Patients with difficulties in swallowing or clinical dysphagia including patients in nursing homes present a particular challenge in terms of medication administration and medicines management because:
- Therapeutic outcomes may be compromised in patients not adhering to their prescribed medication
- Tablets or capsules may cause choking and could obstruct the airway
- There may be an increased risk of a solid tablet or capsule becoming stuck in the patient’s throat or oesophagus, resulting in the drug being dispersed incorrectly which could affect the drug’s efficacy and / or tolerability
- Altering the formulation of a medicine e.g. by crushing a tablet to make it easier to take has significant medical and legal implications, as well as potentially causing adverse drug reactions (ADRs)