E-drug: Drug formulations suitable for use in children (cont'd)
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The issue of Drug formulation suitable for children is a real problem
even in settings where they are available. I work in an
antiretroviral treatment site in the National treatment program of
the Botswana Government. The paediatric dosage form are available
though we do run out of stock sometimes and as such we would have to
try to make do with the adult dose available. The children are in 70%
of the time taken care of and given the drugs by caregivers other
than their parent. In most instances, the caregivers are their
grandmothers who are old , weak and not too good of sight. This poses
a lot of problems where the measuring syringes gives them a lot of
trouble to understand and administer the proper dose. In cases, when
we run out of the paediatric dose , where we had to improvise with
the adult dose, it is practically a nightmare as they come back with
real adherence problems. Given that in most settings in Africa , the
problem is that of non - availability of the paediatric medication
which prompt the formulation of children dose from the available
adult tablets.
Other aspects mentioned above where caregivers cannot adequately
measure the correct doses using the present available measuring
devices we have, I do consider is and will still be a problem unless
effort to provide a more user friendly, flexible and easily
understood measuring tool which can be easily used by the caregivers
to administer the correct dose to the children.
We are working on locally made device, tools or prompters that will
assist caregivers having this problem to overcome them. Any similar
effort or comment to help is welcomed.
Robert Ogenyi
Senior Pharmacist
Mahalapye District Hospital
Bobby Micheal <robitess2000@yahoo.com>
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