Repurposing aspirin tablets for administering to children

Lahiq, Ahmed (2022). Repurposing aspirin tablets for administering to children. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

The work presented in this thesis has examined two aspects to the provision of a dose of aspirin for a child. Firstly, in a hospital setting and for a certain condition, for example, Kawasaki’s disease, a nurse or pharmacist may split an aspirin tablet (for adults) to children. Two surveys were designed and distributed to medicine, nursing and pharmacy students, at the University of Birmingham, and to nurses and pharmacists, at the Birmingham Children’s Hospital, respectively. They examined the students’ and professionals’ knowledge about and experience of tablet manipulation. A simulated ward setting was used to examine their accuracy in producing a child dose from a 75 mg dispersible tablet. For the students (n = 239), the main finding was a lack of knowledge and experience; when a tablet was manipulated by students (n = 45) some of the child doses produced were also inaccurate. Students of medicine were most lacking in knowledge and experience, and students of nursing students were the best informed on how to manipulate a tablet. For the nurses and pharmacists (n = 61), the main findings were that they were more knowledgeable than the students, the pharmacists were familiar with the guidelines to medicine manipulation, and the nurses and pharmacists had gained knowledge and experience during their first post on a paediatric ward. Even so, some of the doses prepared from manipulating a table were inaccurate.
The second aspect of the study relates a child formulation of a drug that would alleviate the need for tablet manipulation. Aspirin was, used as a model system, to formulate a 2 mm diameter dispersible mini-tablet containing a child dose of 3.5 mg of aspirin. The 3.5 mg mini-tablet that was produced has passed the weight and content uniformity measurements, prescribed by BP, had an acceptable strength and a dispersion time of < 30 seconds, and the release of aspirin was similar to the marketed 75 mg product. More quality controls are needed to accord with the BP specifications, including storage stability and drug distribution, to ensure the accuracy of drug administration. Palatability is important to patient compliance.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):