Rheological Tools Used in the Development of an Oral Vehicle for Paediatric Patients

Abstract

Palatability in the paediatric population is perceived as a true challenge once their ability to take solid oral dosage forms is far more reduced than adults, which often can lead to a poor therapeutic compliance. In Portugal, there is not any vehicle to aid the administration of drugs to paediatric patients so, the aim of this project was to develop a hydrogel vehicle to facilitate the intake of tablets, capsules and other types of oral medicines in children. This research work allowed us to demonstrate how rheological methodologies were crucial to optimize some physical properties of the vehicle, thought to be critical to improve the patient’s experience during the oral intake of a drug.