It’s that time of year again: the air’s getting cooler, leaves are starting to change, and kids are coming home from school with coughs and runny noses. Sometimes it seems impossible to keep our little ones from getting sick. I mean… it’s not like we can follow them to school! But don’t despair. There are a few things you can do to keep your family sniffle-free this fall.

Most people working in pharmacy have probably witnessed an exhausted, stressed-out parent trudging towards the pharmacy counter with a sick, cranky child in tow. Both would probably much rather be home in bed, but there’s still the stress of getting the yucky medicine down when they get home. In fact, 7 in 10 parents report medicine-time struggle. Get ready to put on your superhero cape because your pharmacy can help!

Offer a Choice

At FLAVORx, our pharmacy partners are dedicated to helping kids and parents have an easier medicine-time experience. Pharmacy staff can offer kids a choice of over 16 fun flavors for their medicine, including favorites like blastin’ bubblegum, giggly grape, and wacky watermelon. Not only will adding a flavor improve the taste of the medicine, having a choice allows kids to take ownership of their medicine-time experience. Medicine turns from something forced on them to something they were able to have some control over.

Be a Hero

As a pharmacy professional, offering the flavoring service is a small thing you can do to make a huge impact on families. It’s as easy as asking patients, “how would you like your medicine to taste today?” Many parents don’t even know that custom medication-flavoring is an option. By letting them in on the secret, you just might be a life-saver!

Make a Lasting Impact

An easier medicine-time experience is something that parents won’t soon forget. Check out the following parent testimonials to see how pharmacies have helped families by flavoring medicine:

“My 20-month old son, Hayes, does NOT do well with any kind of medicine. I haven’t been able to get him to take an antibiotic until our Pharmacist suggested adding flavor to the medicine. It’s a miracle worker! We added the grape flavor to his antibiotic and he’s easily downed every dose! Can I get an AMEN?” – Haley B.

“My little cousin had to take clindamycin liquid and I could even agree- it smelt like dirty socks. I made a request at the pharmacy and they helped us figure out how to flavor it since applesauce was not helping. The pharmacy flavored the medicine and it made it more manageable for him to tolerate. So happy that the pharmacy had this in stock as a way to help him take the medicine!” -Michael D.

Strong relationships between physicians and pharmacies ensure customers get the best quality care at the most cost-effective price.

Networking with doctors is smart business for Thomas Garza, head pharmacist at The Medicine Shoppe, a San Benito, Texas-based pharmacy.“Our pediatrician colleagues work well with us because they know we work well with their patients,” said Thomas Garza. “When patients have issues, concerns, or questions about their medication, the doctors know our staff gives their full attention to the sick child and their parents.”

Here are three ways Thomas Garza and The Medicine Shoppe win patient referrals from local physicians.

The skyrocketing out-of-pocket costs for medication places a stiff financial burden on consumers. Not surprisingly, high deductibles and exorbitant costs have given rise to the trend of “pharmacy hopping,” in which one consumer fills their prescriptions at multiple pharmacies. How can retail pharmacies earn customer loyalty? According to a study conducted by Change Healthcare, the key is to appeal to a patient's emotions.

World Autism Awareness Day is an international event that aims to increase understanding and acceptance, as well as foster worldwide support for people living with Autism. FLAVORx is proud to support the goals of this important day.