Does The Medication Taste Good?

Most parents know that getting a child to take medication can be a challenge. Younger kids who can’t swallow pills often have to opt for liquid or chewable options. Sometimes, the taste, size, or texture of the drug can be a deterrent, resulting in missed doses or flat-out refusal. Personalized flavors help increase medication appeal and prescription adherence.

Kids and medicine

There are many reasons a child may need to take a medication. Infections, asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), allergies, pain, and mental health are all possible reasons a child may require a prescription. Since a medication must be taken as instructed for maximum effectiveness, finding a way for kids to enjoy the pill-taking process is important. For many kids, an appealing flavor is the solution to medication battles.

Your favorite flavor

Children naturally prefer sweet and familiar flavors. Although exact options will vary by medication and pharmacy location, strawberry, bubble gum, orange, cherry, vanilla, grape, and watermelon are popular flavors that many children enjoy. The flavor is added to the medication, making the prescription taste better without affecting medication effectiveness. The first flavor choice may not be the child’s favorite. If watermelon doesn’t yield a significant improvement in taste, consider trying strawberry on the next refill.

Can every medication be improved?

Not every medication can have added flavoring. Sometimes the prescription comes pre-flavored, so adding another flavor on top of the existing taste would not work well. Other times, the medication cannot be flavored because the addition would interfere with effectiveness or stability. If the child has allergies to certain foods, such as citrus fruits, an orange or lemon flavor may not be appropriate. If the medication is a pill that is swallowed, flavor is typically not added. Certain over-the-counter (OTC) medications may not fall under the purview of the pharmacist.

Ask your pharmacist

If flavoring is desired, the best place to start is with the pharmacist. This trusted health professional can review the medication, discuss available flavoring options, and work with the parents to create a formulation more likely to improve the child’s adherence. If a retail pharmacy can’t fulfill the request, try contacting a compounding pharmacy that may have more options available. Make a plan to flavor future refills if the flavoring improves the experience.

A better experience

Getting a child to take medication can be a challenge for many reasons. In some cases, flavoring improves the experience. When possible, let the child choose whether strawberry, orange, or grape is preferred. If a flavoring is unavailable for any reason, ask the pharmacist for alternatives, such as following the medication with a sweet drink. With a personalized flavoring, many children and parents find that medication adherence improves, and daily battles occur less often.