Table 4 Most commonly prescribed medicines (received by >10 patients) containing known to be harmful or potentially harmful excipients
From: Hospitalised neonates in Estonia commonly receive potentially harmful excipients
Rank | Active substance, drug formulation | No of prescriptions | Potentially harmful or known to be harmful excipients |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Gentamicin, inj solution | 200 | Parabens, sodium metabisulphite |
2 | Simeticone, oral suspension | 108 | Sodium benzoate, saccharin sodium, silicium dioxide, sodium cyclamate, sorbic acid |
3 | Heparin, inj solution | 86 | Benzyl alcohol, parabens |
4 | Laurilsulphate + Sorbitol + Sodium citrate, rectal solution | 60 | Sorbic acid |
5 | Salbutamol, nebulisation solution | 54 | Benzalkonium chloride, propylene glycol |
6 | Dobutamine, inj solution | 45 | Sodium metabisulphite |
7 | Epinephrine, inj solution | 36 | Sodium metabisulphite |
8 | Iron, oral solution | 32 | Parabens, saccharin sodium |
9 | Budesonide, nebulisation solution | 31 | Polysorbate 80, disodiumedetate |
10 | Chloramphenicol, opthalmic solution | 29 | Benzalkonium chloride, polysorbate 80, borax, boric acid |
11 | Caffeine, solution | 29 | Sodium benzoate |
12 | Phenobarbital, tablet | 29 | Silicium dioxide, gelatin |
13 | Paracetamol, suppository | 29 | Disodium hydrogen phosphate |
14 | Piperacillin + tazobactam, inj solution | 25 | Disodium edetate |
15 | Paracetamol, inj solution | 24 | Disodium hydrogen phosphate |
16 | Hydrocortisone, inj solution | 23 | Benzyl alcohol, disodium hydrogen phosphate |
17 | Epoetin beta, inj solution | 22 | Disodium hydrogen phosphate, glycine, calcium chloride dihydrate, leucine, |
18 | Ibuprofen, inj solution | 21 | Trometamol |
19 | Hyoscine butylbromide, tablet | 20 | Silicium dioxide |
20 | Spironolactone, tablet | 18 | Silicium dioxide |
21 | Zidovudine, oral solution | 17 | Sodium benzoate, saccharin sodium |
22 | Fusidic acid, ophthalmic solution | 16 | Benzalkonium chloride, disodium edetate |
23 | Morphine, inj solution | 14 | Sodium metabisulphite |
24 | Phenobarbital, inj solution | 13 | Benzyl alcohol, propylene glycol |
25 | Heparin sodium, topical gel | 12 | Parabens, ethanol, trietanolamine, |
26 | Insulin, inj solution | 11 | Cresol |