Student MCQs – Formulation and Palatability

Which of the following tools can help enhance the acceptability of oral medications for pediatric patients?

• A) Sublingual tablets

• B) Dissolvable films

• C) Sustained-release capsules

• D) Injectable solutions

 

Correct answer:  B

Confirmation: None of these are the correct answer. 

Explanation:

Option A is incorrect because sublingual tablets were not discussed and formulation for sublingual tablets is not common.

Option B is incorrect as dissolvable films as they are not a common enough formulation to be a viable alternative. 

Option C is incorrect as most sustained release capsules cannot be crushed, making it hard for younger patients to take them.

Option D is incorrect because these tend to be terrifying for younger patients making them more hesitant. 

What technique can be used to improve the palatability of liquid medications for children?

• A) Increasing viscosity

• B) Adding flavoring agents

• C) Reducing dosage frequency

• D) Administering via inhalation

Correct answer:  B

Confirmation: 

Option B is correct as adding flavoring agents can mask unpleasant tastes which often take away from a medications palatability.

Explanation:

Option A is incorrect because thick syrups are often off putting to patients.

Option C is incorrect because palatability consists of taste, smell, texture, and volume. Reducing frequency does not directly address any of these.

Option D is incorrect because it does not address any of the 4 factors that make up palatability. 

Which of the following tools can help enhance the acceptability of oral medications for pediatric patients?

• A) Sublingual tablets

• B) Dissolvable films

• C) Sustained-release capsules

• D) Injectable solutions

 

Correct answer:  B

Confirmation: None of these are the correct answer. 

Explanation:

Option A is incorrect because sublingual tablets were not discussed and formulation for sublingual tablets is not common.

Option B is incorrect as dissolvable films as they are not a common enough formulation to be a viable alternative. 

Option C is incorrect as most sustained release capsules cannot be crushed, making it hard for younger patients to take them.

Option D is incorrect because these tend to be terrifying for younger patients making them more hesitant. 

What technique can be used to improve the palatability of liquid medications for children?

• A) Increasing viscosity

• B) Adding flavoring agents

• C) Reducing dosage frequency

• D) Administering via inhalation

Correct answer:  B

Confirmation: 

Option B is correct as adding flavoring agents can mask unpleasant tastes which often take away from a medications palatability.

Explanation:

Option A is incorrect because thick syrups are often off putting to patients.

Option C is incorrect because palatability consists of taste, smell, texture, and volume. Reducing frequency does not directly address any of these.

Option D is incorrect because it does not address any of the 4 factors that make up palatability. 

Which resource provides insights into pediatric formulations, including palatability and swallowability? 

1. CDC Guidelines 

2. WHO Reports 

3. FDA Resources

4. NIH Publications

 

Copilot answered C but it seems like Ew Meds might be the best place for this, which Copilot doesn’t seem aware of. We did not discuss WHO, FDA resources or the CDC in class. NIH provides labels and drug information via DailyMed but I’m not sure this is as good for palatability and swallowability.

Which academic institution is known for hosting symposiums and publishing research on pediatric drug formulation challenges?

1. Harvard University

2. University of Maryland 

3. Stanford University 

4. Yale University

The correct answer is Maryland, which was referenced in class since UofM created Ew Meds.

What are the common factors that influence the palatability of medications?

1. Color, packaging, and price

2. Taste, texture, and smell

3. Dosage form, storage conditions, and brand name

Expiration date, manufacturer, and marketing

1. Incorrect: the color, packaging, and price do not influence how palatable medications are.

2. Correct: the taste, texture, and smell can all impact how palatable a person finds a medication to be.

3. Incorrect: brand versus generic was not a correlated factor to determine palatability in the lecture. 

4. Incorrect: while taste, texture, and smell can change depending on if the medication is expired and what manufacturer the product is made by, they do not directly influence palatability. Marketing is not related to palatability.

 

What is a common factor that influences the palatability of medications?

1. Volume

2. Packaging

3. Brand name

4. Cost

 

 

1. Correct: the amount of volume can be a factor on how palatable medications can be for children.

2. Incorrect: the packaging is independent of how easy an oral medication will be to take.

3. Incorrect: brand name products were not correlated to palatability in the lecture.

4. Incorrect: medications vary in palatability independent of their costs.

Which technique can help improve the acceptability of medication dosage forms for pediatric patients?

A. Enteric coating

b. Flavor masking

c. Sustained release

d. Extended release 

Correct Answer: b. Flavor masking 

Option B is correct because many children struggle with the taste of liquid medications, whether that be bitter, acidic, sour, etc. With flavor masking you can cover up the bad taste of the medication, making it more palatable for the child. Some common flavor maskers are chocolate syrup, apple sauce, or pudding. 

Options A, C, and D are incorrect because while they help avoid stomach upset, they will not make it easier for a child to swallow or alter the taste of the mediation

What dosage form is often preferred to enhance the compliance of pediatric patients?

A. Extended-release tablets

b. Oral disintegrating tablets

c. Intramuscular injection

d. Suppositories 

 

Correct Answer: b. Oral disintegrating tablets

Option B is correct because it makes it much easier for a child to take and can make the medication more tasty. 

Option A is incorrect because while ER tablets can help with stomach upset, they are still a pill to swallow which can be difficult for many children 

Option C is incorrect because many children fear IM injections due to pain, which would not be a preferred option for pediatric patients 

Option D is incorrect because while suppositories may be an easier route than oral tablets, they still can cause discomfort and be irritating to the child.

Which method is often utilized to make pediatric dosage forms more appealing to children?

• A) Adding sweeteners

• B) Increasing the dosage frequency

• C) Making the medication more bitter

• D) Creating larger tablets

• A) Adding sweeteners - Correct, makes it more palatable for children (Ex: OraSweet)

• B) Increasing the dosage frequency - Incorrect, would make children less appealed to having to take medications if more frequent

• C) Making the medication more bitter - Incorrect, bitterness deters children from the flavor of the medication

• D) Creating larger tablets - Incorrect, larger tablets are harder to swallow and may deter children from taking medication

Which approach is often taken to improve the taste of pediatric medications?

• A) Using masking flavors

• B) Decreasing the dosage strength

• C) Making the medication odorless

• D) Adding an acidic component

• A) Using masking flavors - Correct, FLAVORx is a tool for pharmacists to help with flavor combinations of medications

• B) Decreasing the dosage strength - Incorrect, this impacts the clinical action of the medication 

• C) Making the medication odorless - Incorrect, odor doesn't directly impact the taste of the medication

• D) Adding an acidic component - Incorrect, acidity is more likely to make the medication less palatable for a child to take

Which resource provides flavoring options for pediatric medications?

A) Lexicomp

B) FlavoRx

• C) Do Not Crush Lists

  • D) Dailymed

Correct Answer: FlavoRx

Confirmation: FlavoRx provides different flavoring options for different medications that can be inputed. It is also on the resources list provided in lecture. 

Explanation: Though Lexicomp was a resource provided in lecture, it does not particularly specialize in different flavors of medications. Do not crush lists were also on the resources provided in lecture, but does not provide flavoring either. DailyMed may have some mentions of flavorings available, but again, does not specialize and is much more general than FlavoRx. 

What resource offers detailed drug information, including pediatric formulations and administration guidelines?

• A) Lexicomp

• B) FlavoRx

• C) Do Not Crush Lists

• D) Physicians' Desk Reference

 

Correct Answer: Lexicomp

Confirmation: Lexicomp as discussed in lecture was the pediatric drug information resource provided. 

Explanation: FlavoRx does not provide drug information or dosing like Lexicomp. Do Not Crush Lists also do not provide drug information except for whether they could be crushed or not. Physicians' Desk Reference does not specialize or detail pediatric drug information

What resources are available to assess possible drug formulation options for pediatric patients?

1. World Health Organization (WHO) Essential Medicines List 

2. Pediatric Formulary Guidelines 

3. Clinical Pharmacology Databases 

4. All of the above

 

 

Answer: D. All of the above

Confirmation: Option D is correct because all of these resources contribute valuable information for evaluating pediatric drug formulations.

Explanation: 

Option A, B, and C are not incorrect individually; they are just not the only correct answers. While these are all resources that can be used to assess pediatric drug options, they were not the resources discussed in class. 

Which resource provides comprehensive information on pediatric drug formulations?

a) The Merck Manual 

b) Pediatric Dosage Handbook 

c) Goodman & Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics 

d) Gray's Anatomy

 

Option B is correct because it is a handbook specifically designed to provide information on drug formulations and doses for pediatrics 

Option A is incorrect because it provides information mainly on adult diseases, diagnosis, and treatments, option C is incorrect because it provides information about drug pharmacology and not pediatric drug formulations, option D is incorrect because it is a fictional tv show

What is a widely used online database to check pediatric drug formulations?

a) PubMed 

b) WebMD 

c) Lexicomp 

d) MedlinePlus

 

Option C is correct because lexicomp provides in depth information on drug formulations, dosages, and administration in the pediatric population 

 

Option A is incorrect because it can be difficult to find comprehensive information/answers and is primarily a database for biomedical literature, option B is incorrect because it is a consumer health information site while lexicomp is tailored to healthcare professionals and provides more detailed information, option D is incorrect because it is a consumer health information site for various topics and should not be referenced when looking for specific formulation/dosage information for pediatrics

1. Which factor is most likely to influence the palatability of a medication?

   • A) Color

   • B) Taste

   • C) Packaging

   • D) Cost

 

The correct answer is B, taste. The factors that influence palatability of medications are taste, smell, texture and volume. These are things that affect the patient as they are physically taking the medication.

Options A, C and D are incorrect because while they do influence feelings about the medication, they are not factors that will likely have much influence over the experience of taking the medication and are not included as factors of palatability (taste, smell, texture, volume).

1. What is a common method used to improve the palatability of liquid medications?

   • A) Adding preservatives

   • B) Increasing viscosity

   • C) Flavoring agents

   • D) Changing the container size

 

The correct answer is C, flavoring agents, because they can mask the bad taste of a medication to improve the palatability.

Option A is incorrect because preservatives are not used to mask bad taste, or change the other factors of palatability like smell, volume or texture.

Option B is incorrect because increasing the viscosity would likely make the palatability worse. A thinner solution with a better texture would be more palatable.

Option D is incorrect because changing the container size will not change the taste, smell, texture or volume of the medication.

Which of the following dosage forms is often preferred for pediatric patients due to ease of administration?

1. A) Tablets

2. B) Oral liquids

3. C) Inhalers

4. D) Transdermal patches

 

Correct Answer:  B) Oral liquids as the correct answer

Confirmation: 

• option B is correct because oral liquids are easier to swallow and can be easily masked with other products

Explanation:

• option A is incorrect because tablets can be difficult to swallow for pediatric patients. Also due to coating, it can be bad in taste.

• Option C is incorrect because it can be difficult for pediatric patients to take proper inhalation breaths to receive the full medication.

• Option D is incorrect because pediatric patients can have thin skin which could be easily irritated by the patches. Also, pediatric patients could easily remove the patch.

 

What technique can be used to improve the taste of pediatric medications?

1. A) Increasing the dosage

2. B) Adding flavoring agents

3. C) Changing the color

4. D) Adding preservatives

 

Correct Answer:  B) Adding flavoring agents

Confirmation: 

• option B is correct because adding flavoring agents can help  mask the taste of medications. 

Explanation:

• Option A is incorrect because by increasing the dosage, it can be harder to hide the medication in food and harder to ingest the medication.

• Option C is incorrect because the lecture didn’t mention how changing the color of medications could affect the taste of pediatric medications.

• Option D is incorrect because the lecture didn’t mention how adding preservatives could affect the taste of pediatric medications.

Which of the following factors most influence the palatability of pediatric medications?

1. A) Cost and insurance coverage
   B) Taste, smell, texture, and volume
   C) Storage conditions and expiration date
   D) Route of administration and bioavailability

 

Correct Answer: B) Taste, smell, texture, and volume

Explanation:

• Correct: According to the lecture, major factors for pediatric drug formulation selection include "Smell, Taste, Texture, Dose Volume"​.

• Incorrect:

  • A) Cost and insurance coverage – These do not influence palatability​. Rather it influences affordability

  • C) Storage conditions and expiration date – These affect drug stability, not whether a child will accept the medication​.

  • D) Route of administration and bioavailability – This impact how the drug works, not how it tastes​.

A 4-year-old child refuses to take their liquid antibiotic due to its unpleasant taste. Which strategy would best improve the medication's palatability?

A) Changing to a different drug class
B) Mixing the medication with a flavoring agent
C) Storing the medication at room temperature
D) Diluting the medication with a larger volume of liquid

Correct Answer: B) Mixing the medication with a flavoring agent

Explanation:

• Correct: The lecture suggests, "FlavoRx" and other methods can be used to improve palatability by adjusting taste​.

• Incorrect:

  • A) Changing to a different drug class – Not always an option, especially if the prescribed drug is the best treatment​.

  • C) Storing the medication at room temperature – This affects stability but does not improve taste​.

  • D) Diluting the medication with a larger volume of liquid – This increases the amount a child must drink, making it less acceptable​.

Which factor most commonly influences the palatability of medications?

•  

  • A) Dosage form

  • B) Cost

  • C) Color

  • D) Taste

D is correct as taste directly impacts palatability. Bitter, salty, etc. flavors can make medications unpleasant.

A is incorrect as it can influence palatability, but to a lesser extent than the flavor of the medication. B is incorrect as it has nothing to do with the ingestion of a medication. C is incorrect because, while color can influence the perception of the medication, is do not impact the palatability to the same extent as factors like taste.

What factor primarily affects a child's willingness to take medication?

•  

  • A) Packaging design

  • B) Smell

  • C) Expiry date

D) Flavor

D is correct for the same reason given for the previous question. Pleasant flavors can mask medicinal flavors and improve palatability.

A is incorrect as the child may not ever see the packaging and if they do, the opinion they have is more likely to be based on past experiences with the medication. B is not incorrect, but likely has a lesser impact is easier to mask/hide than flavor. C is incorrect as the child likely has no concept of expiry date and any effect it would have if given when expired (hopefully not) would be affects on flavor and palatability