Among other things, they are required to look different from the drug or supplement in shape, size or both, which helps reduce the chance of accidental ingestion. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sets guidelines for desiccants placed in drug containers. "Every time you open a container, a little moisture permeates, so they can help prevent the pills from degrading," he adds.
They're often used with dietary supplements since many of them have a gelatin coating, says Hunt. "Silica gel tends to be the best drying agent it can hold 40 percent of its weight in water."ĭesiccants are only put in containers when necessary, such as for pills coated with gelatin, which are susceptible to moisture. Manufacturers add the packets to some containers of medication to maintain drug quality by keeping moisture at bay, says Desmond Hunt, Ph.D., senior scientific liaison with U.S. "It might be a choking hazard, but you wouldn't need to go to the ER based on what's in the desiccant," says Mike Yudizky, an educator with the North Texas Poison Center and a member of the American Association of Poison Control Centers. The small paper packets or plastic packages you find in certain containers of medication, dietary supplements, and vitamins are drying agents called desiccants that contain nontoxic silica gel, a kind of sand. Luckily, I didn't, but what if I had? Is that dangerous?Ī. Q.When I took some medication this morning, I thought I'd accidentally swallowed the freshness packet in the vial instead of my pill.
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