Sodium Chloride
Excipient (pharmacologically inactive substance)
What is Sodium Chloride?
Sodium chloride (NaCl) is the chemical name for salt. Sodium chloride occurs naturally as the mineral halite. Commercially, it is obtained by the solar evaporation of salt water, or by mining. It is a component of sodium chloride injections USP, and has production uses in pharmaceutical processing.[1]
Sodium chloride has uses a channeling agent, and as an osmotic agent in the cores of controlled-release tablets. It also is used to help modify drug release, and to adjust porosity in tablet coatings. It can adjust drug release from gels and emulsions, and adjust the thickness of solutions by altering the ionic attributes of a formulation.[1]
Sodium chloride is widely used in a variety of pharmaceutical products to produce isotonic solutions. It is used in normal nasal saline sprays, in intravenous lock flush solutions, and in eye washes or solutions. Sodium chloride tablets are also available to replace salt lost through excess sweating to help prevent muscle cramps. Sodium chloride solution may also be used to dilute medications for nebulization and inhalation.[2]
As an excipient, sodium chloride may be regarded as nontoxic and nonirritant. However, toxic effects following the oral ingestion of 0.5–1.0 g per kilogram of body weight in adults may occur.[1]
[1] Medicines Complete. Pharmaceutical Excipients. Monographs. Sodium chloride. Accessed April 16, 2012. http://www.medicinescomplete.com/
[2] Drugs.com. Sodium chloride. Accessed April 8, 2012. http://www.drugs.com/monograph/sodium-chloride.html
Top Medications Containing Sodium Chloride
- Allegra-D 24 Hour 180 mg / 240 mg (Sanofi-Aventis)
- Clorazepate Dipotassium 3.75 mg (Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc.)
- Clorazepate Dipotassium 7.5 mg (Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc.)
- Clorazepate Dipotassium 15 mg (Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc.)
- Concerta 36 mg (ALZA Corporation)
- Concerta 54 mg (ALZA Corporation)
- Concerta 18 mg (ALZA Corporation)
- Concerta 27 mg (ALZA Corporation)
- Embeda morphine 20 mg / naltrexone 0.8 mg (King Pharmaceuticals Inc.)
- Embeda 30 mg / 1.2 mg (King Pharmaceuticals Inc.)
- Exalgo 12 mg (Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals)
- Exalgo 8 mg (Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals)
- Exalgo 16 mg (Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals)
- Glipizide XL 10 mg (Greenstone Limited)
- Invega 6 mg (Janssen Pharmaceuticals)
- Invega 3 mg (Janssen Pharmaceuticals)
- Lithium Carbonate Extended Release 300 mg (Roxane Laboratories, Inc.)
- Nifedipine Extended-Release 30 mg (Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc.)
- Nifedipine Extended-Release 60 mg (Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc.)
- Renvela carbonate 800 mg (Genzyme)
