An Application of a Rapid Jelly-Forming Confectionery for Improving Children's Compliance in Taking Bitter Medicines

Abstract

In order to improve children's compliance in taking bitter medicine, a gel base confectionery, which immediately changes into a jelly from after adding a special liquid, was used to mask the characteristic taste of the medicament. In pre-clinical trials, this jelly was evaluated by six adult volunteers who all reported the bitter taste to distinctly disappear in the jelly-formed quinia compared to a the powder of this medicine. Furthermore, we confirmed no comparable changes to exist in the serum levels of acetaminophene between acetaminophene alone and the gelbasemedicament mixture by oral administration. A clinical trial in three pediatric patients, who usually refuse medication because the bitter taste of the drugs, resulted in a 100% drug compliance for these children.