answer 4

Inactive ingredients may have no therapeutic effect but can cause problems to those who take them

Question 5

What are the issues with inactive ingredients and some medicines (4)

Answer 5

1. People with diabetes have to reduce their intake of sugar, but some medicines contain sugar.
2. Patients on a salt-restricted diet, such as those with high blood pressure, should avoid the salts contained in soluble tablets.
3. Some people are allergic to colours, preservatives, flavours and lanolin (contained in some creams, ointments, and suppositories).
4. Not all manufacturers list all of the inactive ingredients on the packaging, but they do in the PIL.

Question 6

What is the purpose of lactulose

Answer 6

used to bulk up the tablet, increasing the tablet size which makes it easier to take

Question 7

What is the purpose of flavours

Answer 7

used to make the tablet more pleasant to taste

Question 8

What is the purpose of colours

Answer 8

used to enhance the aesthetic appearance

Question 9

What is the purpose of preservatives

Answer 9

used to increase shelf life by making the product effective for longer

Question 10

What is the purpose of effervescent agents

Answer 10

used to make the tablet dissolve in water