Drugs with names beginning co-

Drugs that have names beginning with co- are mixtures of two different drugs. The theoretical advantage of this is that two synergistic drugs are combined in a single tablet to aid compliance. However, this advantage is often outweighed by the disadvantage of giving two drugs with different actions when one would be sufficient. See misoprostol article (p. 31) for more information on combination formulations. The Table below shows a few examples:

Formulation	Component drugs	Potential advantages	Potential disadvantages
Co-codamol	Paracetamol Codeine	Opioid/paracetamol synergy.	Opioid can cause confusion
Co-amilofruse	Furosemide Amiloride	Potassium-sparing actions of amiloride.	Amiloride not always required, especially in those also taking ACE inhibitors.
Co-fluampicil	Ampicillin Flucloxacillin	Broader antibacterial spectrum.	Wider spectrum rarely required. May encourage bacterial resistance if used inappropriately.
Co-tenidone	Atenolol Chlorthalidone	Single tablet for the treatment of hypertension.	Two drugs are not always required. Not suitable for dose titration.
Co-careldopa	Carbidopa L-dopa	Peripheral dopa decarboxylase inhibitor (carbidopa) reduces adverse effects from the peripheral conversion of L-dopa to dopamine.

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