Although compounding has always been a difficult area of pharmacy practice, but probably some of the most interesting and innovative compounds are formulations made for pediatric patients. All parents will confirm that giving medication to any kid can be a challenging task. But most compounding pharmacists in the present day are equipped with valuable trade secrets to make administration of medicine easier to children. Many pharmacies offer a variety of flavor, and kids can select their preferred flavor.

Commercial dosage forms for pediatric patients are rather limited and compounding provides options where commercial medicine leaves a gap. For example; children cannot swallow tablets and capsules until they are school going. At times, the only dosage of medicine commercially available may be distasteful. In other cases, some medications may only be available in form of pills. Here, in situations like these, compounding pharmacists are the ones who can provide alternatives that too with the correct dosage.  These alternatives include suspensions, solutions, emulsions, transdermal preparations, lollipops, gummies, rapid-dissolve tablets, and suppositories.

Transdermal gel is one of the most commonly used pediatric dosage alternative that cures nausea and vomiting, like promethazine. It can be easily made into a topical formulation for rubbing onto the wrist or other skinny parts of the body. For children below 2, many physicians prefer to use trimethobenzamide for nausea.  Like their oral and rectal counterparts, though these forms of medicine too have the same side effects of sleepiness, but are a lot easier to use and quickly absorbs into the body.

Another common symptom in children is sore throat, which normally occurs with tonsillitis with a viral infection, or a streptococcus infection. In such cases, parents mostly opt for tetracaine lollipops. These lollipops are available in various sizes to suit all age groups, and the dosage varies from 0.5% to 4%, depending on the patient’s condition.

Many experienced compounders are today available who can flavor bitter, salty, or sour-tasting medications like metronidazole also, palatable.

Diaper rash is another common pediatric condition, and compounding pharmacists are a great help here too. Pediatricians prefer to use cholestyramine gel for persistent diaper rash caused by diarrhea. It is formulated in a petrolatum (e.g. Aquaphor) or hydrophilic cream base and binds the bile acids that results in irritation and redness.

For dental problems in children, a sedative compound sometimes is prescribed prior to dental procedures. These are generally administered 30 to 60 minutes before the procedure. Such compounds may include chloral hydrate, promethazine, hydroxyzine, diazepam, midazolam, meperidine, either alone or in different combinations. Each formulation is specially made to suit the needs of an individual patient. These components can be formulated in a single dosage, or a fast- dissolving pill.

Topical anesthetics such as lidocaine/epinephrine/tetracaine are frequently used in hospital settings and emergency departments to numb the skin for injections, drawing blood, or stitching wounds.

One more popular formulation is lidocaine/ benzocaine/ tetracaine gel, which can be used for minor in-office procedures, for example ear piercing. It helps ease pain and anxiety.

By now, it must be clear that the pediatric patients have very explicit remedial needs and commercially available medications can never meet all these needs. The  innovative compounding pharmacists at Village Green Apothecary can help a great deal in providing alternatives with specialized dosage and flavoring to meet the individual needs of pediatric patients.