Two oral, over-the-counter medications were evaluated as representative pharmaceutical products. A cough suppressant and a multisymptom cold/flu medication were chosen because they contain a complex mixture of simple sugars, glycols,and sugar alcohols. These carbohydrates and glycols are also commonly found in other medications. This method uses the CarboPac MA1 column to retain and separate the target analytes.

This application note describes the use of three different anion-exchange columns with amperometric detection to analyze common simple sugars, sugar alcohols, and glycols in pharmaceutical formulations. This record describes a method using the CarboPac PA10 column to determine some of the target carbohydrates. The reader is advised to review TN21 for updated waveform information.

The Thermo Scientific Acclaim Organic Acid column is used for the analysis of bromide and organic acids present in cough syrup. Sample preparation was performed using Thermo Scientific Dionex OnGuard II P cartridges.

The separation of four active ingredients in cough syrup was performed on a Thermo Scientific Acclaim PolarAdvantage (PA) 3 µm column with UV detection.

The Thermo Scientific Acclaim Mixed-Mode WAX-1 column is used for the separation of active ingredients in a cough syrup, with UV detection at 210 nm. The Thermo Scientific Acclaim Mixed-Mode WAX-1 column resolves the active ingredients under simple isocratic conditions.