Many medicines used in children are not available in pharmaceutical forms adapted to their needs.
Indeed, most oral medications are produced for adults as tablets and capsules, which lack the flexibility to meet dosage requirements for the spectrum of ages and sizes, ranging from neonates to adolescents.
Furthermore, most children under the age of 8 are unable to swallow pills.
Compounding
Approved adult forms often need to be modified in some manner to administer the desired dose to children.
When this happens, the adult form is manipulated by either a health care provider, such as a pharmacist, or at home by parents or caregivers (e.g., grinding a tablet and sprinkling it into the fluid or a food vehicle such as applesauce).
This process is called compounding and is commonplace for those drugs that lack pediatric formulations.
Brief video on compounding
Food vehicles used to administer these compounded medicines, or to mask the bad taste of some formulations, can alter drug absorption.
We strive to contribute to making available to children of all ages convenient and high-quality pediatric products adapted to their needs that can spell the difference between successful treatment and therapeutic failure and prevent adverse drug events.
Children deserve the same standards as adults to have medicines adapted to their needs.
By increasing the number of medicines formulated for children, the GPFC aims to improve the efficacy, safety and compliance of medicines for children.
As a trusted partner to all parties involved, the team endeavors to shape the environment to encourage drug development and the commercialization of pediatric formulations in Canada and elsewhere.
The GPFC is the voice of Canadian children of all ages, aiming to ensure the availability of treatments which meet their needs..
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