Information for Pharmacists
Support and information for Pharmacists
Rosemont understands that pharmacists have a vital role in helping manage patients suffering from swallowing difficulties and dysphagia. Pharmacists are key to the multidisciplinary team of doctors, consultants and nurses alike, in supporting the patient for desired healthcare outcomes.
Dysphagia can affect the patient’s ability to take solid oral dosage forms, which could compromise medicine adherence and therapeutic outcomes.[1]
Products
We have over 130 products in our extensive product range. Browse our oral liquid medicines below, and find the best treatment option for your patient.
Educational resources
Interested in learning more about how to help specific patient groups with dysphagia? Explore our educational resources and guides for healthcare professionals.
Did you know that swallowing problems are more common in the elderly population due to age-related changes, as well as concurrent medicines and diseases? These patients are likely to be present in community pharmacies, so it is important that pharmacists are able to identify these patients and advise them about medicine administration, as well as suggest alternative formats where appropriate.
It is recommended that pharmacists and other healthcare professionals should proactively enquire about dysphagia.[2] Community pharmacists should assess the suitability of medication formulations for individual patients with dysphagia and report swallowing difficulties to the prescriber.[2]
Therapeutic efficacy depends on the patient’s ability to take their medication as prescribed. 10-40% of patients have reportedly experienced medication dysphagia (MD) – defined as the subjective sensation of difficulty swallowing oral solid and liquid medications, even in otherwise healthy persons.[3][4]
A pharmacist is often challenged to ensure that patients adhere to prescribed medication regimen. At the same time, it is equally important for pharmacists to recommend alternative forms of medicine over oral solid dose forms, which might be better suited to the requirements of patients with swallowing difficulty.
These alternative forms such as liquids or powder sometimes easily get overlooked. However, as a part of an overall strategy for medicine management, these forms can offer immense value for patients belonging to vulnerable groups, for example, geriatrics, paediatrics and patients with other co-morbidities. This means that pharmacists working in tandem with their other healthcare colleagues can deliver:
- Improved care for their patients
- Monetary savings by minimising any wastage
We’re committed to supporting the pharmacist community, providing them with resources to help both them and their patients. Our continuous introduction of innovative liquid medicine forms and our growing product range serves as a solid testament in this direction.
- Strachan I, Greener M. Medication related swallowing difficulties may be more common than we realise. Pharmacy in Practice. December 2005. Accessed July 2023.
- Wright D, Chapman N, Foundling-Miah M et al. Guideline on the medication management of adults with swallowing difficulties. Guidelines Supplement. MGP Ltd; Sept 2015. Accessed July 2023.
- Lau E.T., Steadman K.J., Cichero J.A., Nissen L.M. Dosage form modification and oral drug delivery in older people. Adv. Drug Deliv. Rev. 2018;135:75–84. doi: 10.1016/j.addr.2018.04.012. Accessed July 2023.
- Forough A.S., Lau E.T., Steadman K.J., Cichero J.A., Kyle G.J., Serrano Santos J.M., Nissen L.M. A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down? A review of strategies for making pills easier to swallow. Patient Prefer. Adherence. 2018;12:1337–1346. doi: 10.2147/PPA.S164406. Accessed July 2023.