E-drug: Drug formulations suitable for use in children
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Dear E-drug community
In my 5 years or so of working in paediatrics in a developing
country, I have encountered 2 major problems
- Paediatric formulations or formulations of medications suitable
for use in children are hardly available
- Where such formulations are available, they are much more costly
than the adult formulations and have stability problems
This problem has recently become very evident in the use of ARVs and
TB medication in children where adult tablets are "crushed" or
capsules emptied.
David Woods from New Zealand has an excellent book and CD on local
inhouse manufacture for formulations suitable for paediatric
administration. However, despite my enthusiasm in wanting to use his
formulas, the raw materials and excipients and suitable packaging
were not easily available in my country-Kenya.
In a number of cases, we train the care givers (mothers usually) on
how to work on a tablet or capsule and get the right amount to
administer to a child.
Is this a problem in many countries? If so what do other people do?
Atieno Ojoo
Dr Atieno Ojoo
Chief Pharmacist
Gertrude's Garden Children's Hospital
P O Box 42325-00100
GPO, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel 254 2 3763474-7
Fax 254 2 3763281
Email: atisojoo@yahoo.co.uk
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