Pill School V1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Pill School What is the clinical and cost effectiveness of introducing tablet taking training (Pill School) to children aged six years and older?
IRAS ID
181832
Contact name
David Terry
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Many children under the care of Birmingham Children's Hospital receive long-term medication. Most children are given oral liquid medicines. Up to a third of these are unlicensed 'Specials'. Oral liquids are much more expensive than tablets, variable in composition, may have excipients that are inappropriate for use in children, prompt dosing errors and are inconvenient to store and carry. Our own recent studies show that 92% of liquids used at BCH are available as tablets, and 80% are compatible with paediatric posology. Published evidence confirms that with training even small children can safely swallow tablets. This research aims to establish direct patient education concerning swallowing tablets.
Sessons will be led by pharmacy staff (pharmacist and nurse) and focus on training children to take tablets and capsules. A process of training children to take tablets has been developed (the intervention) and the success of this process will be determined by exposing a cohort of 30 children to the intervention. Outcome measures include success in swallowing age-appropriate sized tablets after the intervention and at +1 month and + 6 months. Outcomes will be by direct observation (day 0) and then by consented follow-up by subject approved method (telephone call, text messaging, email etc.).
REC name
West Midlands - Solihull Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/WM/0231
Date of REC Opinion
11 Aug 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion