The document discusses pediatric medication compliance. It notes that children under 8 typically take liquid medications which can be difficult to get them to swallow due to taste. Masking bitter tastes is challenging but allowing children to choose a flavor they prefer increases compliance from 53% to over 90%. The document emphasizes that taste and choice may be the primary motivations for children to adhere to their medication regimen.

1. PE DIA TRIC C OMPL IA NC E
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2. Table of C ontents
SECTION SECTION TITLE SLIDE#
1 Liquid Vs. Solid Dosage Forms 4
2 Special Considerations 4
3 The Unpleasant Experience 5
4 Children Taking Charge 6
5 Flavoring Can Help! 7
6 The Importance of Adherence 8
7 Taste and Choice 9
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3. L iquid Vs. Solid Dosage Forms
Until a child is around 8 years old, swallowing pills can be challenging. This is
often due to the smaller structure of a child's esophagus. Therefore, children
under the age of 8 are typically prescribed liquid medications.
While liquids are easier to administer, getting the child to swallow is a whole
different story. For the pediatric population, taste and poor palatability are
identified among the most significant barriers to adherence.
Focus groups and nationwide surveys show 67% of mothers say their children
either dislike or hate the taste of liquid medications.
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4. Special C onsiderations
While it may seem the child is being difficult, this rejection is rarely the result of a child’s
desire to be picky or fussy. Rather, it is an actual physical inability to swallow an
unpalatable substance.
Children have a greater number of taste buds than adults. These taste buds regenerate
every two weeks. As with many of the senses, taste becomes altered as a function of the
aging process. That explains why most children find certain flavors to be too 'strong'
when adults do not.
Children, and infants in particular, are most sensitive to bitter and sweet tastes, making
them less likely to swallow bitter-tasting medications and also more prone to liking
sweeter, fruity flavors.
Unfortunately the active ingredients in many medications often taste bitter and/or have
a pungent smell. Masking the taste of these medications can often be difficult simply
because the innate flavor is so overpowering.
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5. The Unpleasant E xperience
Unpleasant tasting medications can result in particularly poor
adherence in children. Struggling with or forcing a child to take
an unpleasant tasting medication adds additional strain to the
already unpleasant state of feeling sick. It can also predispose
children to believe that all medications, regardless of taste or
smell, are unpleasant, giving them a negative impression of all
medicinal treatments. Like most of us, children will resist
unpleasant experiences.
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6. C hildren Taking C harge
Not surprisingly, children embrace pleasant experiences including
pleasant tastes.
Studies have shown that allowing a child to play an active role in
choosing the flavor of their medication makes him/her more
compliant to drug regimens. Showing a child that they have the
capability to modify the flavor of a medication to a flavor of their
liking grants them some authority in their treatment.
Flavoring not only helps mask the unpleasant taste of a medication
but also customizes the medication to satisfy the individual child’s
taste preferences. Allowing them to choose how their medication
will taste encourages a child to take charge of their own health and
is yet another way to promote adherence .
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7. Flavoring C an Help!
The addition of a safe pharmaceutical
flavoring to medicine can greatly improve a
child's sensations of taste and smell, leading
to acceptance and therefore compliance. In
fact, studies show that proper flavoring can
increase compliance in children from 53% to
over 90%. As a pharmacist, simply
recommend FLAVORx when dispensing a
child's medication. The process is
scientifically-proven, safe and effective.
Unlike the addition of food or drink,
FLAVORx flavoring available at the pharmacy
will not adversely affect a medicine's
stability, efficacy, or potency.
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8. The Importance of A dherence
Oftentimes a parent's frustration with giving a bad tasting medication will cause them to stop treatment as
soon as their child’s symptoms go away, thus not completing the full course of medication as prescribed by
their physician.
This is a classic example of poor treatment adherence. Adherence means adhering to or following one’s
treatment plan as specified by a physician. Essentially, obeying medical advice.
That means taking the correct dose of your medication at the correct time,
for the correct duration, and exactly as prescribed.
Adherence is very important for successful health outcomes.
Conversely, non-adherence can lead to: continued disease
processes, health complications, hospitalization,
additional doctor visits, therapeutic drug changes,
spread of illness, slower recovery, and absenteeism
to name a few.
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9. Taste and C hoice
Medications successfully taken because of
flavoring are far less physically, emotionally,
and financially exhausting. For children, taste
and choice may be the only motivation to take
a medication and complete a full treatment
program.
Improving the taste of a medication and
allowing children a choice as to how their
medication will taste can improve therapy
adherence, leading to both improved clinical
and economic outcomes.
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