This information is sponsored by Jordan’s Guardian Angels, a non-profit organization working with families with special needs children who are challenged with the need to administer a variety of life-saving medication to their children who face many physical and intellectual disabilities.
Hey All!
Having a child who is sick is hard. It’s even harder when you try to give a child the medicine they need when they are sick. If you’ve ever tried to give a young child medicine, you’ll know that it can be like giving a cat a bath. Anything that helps the medication go down and be more agreeable for your kid is a win. One simple solution is to make medicine more palatable to children by adding child-friendly flavoring. However, the California Board of Pharmacy is now considering limitations on this straightforward remedy.
The California Board of Pharmacy wants to mandate that medicine flavoring for toddlers and children be considered a compounding process that can only be carried out by compounding pharmacies. Compounding pharmacies can mix and combine ingredients for customized medication unlike retail pharmacies that dispense pre-mixed and packaged drugs made by pharmaceutical companies.
WHAT DOES USING A COMPOUNDING PHARMACY MEAN?
It means that if you want to add a flavor to your child’s medication, you can no longer use your local retail pharmacy. You will need to use a compounding pharmacy. While I use and appreciate compounding pharmacies for some medications for my kids, they are far away from my home and not easy to get to. I can’t imagine trying to find or waiting that long for medication I need for my child if it’s more urgent.
WHAT WILL CA ASSEMBLY BILL 782 DO?
Assemblywoman Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood), Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks), and Assemblyman Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale), both Democratic and Republican members, have introduced Assembly Bill 782 to continue allowing community pharmacies to flavor medicine for our toddlers and children.
If this issue affects you, here are a few articles on this issue, a link to the legislation, and a compound pharmacy finder to see the distance you would have to travel.
Please share these links below with other parents in your network:
Flavoring Medicine Is Vital For Kids. California May Soon Make It Harder.
Children Have A Right To Medicine That Goes Down Easily.
Parents Plead For Their Children’s Flavored Medicine Not To Be Taken Away.
Legislation Language:
(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), “compounding” does not include reconstitution of a drug pursuant to a manufacturer’s directions, the sole act of tablet splitting or crushing, capsule opening, or the addition of a flavoring agent to enhance palatability.
The Alliance of Pharmacy Compounding Finder.
This information is sponsored by Jordan’s Guardian Angels.
Welcome!
Comments
I had not given this much thought, but it is certainly an important thing to think about for children’s health. Good to know that this is an initiative!
Yet another reason I’m glad I moved away from California. The government seems to put their noses into everything, whether it makes sense or now.
As someone based in the U.K., all this seems so dystopian and strange to me. As a child, I hated the taste of medications, and luckily there were a lot of natural-flavored alternatives. I’m glad someone is battling this.
This is a good news. When my kids were small, I found it hard to give the medicines, especially antibiotic syrup.. Because they taste bitter, they found it hard to swallow. Now that medicines are child-friendly, parents may find it.easy to give meds for their kids.
LOL on the cat bath description. it’s not funny in real life but a more accurate statement has never been made.
I always have a problem convinving my kids to take their medication but this is such a big help. Yes, we need more kid friendly medicines.
I’ll definitely consider the flavor medicine because it’s not easy when its need your kid but they are not just wanted to take the medicine.
Aaahhhh….you guys in California are really taking this up with the highest level! I had never thought of children’s medication being flavoured. Let me research on it more!