18. April 2018
Many people cannot swallow whole tablets and capsules. The cause ranges from difficulties overriding the natural instinct to chew solids/foodstuff before swallowing, to a complex disorder of swallowing function affecting the ability to manage all food and fluid intake. Older people can experience swallowing difficulties because of co-morbidities, age-related physiological changes, and polypharmacy. To make medicines easier to swallow, many people will modify the medication dosage form e.g....
21. January 2017
An overview of dysphagia and how to ensure patients are receiving the safest and most efficacious oral formulations. Dysphagia is the term used to describe a swallowing disorder usually resulting from a neurological or physical impairment of the oral (mouth), pharyngeal (upper throat) or oesophageal (lower throat) mechanisms[1]. Swallowing is a mechanism that allows eating and drinking, which in healthy individuals, is a safe and effective means of maintaining life[2]. For a normal swallow to...
10. July 2016
We previously prepared and pharmaceutically evaluated ginger orally disintegrating (OD) tablets, opti- mized the base formulation, and carried out a clinical trial in healthy adults in their 20s and 50s to measure their effect on salivary substance P (SP) level and improved swallowing function. In this study, we conducted clinical trials using the ginger OD tablets in older people to clinically evaluate the improvements in swallow- ing function resulting from the functional components of the...
30. June 2016
Abstract Age-related pharmacological changes complicate oral dosage form (ODF) suitability for older adults. The aim of this study was to investigate the appropriateness of ODF for older adults by determining the prevalence of ODF modifications in an aged care facility in Ireland. Drug charts for eligible patients were obtained. Details of all medications administered were recorded. ODF modifications were examined to determine if they were evidence-based: defined as complying with the product...