Challenges swallowing oral medications among children have been shown to affect adherence to treatment.¹

Utilizing MyEpilepsyTeam, an online social network with 120,000+ epilepsy patients and caregivers providing education and support, parents of children (2 to 25-year-old) with epilepsy residing in the US were recruited to participate in an online quantitative survey on discussing swallowing challenges and formulation options of ASMs with their HCPs.

105 parents of children with epilepsy completed the survey. 74% of parents had never discussed formulation options with HCPs. Among parents of 2 to 12-year-olds and parents of 13 to 18-year-olds, 61% and 78% of parents, respectively, never discussed different formulation options.

58% of responders reported that they were never asked or unsure if they were asked by their HCPs about swallowing challenges. Parents affirmed low awareness and few discussions about formulation options, with only 34% of parents aware of the availability of alternative formulations of ASMs.

Importantly, 1 in 3 reported missing or skipping doses. Among those, 59% reported skipping doses at least monthly, potentially indicating adherence challenges.

While efficacy, side effects, and drug interactions are typically discussed by the HCPs, swallowing difficulties and formulation options are not. Our findings suggest insufficient conversations between HCPs and parents regarding swallowing challenges and appropriate treatment options, which may have a negative impact on their child’s epilepsy management. 

¹VandenBerg CJ, Adams A, Bockrath R, Kim S, Rodriguez G, Fawcett A, Jhaveri R. Hard to Swallow: A Review of Interventions to Improve Swallowing Solid Medication. Hosp Pediatr. 2023 May 1;13(5):e123-e132. doi: 10.1542/hpeds.2021-006497. PMID: 37021484.