Development of drug formulations specifically intended for paediatric use has gained more urgency over the past decade. Without age-appropriate formulations, physicians and pharmacists typically need to adjust existing adult dosages for paediatric patients. This can include tablet splitting or crushing, which can lead to dosing inaccuracies and changes in bioavailability. Solutions, syrups or suspensions provide improved compliance with young children and Table 1 lists some formulations developed specifically for paediatric patients.
One of the key issues with the development of paediatric formulations is dealing with bitter or foul-tasting active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Taste perception is driven by flavour sensation in the buccal cavity, and flavour sensation in turn is determined by a combination of taste, smell and chemical irritation. Bitter tasting APIs can adversely affect patience compliance and children are typically more sensitive to foul tastes than adults.
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