The active ingredient in a drug is the substance responsible for producing the intended therapeutic effect.
A medicine may contain one or more active ingredients along with inactive ingredients, such as fillers, binders, preservatives, coatings, or flavoring agents. The active ingredient is the component that produces the medicine’s pharmacological effect.
For example, in an artemether-lumefantrine tablet, artemether and lumefantrine are the active ingredients. The amount and identity of active ingredients are important when determining what medicine a person is actually receiving.
QUICK FACT
Two medicines can have different brand names but contain the same active ingredient and therefore have similar therapeutic effects when used appropriately.
COMMONLY CONFUSED WITH
Brand name: A brand name identifies a particular manufacturer’s product, while the active ingredient identifies the substance responsible for the medicine’s therapeutic effect.
SEE ALSO
- Generic medicine
- Brand name
- Dosage
- Drug formulation
- Antimalarial