Did you know amoxicillin is the #1 most flavored medicine with FLAVORx? Last year, pharmacies used the Recipe Generator and their Auto, Pro, and Plus dispensers to flavor amoxicillin over half a million times! 🤯
But why flavor amoxicillin? Doesn't it already come flavored? Surely a gross medicine like clindamycin would be flavored more often, right? Read on to find out why amoxicillin has become such a popular candidate for flavoring.
When it comes to treating common childhood illnesses, amoxicillin is one of the most frequently prescribed liquid meds out there. Parents know it as the antibiotic used to knock out strep throat, ear infections, and a host of other bugs. The sheer volume of amoxicillin dispensed combined with its importance to children's health make it a popular choice to flavor.
Despite the large quantity of amoxicillin dispensed, some pharmacists and pharmacy techs don't think to offer flavoring because it already comes flavored, so it's assumed it must taste good. However, with the rise in generic manufacturers, the taste of amoxicillin isn't as good as it was once perceived to be. While amoxicillin may not be outright gross like clindamycin, kids also aren't necessarily getting the subjectively "tasty" medicine of years past.
While taste is an important factor when it comes to getting kids to take medicine, pharmacists and pharmacy techs with a successful FLAVORx program have found that flavoring isn't only about making bad-tasting medicines taste better. It's also about letting kids have a say in their medicine-time experience. Letting kids decide how they want their medicine to taste gives them a bit of control over an otherwise bad situation. And fortunately, kids have lots of options to pick from - bubblegum, grape, mango, strawberry, and watermelon are all great choices to flavor amoxicillin.
Even if a parent hasn't mentioned medicine-time struggles, pharmacists and pharmacy techs will often offer to flavor medicines like amoxicillin as a preventative measure. If flavoring a child's amoxicillin can possibly help parents avoid tears and spit out medicine, then many pharmacy professionals believe it's definitely worth mentioning to parents. It's also a lot easier to get kids to see medicine in a positive way when they're young rather than trying to overcome a bad association formed after they've already had a stressful experience taking medicine. For some children, a negative association with medicine can form early in childhood and continue for many years, like this girl whose mom shared her story with us:
“My daughter, Riley, is the WORST about taking medicine! At age 10, you wouldn't think this would be such a big deal, but I think with age, comes wisdom! She squirms if she needs eye drops, she can take a nurse OUT if she needs a shot, and she still does not swallow pills. So, after getting a strep diagnosis and enduring a fever spike that rose to 104.5, I was soooooo thankful when the pharmacy tech asked me, 'Would you like the amoxicillin flavored?' Yes!! Yes, I would!! Riley loves the fruity bubble-gum flavor, and she's taken every dose (so far) without a fight! Thank you, FlavorX!!" – Lisa B.
Turning medicine-time into a positive experience when kids need amoxicillin can make a huge difference for families. No kid wants to be stuck at home sick, and no parent wants to have to battle with their child to get them to take the medicine they need to feel better. Medicine-time doesn't have to be stressful - by flavoring amoxicillin, you can help your littlest patients have an easier time getting better.
To make sure your pharmacy is ready to help kids take amoxicillin and other important cough, cold, and flu seasons medicines, request your free FLAVORx marketing kit here: