Active ingredient
An
active ingredient, also
active pharmaceutical ingredient (or API), is the substance in a
drug that is
pharmaceutically active.The traditional word for the API is
pharmacon (from Greek: (φάρμακον), adapted from
pharmacos) which originally denoted a magical substance or
drug.
A
capsule,
tablet,
syrup,
intravenous fluid, or any other formulation of a drug is traditionally composed of two things: The API, which is the drug itself; and an
excipient, which is the substance of the tablet, or the liquid the API is suspended in, or other material that is pharmaceutically
inert.
*
Pharmakos*
counterfeit drug
