SWEET SOLUTIONS: FLAVORING AND SWEETENING COMPOUNDED MEDICATIONS
Faculty:
Liz Fredrickson, PharmD, BCPS
Liz Fredrickson, PharmD, BCPS, is an Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) College of Pharmacy, where she is course director of the Parenteral Products and Basic Pharmaceutics Lab courses.
Pamela Sardo, PharmD, BS
Pamela Sardo, PharmD, BS, is a freelance medical writer and licensed pharmacist. She is the founder and principal at Sardo Solutions in Texas. Pam received her BS from the University of Connecticut and her PharmD from the University of Rhode Island. Pam’s career spans many years in retail, clinics, hospitals, long-term care, Veterans Affairs, and managed health care responsibilities across a broad range of therapeutic classes and disease states.
Abstract
Flavoring and sweetening are essential components of nonsterile compounding that directly impact patient adherence and therapeutic outcomes. Selecting appropriate flavoring and sweetening agents requires consideration of drug properties, formulation stability, and patient-specific factors. This continuing education activity reviews the science of taste, flavoring techniques, and the selection of sweetening agents, with a focus on pediatric and veterinary populations. Strategies to improve palatability while maintaining safety and stability are discussed.
Accreditation Statements
In support of improving patient care, RxCe.com LLC is jointly accredited by the Accreditation CouncilTM for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME®), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE®), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC®), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Joint Universal Activity Number: The Joint Accreditation Universal Activity Numbers assigned to this activity are as follows:
Pharmacists: JA4008424-0000-26-077-H07-P
Pharmacy Technicians: JA4008424-0000-26-077-H07-T
Credits: 2 contact hour(s) (0.2 CEU(s)) of continuing education credit.
Credit Types:
Pharmacy - 2 Credits
Type of Activity: Knowledge
Media: Computer-Based Training (i.e., online courses)
Estimated time to complete activity: 2 contact hour(s) (0.2 CEU(s)), including Activity Pre-Test, Post-Test, and Activity Evaluation.
Release Date: May 24, 2026 Expiration Date: May 24, 2029
Target Audience: This educational activity is for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians
How to Earn Credit: From May 24, 2026, through May 24, 2029, participants must:
Read the “learning objectives” and “author and planning team disclosures;”
Take the “Educational Activity Pre-Test;”
Study the section entitled “Educational Activity;” and
Complete the Educational Activity Post-Test and Activity Evaluation. The Educational Activity Post-Test will be graded automatically. Following successful completion of the Educational Activity Post-Test with a score of 70% or higher, a statement of participation will be made available immediately. (No partial credit will be given.)
CE and CME Credits: Credits for this course will be uploaded to CPE Monitor® for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. Physicians may receive AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™️ and use these credits toward Maintenance of Certification (MOC) requirements. Physician Assistants may earn AAPA Category 1 CME credits, reportable through PA Portfolio. All learners shall verify their individual licensing board’s specific requirements and eligibility criteria.
Statement of Need
Unpleasant taste is a major barrier to medication adherence, particularly in pediatric and veterinary populations. Pharmacy personnel may lack formal training in selecting appropriate flavoring and sweetening agents that maintain drug stability while improving palatability. Inappropriate selection can lead to poor adherence, adverse effects, or compromised formulations. This activity addresses these gaps by reviewing evidence-based strategies for flavoring and sweetening compounded medications.
Learning Objectives: Upon completion of this educational activity, pharmacist participants should be able to:
Describe methods to flavor and sweeten compounded medications
Compare and contrast appropriate flavoring and sweetening agents for specific patient populations
Recall strategies for selecting flavoring medications for pediatric and veterinary patients
Disclosures
The following individuals were involved in planning, developing, and/or authoring this activity: Liz Fredrickson, PharmD; and Pamela Sardo, PharmD, BS. None of the individuals involved in developing this activity has a conflict of interest or financial relationships related to the subject matter. There are no financial relationships or commercial or financial support relevant to this activity to report or disclose by RxCe.com or any of the individuals involved in the development of this activity.
© RxCe.com LLC 2026: All rights reserved. No reproduction of all or part of any content herein is allowed without the prior, written permission of RxCe.com LLC.
Educational Activity Pre-Test
Which of the following best describes an appropriate approach to flavoring compounded medications?
Always rely on traditionally used flavors
Select flavoring agents that complement the API and maintain stability
Use the most intense sweetener available
Add flavoring agents without considering patient preference
Flavor fatigue may occur if a patient needs to take medication for an extended period. To counter flavor fatigue, it may be best
to use milder flavors within the preparation.
to use a stronger flavor to overpower the patient’s palate.
to drown the medication in a single, sugary flavor.
to use a more bitter flavor because they do not cause flavor fatigue.
Which of the following is an important safety consideration when selecting sweetening agents?
Xylitol is safe for use in all veterinary patients
Caloric sweeteners should always be used in children
Aspartame should be avoided in patients with phenylketonuria
Noncaloric sweeteners are always preferred in all patients
Educational Activity
Sweet Solutions: Flavoring and Sweetening Compounded Medications
Highlights
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Introduction
Flavoring medications is both an art and a science. It requires selecting appropriate flavoring and sweetening agents that improve palatability without compromising stability, compatibility, or safety.1 Compounding personnel should recognize that this process extends beyond adding just any flavoring and sweetening agents to a compounded preparation. Instead, flavoring involves understanding how to select and combine appropriate flavoring agent(s), namely one or more that complement the medication well, do not adversely affect the stability or compatibility of the formulation, and are preferable to the patient.1 The ability to appropriately flavor and sweeten medications is a crucial skill of pharmacy personnel that helps optimize patient adherence while ensuring the medication remains stable, safe, and effective. This continuing education activity will discuss various methods for flavoring and sweetening medications, describe these processes for pediatric and veterinary preparations, and compare available sweetening agents.
The Science of Flavor and Taste
Flavor perception is a complex sensory experience involving taste, smell, sight, and texture.1 Smell is extremely important for producing flavor. When an individual’s sense of smell is impaired, properly tasting medications becomes more challenging.1,2
There are five primary or basic tastes: bitter, sour, salty, sweet, and umami.2 Sweet tastes result from sugar or a sugar derivative such as fructose.2 Amino acids and alcohol in fruit juices can also elicit sweet tastes.2 Sour tastes result from acidic solutions, such as lemon juice, and the sensation of sour taste is due to the presence of hydrogen ions (H+) released by acidic substances when they come into contact with water. Salty tastes derive from salts.2 These include sodium chloride, potassium, and magnesium salts.2 Bitter tastes can be complex.2 Within sensory cells, 35 different proteins can detect bitter substances.2 Finally, savory or umami tastes are due to the presence of glutamic acid or aspartic acid.2 Examples of foods that contain glutamic acid include ripe tomatoes and cheese. Glutamate is often used to enhance flavors.2
The taste of a drug will be determined to an extent by its chemical composition.1 The chemical properties of various tastes and odors are detailed in Table 1.1
Table 1
Chemical Properties Associated with Taste and Smell1
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Flavoring Techniques
Compounding personnel can use various approaches to properly flavor compounded medications.1 Flavoring medications should involve a combination of appropriate flavor(s), namely one or more that complement the medication well, do not adversely affect the stability or compatibility of the formulation, and are preferable to the patient.1 No single approach is universally effective; flavoring strategies must be tailored to the formulation and patient.1
The following qualities describe a medication that has been appropriately flavored:1
Immediate flavor identity
Rapid full-flavor development
Acceptable mouth feel
Short aftertaste
No undesirable sensations
Table 2 can be used to determine which flavors are best for masking the various tastes of medications.1
Table 2
Flavoring Agents for Various Tastes1
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Clinical Application Tip
Rather than selecting a single flavor, combining complementary flavors (e.g., cherry + vanilla for bitterness) may improve palatability more effectively than a single agent.
Compounding personnel can choose among the following techniques to flavor medications, which are described in detail below: blending, overshadowing, physical methods, chemical methods, and physiological methods.1 When implementing these processes, it is important to recognize that the flavoring agent selected could cause more than one sensation for the patient.1 For example, saccharin often tastes bitter at first, then elicits a sweet flavor sensation.1
Blending involves using a flavor that complements the taste of the active pharmaceutical ingredient.1 For example, acidic drugs can be combined with citrus fruit flavors, such as lemon, lime, or orange.1 Bitter-tasting APIs can be blended with salty, sweet, or sour tastes.1 For sour-tasting APIs, salty tastes can be used to decrease the sour tones and enhance sweetness.1
Overshadowing (also called overpowering) is a process that involves using a flavor with a greater intensity than the API in the preparation.1 Wintergreen oil is an example of a flavoring agent used to overshadow.1
Physical methods can also be used to flavor medications. These include formulating an insoluble compound as a suspension because drugs cannot be tasted outside of a solution, placing the poor-tasting active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in the internal phase as an emulsion and the flavoring agent in the external phase, and using high-viscosity fluids like syrups to keep the flavor in the mouth for a longer period of time.1
Chemical methods involve absorbing or complexing the drug with an ingredient that helps eliminate the API's bad taste.1
Physiological techniques include inducing a cooling sensation with an agent like mannitol, which occurs via its negative heat of solution.1 Alternatively, clove and cinnamon can be used, as they cause heat and numbness.1 This leads to a mild pain reaction and distracts from the medication's poor taste.1
The following tips are available to guide compounding personnel during the flavoring process:1
Select the proper flavor or flavor blends, and do not necessarily rely on what is traditionally used
Replace or adjust a vehicle if it is inadequate
Select a nonoffending preservative
Use artificial sweeteners in the proper amount and balance
Use desensitizing agents or flavor enhancers
Obtain the proper mouthfeel, such as smoothness that results in increased viscosity
Complement any bitterness with an acceptable bitter flavor, such as coffee, chocolate, or maple
Mask objectionable tastes by using the cooling effect of mint and the anesthetizing effect of spices
Use acids, such as tartaric, citric, and maleic, to enhance fruit flavors
In addition to understanding the techniques described above, compounding personnel should recognize that adding flavoring agents to a compounded preparation is not always benign and can affect the final preparation's stability and quality.1 Notably, flavoring agents can include numerous ingredients.1 For example, natural cherry flavor has more than 70 different components, and natural grape flavor has approximately 225.1 These ingredients and their potential effects on the final preparation should be considered when adding flavoring agents to a formulation.
Common Pitfalls in Flavoring Compounded Medications
Selecting flavors without considering drug–flavor interactions
Overuse of sweeteners leading to instability or adverse effects
Ignoring patient-specific conditions (e.g., diabetes, PKU)
Using xylitol in veterinary patients
Failing to document flavoring choices for future prescriptions
Table 3 provides a framework for taste masking strategies.1
Table 3
Taste Masking Strategy Framework
| Consideration | Key Questions / Examples | Impact on Flavoring Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| API Characteristics | Bitter? Metallic? Oily? | Determines need for blending, overshadowing, or masking techniques |
| Dosage Form | Solution vs suspension vs semisolid | Influences the use of physical methods (e.g., viscosity, emulsions) |
| Patient Population | Pediatric, geriatric, veterinary | Guides flavor selection and acceptability preferences |
| Duration of Therapy | Short-term vs chronic (flavor fatigue) | May require mild flavors or rotation of flavors |
| Safety Considerations | Diabetes, PKU, and veterinary toxicity | Impacts the choice of sweeteners and the avoidance of harmful agents |
Types of Flavoring Agents
Compounding personnel should be familiar with the definitions and associated properties of available flavoring agents.1 Categories of flavoring agents include natural flavors, artificial flavors, and spices.1 Table 3 describes these in more detail. Flavor agents can be obtained as dry powders or as oil- or water-soluble liquids.1 Water-soluble carriers include water, ethanol, propylene glycol, glycerin, and emulsifiers.1 Maltodextrins, corn syrup solids, modified starches, salt, and sugars are dry carriers.1 It is critical for compounding personnel to recognize that flavors exposed to light, temperature, headspace oxygen, water, and contaminants have the potential to degrade.1 During storage, flavors can adsorb to their containers and potentially sorb to any suspended materials within a preparation.1 Thus, these should be stored and utilized to preserve their integrity and quality.1
Table 4
Comparison of Flavors1
| Type | Definition/Properties |
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| Natural Flavors |
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| Artificial Flavors |
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| Spice |
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Flavoring Preferences
While individuals will have their own preferences, compounding personnel can also select flavoring agents depending on the broader patient population. For example, female patients may be more sensitive to odors than males.1 Adult patients are more likely to accept a degree of bitterness within their medications compared to children, who prefer sweeter tastes.1 Another consideration is flavor fatigue, which may occur if a patient needs to take medication for an extended period of time.1 In these cases, it may be best to use milder flavors within the preparation. Table 5 details the flavor preferences of various patient populations.1 Flavoring considerations for pediatric and veterinary patients are discussed below.
Table 5
Flavoring Preferences1
| Drug Class or Population | Flavors |
|---|---|
| Antibiotics | Banana-pineapple, banana-vanilla, cherry, cherry-custard, coconut-custard, fruit-cinnamon, lemon-custard, maple, orange, pineapple, raspberry, strawberry-vanilla |
| Antihistamines | Apricot, black currant, cherry, cinnamon, custard, grape, honey, lime, loganberry, peach-orange, peach-rum, raspberry, root beer, wild cherry |
| Barbiturates | Banana-pineapple, banana-vanilla, black currant, cinnamon-peppermint, grenadine-strawberry, lime, orange, peach-orange, root beer |
| Decongestants and expectorants | Anise, apricot, black-currant, butterscotch, cherry, coconut-custard, coriander, custard-mint-strawberry, gooseberry, grenadine-peach, lemon, loganberry, maple, orange, orange-lemon, orange-peach, pineapple, raspberry, strawberry, tangerine |
| Electrolytes | Cherry, grape, lemon-lime, raspberry, wild cherry syrup |
| Patients of advanced age | Black currant, grenadine-strawberry, lime, root beer, wild strawberry |
Table 6 describes techniques for selecting different flavors.1
Table 6
Techniques for Selecting Flavors1
| Type of Flavoring | Test Medium | Preparation |
|---|---|---|
| Water-Soluble Flavors | ||
| Generally begin at 0.2% for artificial flavors and 1%–2% for natural flavors | Sweetened water containing 8%–10% sugar Sugar syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, or corn syrup | Add sugar to water, then add flavoring. Add 0.2%–0.3% citric acid if a fruit flavor. Add flavor to the choice of sweetener. Heat the mixture in a microwave for 10–20 seconds. Cool before tasting. |
| Oil-Soluble Flavors | ||
| Generally begin at 0.1% in the finished product for artificial flavors and 0.2% for natural flavors | Powdered sugar and melted shortening in a 1:1 ratio Vegetable oil (especially good for butter and nutty tastes) | Mix sugar and melted shortening. Add flavor and taste. Mix oil and flavoring, and taste. |
| Powdered Flavors | ||
| Generally begin at 0.1% in the finished product for artificial flavors and 0.75% for natural flavors | Fruit flavors: sugar 98% and citric acid 2% Other flavors: sugar | Mix sugar, citric acid, and flavoring. Add about 75 g/L of water to the mixture. Mix sugar and flavoring. Add about 75 g/L of water to the mixture. |
Flavoring Medications for Pediatric Patients
Although unpleasant taste can help prevent accidental ingestion, it often reduces adherence in pediatric patients.3 Taking medications in the form of a pill or tablet is a useful way to cover the unappealing tastes, but this is not a viable option for children, as many are averse to swallowing pills, and the contents of pills cannot be broken up or crushed.3 Thus, the ability of personnel to appropriately flavor medications for children is crucial. Notably, children have more taste buds than adults, heightening unpleasant taste sensations.4 Flavor, odor, and texture (or mouthfeel) are all key factors when preparing oral medications for children.4 Research has found that sweet and salty flavors are preferable to children compared to adults.3 Children commonly prefer flavors such as grape, watermelon, and cherry.1
Pharmacy personnel can first check with caregivers about children’s flavor preferences, or have children sample one or more medication options. If a flavor is disliked, this should be noted, and the flavor should be changed for future prescriptions.
While adding sweeteners to children's medications may seem logical, pharmacy personnel should recognize that this is not always advisable. Pharmacy personnel should check with the caregiver and provider to ensure the selected sweetening agent(s) are safe and preferred.1,3 Caloric sweeteners can lead to numerous issues, including dental cavities, the potential over-consumption of medications that children find palatable, and harm to children who must reduce sugar intake, such as those with diabetes mellitus.3 Additionally, sorbitol can cause diarrhea and abdominal cramping in some patients. If a medication is prescribed for a long period, noncaloric sweeteners are recommended to help prevent tooth decay.4 Aspartame should be avoided in phenylketonuria.4
Case Example 1: Pediatric Adherence A child refuses an antibiotic suspension due to its bitter taste. The pharmacist reformulates the preparation using a cherry flavor and a noncaloric sweetener. The patient completes the full course of therapy. |
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Case Example 2: Flavor Failure A caregiver reports that a child refuses a flavored antibiotic despite the added grape flavor. The pharmacist reformulates using a cherry-vanilla blend and a viscosity-enhancing vehicle, improving adherence. |
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Pediatric Safety Considerations
Avoid excessive sugar in chronic therapy
Monitor for sorbitol-induced GI effects
Avoid aspartame in PKU
Consider the risk of overconsumption with highly palatable formulations
Flavoring Medications for Veterinary Patients
Veterinary patients also commonly require their medications to be flavored. Flavor selection for veterinary patients must balance palatability with stability and safety.1 Adding a flavoring agent should not alter drug bioavailability, solubility, or suspendability.5 In general, animals prefer flavors that mimic their normal diet. Birds tend to prefer sweet and fruity flavors.1 Besides flavor preferences, birds may also have texture preferences to consider. For example, certain birds prefer movement (like a wiggly worm) over a particular flavor.1,5 Dogs are omnivores who prefer meat and sweet flavors.1,5 Fixed oils are a great option for canines.1,5 Due to a lack of sweet taste receptors on their tongues, cats do not prefer sweet flavors and find bitter tastes disagreeable.1,5 They do better with flavors like tuna, liver, or marshmallow.1,5 Ferrets often prefer meat and fish flavors but enjoy sweet flavors.1,5 Gerbils like sweet and fruity flavors, while guinea pigs prefer vegetable-flavored preparations. Finally, rabbits prefer herb, vegetable, or fruit flavors.1,5 Table 7 details flavoring considerations for common animal species. Pharmacists should always consult the pet owner to determine any specific flavor preferences.
Table 7
Flavor Preferences of Selected Species1,5
| Animal | Suggested Flavors |
|---|---|
| Birds | Banana, grape, honey, millet, orange, nectar, tutti-frutti |
| Dogs | Bacon, beef, liver, chicken, turkey, cheese, chocolate (artificial), peanut butter, cod, anise, marshmallow |
| Cats | Fish, liver, tuna, cod liver oil, chicken, cheese, bacon, molasses, butterscotch, marshmallow |
| Ferret | Chocolate, peanut butter, molasses, honey, fish, fruit punch, strawberries, peas |
| Gerbil | Banana cream, orange, peach, tangerine, tutti-frutti |
| Guinea pig | Carrot, celery, lettuce, pumpkin |
| Rabbit | Banana cream, carrot, celery, lettuce, parsley, pineapple, vanilla butternut |
In addition to flavoring medications, pharmacists should also consider how best to sweeten their preparations. The following sweeteners (and recommended concentrations) can be used in veterinary preparations (Table 8).6 Xylitol should not be used in pet preparations, as it can cause serious health effects, especially in dogs.6 Xylitol can lead to hypotension, coma, and even death when consumed by dogs.6,7
Table 8
Sweeteners for Veterinary Compounds6
| Sweetener | Concentration |
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| Acesulfame potassium | 0.1-0.5% |
| Steviol glycosides 95% | 0.1-0.6% |
| Stevioside 15% | 1-4% |
Veterinary Safety Alert Xylitol is highly toxic to dogs and can cause hypoglycemia, seizures, and death. It must never be used in veterinary compounded preparations.1 |
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Sweetening Compounded Medications
Flavoring agents do not add sweetness to medications, so compounding personnel may also need to select appropriate sweetening agent(s) for the preparation.1 Sweetening agents are available in numerous forms, including liquid, solid, and semisolid.1 Like with flavoring agents, thoughtful consideration must be given to the most appropriate sweeteners.1 This includes considering both the formulation and patient-specific considerations.
Sweetening agents can be grouped into two categories: noncaloric and caloric sweeteners.1 These are detailed in Table 9. Noncaloric sweeteners can be 200-500 times sweeter than sucrose. There are some downsides to noncaloric sweeteners, including the bitter and somewhat unpleasant aftertastes associated with both saccharin and aspartame.1.9 Aspartame is also associated with stability issues if not kept between a pH of 3.4 and 5.1 Furthermore, many patients do not prefer to use artificial sweeteners due to potential safety concerns.8
Table 9
Examples of Sweetening Agents1
| Caloric Sweeteners | Noncaloric Sweeteners |
|---|---|
| Sucrose | Aspartame |
| Dextrose | Stevia |
| Mannitol | Sucralose |
| Fructose | Acesulfame K |
Coloring Compounded Medications
While it is not necessary for medications to be colored, compounding personnel should be purposeful when selecting both the coloring agent and the ultimate color of the preparation.1 While coloring can be used, this will not improve the taste of the medication.1 Oftentimes, parents prefer that coloring agents not be used in their children’s medications. Some coloring agents have been associated with hypersensitivity reactions in pediatric patients, including angioedema, skin rash, vomiting, and dermatitis.4 There are also hypothesized links between coloring agents and hyperreactivity in children.10 Potential culprit agents include FD&C Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Red 36, Red 17, Blue 1, Blue 2, and Green 3.4 If a color is selected, it should preferably match the flavor of the medication–for example, a cherry formulation could be colored red–and documented on the compounding record to keep note for future prescriptions. Overall, pharmacy personnel must work with the patient’s provider and caregiver to determine flavoring and coloring preferences.
Regulations Pertaining to Flavoring Medications
An estimated 200 million medications have been flavored over the past 25 years, with no reported adverse events.10 Currently, most state pharmacy boards (49 of 52) have determined compounding does not apply to flavoring medications.10 However, the California Board of Pharmacy is looking to require stricter regulations regarding medication flavoring.11 It is important for pharmacy personnel to follow the rules and regulations of their state boards of pharmacy, as these boards enforce USP <795> standards.
Counseling Pearl Patient and caregiver input on flavor preferences should be obtained at both the initial dispensing and refill visits to improve adherence. |
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Documentation Pearl Flavoring and sweetening agents should be documented in the compounding record to ensure consistency for future refills and to support quality assurance. |
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Flavoring Myths
The following are common flavoring myths.9
Taste and aroma are the same
Taste is subjective and cannot be measured
A positive taste can be used to obscure a negative one
Only active pharmaceutical ingredients require taste masking
The most intense sweetener is the best sweetener
Flavor preference determines acceptability
Adult panelists cannot be used to guide the development of palatable pediatric drug products
Patient studies are effective in guiding formulation development
Solids and suspensions do not require taste masking
There is no well-defined process for developing palatable drug products
The Role of the Pharmacy Technician
In compounding pharmacies, pharmacy technicians play vital roles in ensuring the safe, high-quality, and effective preparation of compounded medications. With regard to flavoring and sweetening medications, pharmacy technicians may work with patients, parents, caregivers, and pet owners to determine flavor preferences when dispensing the initial prescription and refills. They may also assist in educating patients about the availability of specific flavors and whether a preferred flavor will work well with a particular formulation.
Additional Resources
The International Journal of Pharmaceutical Compounding
The Art, Science, and Technology of Pharmaceutical Compounding
United States Pharmacopeia
Summary
Flavoring has been described as both an art and a science, and it extends beyond merely adding flavoring and sweetening agents to a compounded preparation. It is critical that pharmacy personnel can properly flavor and sweeten medications. Doing so assists with patient adherence while ensuring the medication remains stable, safe, and effective. This involves selecting the appropriate flavor or flavor blend, using caloric and noncaloric sweeteners in the proper amounts and balance, and considering texture while maintaining proper mouthfeel.
References
Allen L. The Art, Science, and Technology of Pharmaceutical Compounding. The American Pharmacists Association. 2020.
InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2006-. In brief: How does our sense of taste work? [Updated 2023 Jan 24]. Accessed May 23, 2026. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279408/
Mennella JA, Beauchamp GK. Optimizing oral medications for children. Clin Ther. 2008;30(11):2120-2132. doi:10.1016/j.clinthera.2008.11.018
Fonseca S Rph, Ferreira Ade O. Pediatric oral liquid preparations. Int J Pharm Compd. 2005;9(6):437-442.
Mealey, K. Pharmacotherapeutics for Veterinary Dispensing. 1st edition. 2019. Wiley-Blackwell.
Klein, J. Artificial Sweeteners: Which ones are safe for dogs? American Kennel Club. Updated: Mar 19, 2026. Accessed May 23, 2026. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/vets-corner/artificial-sweetener-safety-for-dogs/
Piscitelli CM, Dunayer EK, Aumann M. Xylitol toxicity in dogs. Compend Contin Educ Vet. 2010;32(2):E1-E4.
Sharma A, Amarnath S, Thulasimani M, Ramaswamy S. Artificial sweeteners as a sugar substitute: Are they really safe?. Indian J Pharmacol. 2016;48(3):237-240. doi:10.4103/0253-7613.182888
Senopsys. The top 10 myths of taste masking. Accessed May 23, 2026. https://www.senopsys.com/top-10-myths-of-taste-masking/
Flavor Rx. Board of Pharmacy Positions Towards Flavoring.Undated. Accessed May 23, 2026. https://www.flavorx.com/regulatory/
Meara K. Pharmacists in California Stop Flavoring Medication for Children Due to New Rules. Drug Topics. November 30, 2023. Accessed May 23, 2026. https://www.drugtopics.com/view/pharmacists-in-california-stop-flavoring-medication-for-children-due-to-new-rules
DISCLAIMER
The information provided in this course is general in nature, and it is designed solely to provide participants with continuing education credit(s). This course and materials are not meant to substitute for the independent, professional judgment of any participant regarding that participant’s professional practice, including but not limited to patient assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and/or health management. Medical and pharmacy practices, rules, and laws vary from state to state, and this course does not cover the laws of each state; therefore, participants must consult the laws of their state as they relate to their professional practice.
Healthcare professionals must consult their employer, healthcare facility, hospital, or other organization for guidelines, protocols, and procedures to follow. The information provided in this course does not replace those guidelines, protocols, and procedures, but is for academic purposes only, and this course’s limited purpose is for the completion of continuing education credits.
Participants are advised and acknowledge that information related to medications, their administration, dosing, contraindications, adverse reactions, interactions, warnings, precautions, or accepted uses is constantly changing. Any person taking this course understands that such a person must make an independent review of medication information before any patient assessment, diagnosis, treatment and/or health management. Any discussion of off-label use of any medication, device, or procedure is informational only, and such uses are not endorsed hereby.
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© RxCe.com LLC 2026: All rights reserved. No reproduction of all or part of any content herein is allowed without the prior, written permission of RxCe.com LLC.
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