What severe clinical problems can result from incompatible pharmaceutical substances?
A complete loss of drug potency or the formation of toxic byproducts
When substances in a pharmaceutical mixture are incompatible, the consequences extend beyond superficial issues. The most critical outcomes involve the functional integrity of the medication or the safety profile of the mixture. A significant danger is the complete loss of drug potency, meaning the intended therapeutic effect will not be achieved because the active ingredient has been rendered ineffective or destroyed during mixing or storage. Furthermore, the interaction may cause chemical reactions that generate entirely new degradation products which were not present in the original formulation. These newly formed compounds can be highly toxic to the patient, leading to severe adverse drug reactions or poisoning, underscoring why monitoring for these changes is fundamental to patient safety.
