The Challenge Of Swallowing Pills

Some children need to take the medication in pill form to treat an illness or chronic issue. Swallowing pills are easy for older kids, but young ones can struggle. Young children are accustomed to chewing before swallowing, so there could be a fear of choking on the pill. Some kids are scared of the size, and in rare cases, the child can have a condition called dysphagia. Whatever the reason, parents must take action for the health and safety of the child. Compounded medication may help.

Understanding compounded medication

Compounding medication has been around for decades. Compounding was the standard before the rise of large pharmaceutical companies. Compounding takes ingredients or multiple medications to create a new form. This new form meets the individual needs of the patient. Most compound pharmacies help create drugs not available on the market or help avoid allergies. For kids who struggle with swallowing pills, creating custom medicine helps in 3 ways.

1. Compounding makes it sweet

Sometimes the child needs to practice on smaller pieces before moving on to larger pills. For example, some parents help kids practice with small pieces of candy. From there, the child can move on to larger pieces. This strategy can work in compounding. The compound pharmacy can create the same pill with a favorite flavor, different shape, or sweetener. Changing to this pill is an excellent idea since children must swallow some tablets for extended-release.

2. Disintegrating tablets

Children could have fears of swallowing pills even when the pill tastes better. For these cases, disintegrating tablets is an option. An orally disintegrating tablet is a dosage that dissolves rapidly when placed on the tongue. The saliva in the mouth or under the tongue breaks up the tablet. The much-needed medicine still hits the bloodstream to treat the condition. Dissolving tablets are growing in popularity and are an option even for adults.

3. An entirely new form

When all else fails, the parent will have no choice but to ask for a different form altogether. If the immediate health and safety of the child is a concern, a compound pharmacy can help. Compounding medication can turn the prescription drug into a topical or liquid form. Moving to these forms is a temporary fix until the child becomes older or more willing to swallow pills.

Trust in compounding

Some older kids and even adults hate swallowing pills. However, taking medication is necessary to treat acute and chronic conditions. For kids who struggle, compounding is a viable option. A compounding pharmacy can work in different forms or add flavors. In the meantime, the children can practice on smaller pieces of items like candy and work up to full-fledged pills.