Medicines, excipients, and dietary intolerances

#### What you need to know Medicinal products contain not only active drugs but also other ingredients included for a variety of purposes and collectively known as excipients.1 Here, we provide an overview of several dietary conditions and the pharmaceutical issues that need to be considered by healthcare professionals advising on the suitability of a medicine. A food allergy is an adverse immune response and a food intolerance is a non-immunological reaction that can be caused by enzyme deficiencies, pharmacological agents and naturally occurring substances.2 It is estimated that between 1% and 10% of adults and children have some form of food allergy or intolerance. The reason why a person has intolerance to a certain type of food is often not clear. However, as many as 20% of the population experience reactions to foods which make them believe that they have a food intolerance or hypersensitivity.3 For children, the most common food allergens include cows’ milk, chicken eggs, shellfish, fish, soy, peanuts, wheat and tree nuts. The most common type of enzymatic food intolerance is lactose intolerance.3 Excipients in medicines may not be suitable for some people with a dietary intolerance …