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Pharmacy & Pharmacology vocabulary · Dosage Forms

Excipient

Meaning in pharmacy & pharmacology, with examples

/ɪkˈsɪpiənt/nounCommon term

In pharmacy & pharmacology, excipient means: Any ingredient in a medicine other than the active ingredient, such as a filler, binder, colouring, sweetener or preservative, that helps the product work and keep.

In Turkish: yardımcı madde, eksipiyan

How it is used

Listed in the patient leaflet, often as 'other ingredients'. Excipients are usually inactive but can matter for some patients: lactose in lactose intolerance, gelatin for vegetarians and some religious groups, alcohol or sugar in liquids, and certain dyes or preservatives for people with allergies.

Example sentences

  1. This tablet contains lactose as an excipient, so let's check whether that's a problem for her.

  2. Generic versions may use different excipients from the original brand.

Common collocations

  • contain excipients
  • list of excipients
  • excipient with known effect
  • inactive excipient
  • active ingredientThe substance in a medicine that produces its therapeutic effect, as opposed to the other ingredients that give the product its shape, taste or stability.
  • tabletA solid dosage form made by pressing a powder of the active ingredient and other substances into a small flat or round shape, which is usually swallowed.
  • capsuleA solid dosage form in which the medicine is held inside a small shell, usually made of gelatin, that dissolves in the stomach or intestine.
  • generic drugA medicine with the same active ingredient, strength, dosage form and effect as an original branded medicine, usually sold after the original's patent has expired.

More terms: Dosage Forms

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.