Elixirs Lecture Notes PDF

⦿ Elixirs are clear, sweetened hydroalcoholic solutions intended for oral use and are usually flavored to enhance their palatability. I. Non-medicated elixirs are employed as vehicles, and II. Medicated elixirs are used for the therapeutic effect of the medicinal substan...

⦿ Elixirs are clear, sweetened hydroalcoholic solutions intended for oral use and are usually flavored to enhance their palatability. I. Non-medicated elixirs are employed as vehicles, and II. Medicated elixirs are used for the therapeutic effect of the medicinal substances they contain. ⦿ The proportion of alcohol in elixirs varies widely because the individual components of the elixirs have different water and alcohol solubility characteristics. Official elixirs have 4- 40 % of alcohol ⦿ Each elixir requires a specific blend of alcohol and water to maintain all of the components in solution. ⦿ Naturally, for elixirs containing agents with poor water solubility, the proportion of alcohol required is greater than for elixirs prepared from components having good water solubility. ⦿ In addition to alcohol and water, other solvents, such as glycerin and propylene glycol, are frequently employed in elixirs as adjunctive solvents. ⦿ Although many elixirs are sweetened with sucrose or with a sucrose syrup, some use sorbitol, glycerin, and/or artificial sweeteners. ⦿ Elixirs having a high alcoholic content usually use an artificial sweetener, such as saccharin, which is required only in small amounts, rather than sucrose, which is only slightly soluble in alcohol and requires greater quantities for equivalent sweetness. ⦿ All elixirs contain flavorings to increase their palatability, ⦿ Most elixirs have coloring agents to enhance their appearance. ⦿ Elixirs containing more than 10% to 12% of alcohol are usually self-preserving and do not require the addition of an antimicrobial agent. ⦿ One advantage ⦿ A disadvantage of of elixirs over elixirs for children their and for adults counterpart who choose to drugs in solid avoid alcohol is dosage forms is their alcoholic the flexibility of dosage content. ⦿ For most elixirs, one or two teaspoonfuls 5 or 10 mL provide the usual adult dose of the drug. ⦿ Ease of dosage administration to patients who have difficulty Because of their usual content of volatile oils and alcohol, elixirs should be stored in ⦿ tight, light-resistant containers and ⦿ protected from excessive heat. ⦿ Elixirs are usually prepared by simple solution with agitation and/or by admixture of two or more liquid ingredients. ⦿ Alcohol-soluble and water-soluble components are generally dissolved separately in alcohol and in purified water, respectively. ⦿ Then the aqueous solution is added to the alcoholic solution, rather than the reverse, to maintain the highest possible alcoholic strength at all times so that minimal separation of the alcohol-soluble components occurs. ⦿ When the two solutions are completely mixed, the mixture is made to the volume with Medicated elixirs ⦿ Most official and commercial elixirs contain a single therapeutic agent which is more preferred. ⦿ Usually contain per 5ml (one teaspoonful) from (25- 100%) of the average single dose of the medicinal subs as listed in USP. ⦿ The main advantage of having only a single therapeutic agent is that the dosage of that single drug may be increased or decreased by simply taking more or less of the elixir, ⦿ Whereas, when two or more therapeutic agents are present in the same preparation, it is impossible to increase or decrease the dose of one without an automatic and corresponding adjustment in the dose of the other, which may not be desired. Non medicated elixirs (a) the addition of a therapeutic agent to a pleasant-tasting vehicle and (b) dilution of an existing medicated elixir. If a hydro alcoholic vehicle is selected for the drug, the proportion of alcohol should be only slightly above the amount needed to effect and maintain the drug’s solution. The non medicated elixir selected as the diluents should have approximately the same alcoholic concentration as the elixir being diluted. Also, the flavor and color characteristics of the diluent should not be in conflict with those of the medicated elixir, and *all components should be chemically and Unofficial elixirs There are in the market many elixirs not recognized by the USP or NF. Many of these are sold under trade names. Examples of these elixirs: B.co elixir, Ferro B elixir, Toniphose elixir Example of elixir containing only water as a solvent is lactated pepsin elixir. Thank You