Flavored Syrups & More: Which Compounding Vehicle Should I Use?

*Please note that we no longer carry bases at Total Pharmacy Supply, but we still offer a vast selection of supplies to support your pharmacy in all their compounding needs.

Oral vehicles can be difficult to differentiate between since they are so similar. When compounding an oral liquid, it’s important to determine immediately whether to make a solution, syrup or suspension.  Determining this is based off of the duration of therapy, solubility and stability of the chemical in its final vehicle form. For instance, if the drug is easily dissolvable and stable, then a solution may be appropriate.  If the drug is practically insoluble, then a suspension is likely necessary. Once you’ve decided the best dosage form, then you can select a vehicle to use. Humco offers a selection of oral vehicles to aid in this process.

Sorbitol Solution 70% has natural ingredients and preservatives. This clear, colorless, syrupy liquid has a sweet taste, no characteristic odor and is neutral to litmus. As a common replacement for propylene glycol and glycerin, sorbitol solution has been used as a laxative in larger quantities to treat constipation. The recommended use is for ionic and/or hydrophilic actives, or with diabetic additives.

Simple Syrup, Cherry Syrup and Raspberry Syrup are sucrose in water formulations with or without the respective artificial flavorings. While Simple Syrup uses a methyl paraben preservative, Cherry and Raspberry Syrups use sodium benzoate but both incorporate natural preservatives as well. These syrups can be used in multiple applications to mask the taste of bitter drugs. Cherry Syrup is commonly used in conjunction with the Tamiflu capsules to provide an oral liquid form of Tamiflu during shortages.

Syrpalta (Red or Without Color) is another flavored syrup vehicle used to mask the taste of medicine.  Also sucrose in water, Syrpalta uses sodium benzoate, benzalkonium chloride and natural preservatives. Both options, Red and Without Color, contain artificial flavors to simplify the process for you.

Flavor Plus is a flavor-free, aqueous based suspending vehicle for use on non-soluble suspensions. This white liquid has a pH range of 3.5-4.0 and is ideal for diabetic preparations. Flavor Plus performs best when put in a 50:50 mixture with either Flavor Sweet or Flavor Sweet SF (Sugar-Free). To simplify this even further, Humco offers a pre-mixed version of the Flavor Plus and Flavor Sweet in a 50:50 ratio called Flavor Blend.

Flavor Sweet and Flavor Sweet SF (Sugar-Free) are cherry flavored syrup vehicles that can be used alone as syrup or in conjunction with Flavor Plus to increase the suspension’s physical stability. Both are pink in color and buffered slightly to an acidic pH (4.5-5.0) to provide a dependable vehicle. The SF version is ideal for diabetic additives and should be used as an either/or to Flavor Sweet.

Versa Plus and Versa Free are dye-free, paraben-free, saccharin-free and sugar-free suspension or syrup vehicles. Versa Plus suspension vehicle has a pH of 3.5-4.0 and is the choice for diabetic and allergy-sensitive patients with virtually no aftertaste. Versa Free has a pH of 4.5-5.0 and is a flavor-free clear liquid syrup and allows the compounder more versatility when flavoring individual compounds.

Humco’s line of oral vehicles can simplify any compounding process with their pre-mixed vehicles that are used in everyday compounding.  Formulated to assist the compounding specialist in the preparation of oral extemporaneous delivery systems, these products lead today’s industry in the delivery of professional-grade compounds to your patients.

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