Giving medication to children can be a difficult task- especially when most medications are only available as tablets designed for adults.
One of the most common tasks our pharmacists have is compounding effective and palatable suspensions for our younger patients. This allows parents to feel assured that their child is getting an accurate dose every time and eliminates some of the drama that can occur when giving medications.
Our pharmacists employ the state-of-the-art Mazaruster® mixing system as well as specifically formulated suspending vehicles to ensure the quality of our products.
While a number of different medications are commonly prepared, we receive a large number of suspension requests for:
Colic is an umbrella term used to describe gastrointestinal discomfort symptoms in infants.
Children with colic often cry during feeding times and seem to suffer from excessive bloating or gas. While colic symptoms will often resolve themselves, some children suffer from this condition for an extended period of time and require medical treatment.
If it sounds like your child might have this condition, give Mix Pharmacy a call and ask for information about our ‘colic drops’ which were formulated and developed by our pharmacists in conjunction with a well-known local paediatrician.
Fluoxetine belongs to a group of drugs called SSRIs or Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors. This medication is frequently used by adults to treat symptoms of depression, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Bulimia Nervosa, Panic disorder and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Under pediatrician or psychiatrist supervision this medication is more frequently being used to treat the same conditions in children over the age of 8 years.
The varied doses and a child’s inability to swallow tablets / capsules of this medication as well as the palatability of commercially produced dispersible tablets can be cause for issues with compliance of child for taking this medication.
In order to address this issue, our pharmacists regularly compound palatable fluoxetine suspensions which are specifically made for each patient.
Omeprazole belongs to a group of drugs called PPIs or proton-pump inhibitors. This medication, frequently used by adults to treat symptoms of reflux disease, is also used to treat the same condition in infants.
Young children, for a number of reasons, can be prone to reflux at different stages in their development, often leading to regurgitation and painful sensations which can make feeding difficult.
In order to address this issue, our pharmacists regularly compound palatable omeprazole suspensions which are specifically made for each patient. By adjusting the concentration based on a child’s dose, you can avoid having to struggle with a large amount of liquid for each dose- simplifying your life and your child’s.
Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain which helps regulate the sleep and wake cycle. It is commonly used to treat insomnia and jetlag in adults as well as having a broad range of uses in improving sleep in children. In children with autism-spectrum disorder (ASD), melatonin has been found to be effective for sleeplessness in a number of trials. This, in conjunction with its high safety profile and relatively low incidence of side-effects has led to it being a relatively common prescription amongst this patient group.
Liquid formulations or immediate release capsules are good when a person has trouble getting their body to wind down ready for sleep. Whereas the slowed release capsule formulation delivers a constant baseline level of the hormone which is good in people that suffer from broken sleep.
Dependant on your child age and ability to swallow capsules our pharmacists regularly compound palatable melatonin suspensions which are specifically made for each patient. By adjusting the concentration based on a child’s dose, you can avoid having to struggle with a large amount of liquid for each dose- simplifying your life and your child’s.