Understanding Alternative Medication Delivery Methods For Children With Chronic Illness

Health & Medical Articles

Getting a child to take medications can be difficult, especially if your child has a chronic issue that requires regular medication. Many parents find themselves going to great lengths, such as opening capsules and sprinkling them in food or mashing pills in jelly, to get their children to take their daily dose of medication. However, these DIY hacks can lead to your child getting an improper dose of medication or wasted medication if your method does not work at the time. One alternative that is making a popular resurgence is to purchase custom compounded medications for your child through an apothecary, similar to Potter's Apothecary, or a compounding pharmacy .

What Forms Can a Medication Take? 

Although pills and capsules are commonly prescribed, it is often safe and more effective to present a child with other options for taking their medication. Apothecaries can make liquid suspensions or lollipops of your child's medication, with your child's favorite flavor. It may also be possible to put the medication into a gel or cream that is absorbed through the skin, or onto a patch, which bypasses your child's mouth altogether. 

Allowing Your Child to Have Choice and Control 

Many children may feel like they have little or no control over their medications. Their parents and doctors select the medications and they are required to take them each day. This can make a child resent their medication over time. Allowing your child to have small choices regarding their medication can give them a sense of control, which can make them look forward to taking their medication rather than dread it. 

The easiest choice to give your child is which flavoring goes into their medication. However, you may want to give them more choices on a daily basis. For example, you can order small amounts of their medication in various forms and flavors. This allows them to choose whether they want a lollipop, liquid suspension, or pill each day, allowing them to adapt their delivery method to their current mood. If they are tired, they may opt for the quick delivery of a pill. If they are feeling playful, they may want a lollipop. 

Getting your child involved in choices about their medication helps to give them power over their own body and may increase their awareness of how various medications affect them, which can be helpful when changes in dosage are decided based on your child's feedback, such as with ADD medication. 

Avoiding Medication as a Treat 

By offering medication in tasty flavors or lollipops, children may consider them a reward or treat. Young children may not understand the dangers associated with overdosing and may try to sneak extra doses of their medication. For this reason, it is important that you keep their medication out of their reach, preferably in a locked cabinet, and dispense it at appropriate times. You should never give them their medication as a reward for their behavior, as this may confuse their relationship with the medication. 

Advantages of Patches 

Your child may consider patches, gels, or creams slightly less invasive as they can absorb their medication passively. Patches may be a great option if you are seeking a low-dose delivery method of a medication that your child needs constantly. It can be an alternative if you or your child are forgetful and do not want to take as many doses of their medication throughout the day. 

If your child needs daily medication, you should take with their doctor about getting a prescription for compounded medicines. If you start with alternatives to pills, you may avoid much of the resistance and rebellion that parents experience when trying to give their children medication. 

28 May 2015