Pediatric Compounding

Paediatric compounding is a major focus of our pharmacy, dedicated to serving the unique needs of children and their families. Many commercially available medications are unsuitable for children due to inappropriate dosage forms, strengths, or poor taste. We work closely with paediatricians and paediatric psychiatrists to ensure every child receives medication that is safe, effective, and easy to administer.

Why Paediatric Compounding is Essential

  Child-Friendly Dosage Forms

Many medications are only available in adult forms, such as tablets or capsules. We can compound these into:

  • Oral suspensions
  • Chewable preparations
  • Suppositories
  • Lozenges

This makes administration easier and safer, especially for younger children who cannot swallow pills.

When Oral Administration Is Not Possible

For children who are vomiting, have difficulty swallowing, or are unconscious, suppositories offer an essential alternative.

  • During the recent nationwide shortage of paracetamol suppositories, we were able to assist families by compounding custom-strength paracetamol suppositories to help control fever and pain.
  • Ibuprofen suppositories are our most commonly requested paediatric preparation post-tonsillectomy due to their quick onset of action and ease of use.

 Improved Taste & Compliance

Poor taste is one of the most common barriers to medication compliance in children. We use a wide range of flavours, sweeteners, and advanced taste-masking techniques to make medicines more palatable, improving adherence and therapeutic outcomes.

Common Paediatric Compounded Medications

 Paediatric Psychiatry

We compound medications in tailored strengths and dosage forms to support children with ADHD, anxiety, depression, and behavioural conditions:

  • Dexamphetamine
  • Methylphenidate
  • Clonidine
  • Fluoxetine
  • Escitalopram
  • Sertraline
  • Aripiprazole
  • Atomoxetine
  • Guanfacine

 Oral Suspensions (Non-Commercially Available)

Antibiotics:

  • Nitrofurantoin
  • Levofloxacin
  • Trimethoprim
  • Ciprofloxacin
  • Norfloxacin
  • Cefuroxime
  • Doxycycline
  • Clindamycin

Antivirals:

  • Aciclovir
  • Valaciclovir
  • Famciclovir

Incontinence:

  • Oxybutynin

Apnoea of Prematurity:

  • Caffeine citrate

Gastrointestinal & Colic:

  • Omeprazole
  • Ondansetron
  • Hyoscine butylbromide (Buscopan)
  • “Pink Lady” (antacid mix)
  • Cyproheptadine

Sleep:

  • Melatonin

Infantile Hemangioma:

  • Propranolol

Steroids & Post-Surgical Care:

  • Dexamethasone
  • Tranexamic acid

Antifungals:

  • Fluconazole
  • Griseofulvin

Vitamins:

  • Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6)
  • Folic Acid
  • Vitamin D3 (Oil solution)

Prescription Requirements

  • All Schedule 4 paediatric medications are compounded only with a valid prescription, and are prepared with precision to suit each individual child’s needs.
  • Ibuprofen suppositories are classified as a Pharmacist-Only Medicine and can be supplied without a prescription.