The Reason Why Drug Manufacturers Produce Bitter Tasting Drugs

Bitter tasting drug

Most of us as an adult usually envy young little children when we discover that their drugs taste little better than those for adults do.
You may end up asking why drug manufacturers have decided to produce drugs for an adult with a bitter taste. You wish you can buy the drug for children to take, but your health care provider advises you against that giving some explanation you believe is not for you. You think all through and the only thing you reason out is that they are only been mean and wicked to adults.

It is not always like the way you think as they have over the years considered the implication of making those drugs palatable for both children and adults. Most patients will want to go for a palatable drug when the taste is good. However, most of the time, the children dose is not significantly as expensive as that. This made you draw the hasty conclusion that it is deliberate and not cost of producing it. Well, let me clear your doubt. Yes! It is.

Well, know that for children’s liquid paracetamol, a full bottle may just be a once dosing for an adult. An adult dose of paracetamol is 1000 mg in the morning, same with afternoon and evening, and this you are to continue for three days. A once dosing should be 1000 mg of that liquid paracetamol. So how many bottles of children’s paracetamol do you intend to buy before getting well? Maybe, ten or more. lol

Read Also: The Full List Of Drug Classification Of Nigeria Essential Medicine List

Producing unpleasant tasting drugs are not deliberate as many active pharmaceutical ingredients are bitter tasting compounds. However, not masking it is deliberate. Although children will not want to consume such hence the need to make it a little bit sweet. Still, it is not like the breast milk they enjoy so they still struggle to kick it out there mouth. To them, it is not sweet but to an adult that tastes it, it is one of the most palatable drugs in town.

The reason is that their taste bud has not developed hence that tasty drug is a little bit bitter to them. Yet is best to leave it at that rather than make it taste like breast milk hence the crave for that drug as a substitute for natural breast milk. In such a situation, it will lead to drug misuse and abuse, which we all know, have a negative side effect. Drugs at higher doses are toxic and fatal to man and when children keep taking such drug because they enjoyed it will lead to a dangerous situation depending on the active.

Tablets that are bitter have made children to detest drugs even when they are left alone in the room with them. This is a natural preventive measure of drug poisoning which would have been a normal occurrence if they were sweet. This has also helped adults not abusing tablets as sweet in the house.

Most tablets that are meant to be chewed are a little bit sweet, which means it is still possible to mask drugs to some extent. To mask the taste of very bitter drugs, they are formulated into capsules of which children cannot take such hence are only made for adults. Still, the odour exuding from them can be enough to make some people throw up. An example is ampicillin capsule. However, Here Are Some Medical Reasons While Formulating Sweet Drug Is Not Of Top Priority.

Read Also: Recommended International Non-proprietary Name Of Drugs (Full List) With Formal Name

Why Bitter Tasting Drugs

When tables are sweet, patients may end up licking, chewing or crushing such tablet that is meant to be swallowed whole which will end up defeating the main purpose of taking the drug.

Trying to mask the bitter taste will mean adding some sweeteners excipients like sugar. This will increase cost and size of the final product, which is not intended. Sweeteners added to drugs increases the chances of microbial degradation making the product loss efficacy in a very short time.

The problem with liquid formulations having sweeteners might as well lead to tooth decay and add to dietary recommended daily intake (R.D.I) which may be a problem in obese children.

Now to achieve a sweet drug is to look for another alternative from sugar, ‘make the drug acidic.’ This helps a lot in reducing bitterness. It also increases drug stability. However, here comes its own side effect the acid can lead to tooth erosion and make the drug easy to attack from microorganisms. This is the main reason while most drugs are alkaline because alkaline drugs neutralise bacteria.

And lastly, it reduces drug abuse and misuse.

Now you all know while manufacturing companies are not interested in making that tablet you detest so much to taste all palatable. The risk far outweighs the gain.

Share On Social Media With Family And Friends To Show You Care!