Challenges prescribing and dispensing oral antibiotics with poor palatability for paediatric patients: A qualitative interview study with GPs and pharmacists

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorElgammal, Ayaten
dc.contributor.authorRyan, Josephen
dc.contributor.authorBradley, Colinen
dc.contributor.authorCrean, Abinaen
dc.contributor.authorBermingham, Margareten
dc.contributor.funderScience Foundation Irelanden
dc.date.accessioned2025-04-04T08:41:54Z
dc.date.available2025-04-04T08:41:54Z
dc.date.issued2024-11-29en
dc.description.abstractBackground: Poor palatability of antibiotics is a key cause for non-adherence to antibiotic treatment among children. Failure to complete antibiotic treatment because of poor palatability can cause disease recurrence and may contribute to increasing rates of antimicrobial resistance. The aim of this study was to investigate the experience and challenges faced by general practitioners (GPs) and community pharmacists regarding prescribing and dispensing oral liquid antibiotics for children and the impact of poorly palatable antibiotic formulations on patients and the health-system. Methods: One-to-one semi-structured interviews with GPs and pharmacists were conducted via an online video-conferencing platform. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Twenty participants (7 GPs and 13 pharmacists) were interviewed. Three main themes and eight subthemes were identified. Theme 1: challenges reported by GPs and pharmacists included four subthemes; (i) factors affecting prescribing and dispensing antibiotics, (ii) reasons to select poorly palatable antibiotics, (iii) palatability discussion with parents, and (iv) formulation factors affecting oral liquid antibiotic acceptability. Theme 2: the impact of prescribing or dispensing poorly palatable oral liquid antibiotics encompassed two sub themes; (i) patient impact and (ii) health-system impact. Theme 3: overcoming palatability challenges involved two subthemes; (i) raising awareness of flavour and palatability issues among healthcare professionals and (ii) counselling parents while prescribing and before dispensing. Conclusions: There is a need to increase palatability awareness among healthcare professionals and parents. The development of more palatable oral liquid formulations can play a role in improving prescribing and medicines taking practices.en
dc.description.sponsorshipScience Foundation Ireland (12/RC/2275(P2))en
dc.description.statusPeer revieweden
dc.description.versionPublished Versionen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.articleid100546en
dc.identifier.citationElgammal, A., Ryan, J., Bradley, C., Crean, A. and Bermingham, M. (2025) 'Challenges prescribing and dispensing oral antibiotics with poor palatability for paediatric patients: A qualitative interview study with GPs and pharmacists', Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy, 17, 100546 (8pp). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcsop.2024.100546en
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.rcsop.2024.100546en
dc.identifier.endpage8en
dc.identifier.issn2667-2766en
dc.identifier.journaltitleExploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacyen
dc.identifier.startpage1en
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10468/17234
dc.identifier.volume17en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherElsevier Inc.en
dc.relation.ispartofExploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacyen
dc.relation.project12/RC/2275(P2)en
dc.rights© 2024, the Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).en
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/en
dc.subjectAntibioticsen
dc.subjectPalatabilityen
dc.subjectCaregiversen
dc.subjectPaediatricsen
dc.subjectPatient adherenceen
dc.subjectAntimicrobial resistanceen
dc.subjectPrimary careen
dc.titleChallenges prescribing and dispensing oral antibiotics with poor palatability for paediatric patients: A qualitative interview study with GPs and pharmacistsen
dc.typeArticle (peer-reviewed)en
dc.typejournal-articleen
oaire.citation.volume17en
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
Thumbnail Image
Name:
1-s2.0-S2667276624001434-main.pdf
Size:
902.4 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Published Version
Download
Thumbnail Image
Name:
1-s2.0-S2667276624001434-mmc1.docx
Size:
14.23 KB
Format:
Microsoft Word XML
Description:
Supplementary Data
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
2.71 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download
Collections
Pharmacy - Journal Articles
Medicine - Journal Articles