Children's Preferences for Oral Dosage Forms and Their Involvement in Formulation Research via EPTRI (European Paediatric Translational Research Infrastructure)

Abstract

The paucity of evidence-based data on formulation characteristics preferred by the children is known to limit the design of tailored paediatric dosage forms. The European Paediatric Translational Research Infrastructure (EPTRI) commissioned a study to evaluate children's dosage forms perceived preferences in some European countries and explore the feasibility of using the young persons advisory groups (YPAGs) to involve children in formulation research. An online, age-adapted survey was developed and translated into six languages. The survey link was disseminated across seven European countries: Albania, Italy, the Netherlands, and Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, Romania, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Respondents' (n = 1172) perceived preferences for oral dosage forms primarily differed based on age, health status, and experience. Conventional dosage forms, i.e., liquid (35%), tablets (19%), and capsules (14%), were the most selected. Liquid was widely selected by children less than 12 years and by those healthy and taking medicines rarely. Monolithic solid forms were mostly chosen by adolescents and by children with a chronic disease taking medicines frequently. There was a clear lack of familiarity with more novel dosage forms (e.g., orodispersible films and granules). Noteworthy, granules were not appreciated, particularly by adolescents (52.8%). To rationalise the creation of paediatric formulations, it is important to involve children as active stakeholders and to apply tools assessing children's perspectives on medicines to inform acceptable dosage form development from the start.

Keywords: EPTRI; medicines acceptability; oral dosage forms; paediatric formulations; patient-centric research.

Figure 1

Age distribution of participants (%) per country. Light-blue columns for participants between 0 and 6 years, grey columns for 7–12 years, and blue columns for 13–18 years.

Figure 2

Trends of dosage forms’ perceived preferences among the three age groups (0–6 years, 7–12 years, and 13–18 years) and across all the countries surveyed. Each line represents a dosage form as indicated in the legend.

Figure 3

Percentage of respondents by country and type of dosage forms preferred; for (a) 0–6 years, (b) 7–12 years, and (c) 13–18 years. Different colours of the columns indicate different countries, as reported in the legend.

Figure 3

Percentage of respondents by country and type of dosage forms preferred; for (a) 0–6 years, (b) 7–12 years, and (c) 13–18 years. Different colours of the columns indicate different countries, as reported in the legend.

Figure 4

Percentage of respondents and their favourite type of dosage form by previous usage (never taken it, blue columns, already taken, grey columns) for (a) 0–6 years, (b) 7–12 years, (c) 13–18 years.

Figure 5

Trends of dosage forms’ perceived preferences among children who had already used the dosage form selected for (a) children with a chronic condition and (b) for healthy children.

Figure 6

Least favourite medicines’ trends among the three age groups: 0–6 years, 7–12 years, and 13–18 years.

Figure 7

Percentage of boys (blue columns), and girls (pink columns) selecting (a) their most favourite and (b) their least favourite dosage form.

Figure 8

Dosage form attributes that affected the selection of children’s (a) most and (b) least favourite dosage form. Children were asked to rank the nine attributes (taste, texture/mouthfeel, swallowability, aftertaste, smell, appearance/colour/it is quick to take, it is easy to take, or other) by ordering them from the most relevant (number 1) to the least relevant (number 9).