Pediatric suspension usage & reconstitution practices of mothers in Zaria, northwestern Nigeria

Background: Dry powders for suspension are a common type of drug formulation used for children. Studies have shown that mothers and/other caregivers often have difficulties correctly reconstituting these powders, and accurately measuring out doses. Objectives: To describe the pediatric suspension usage practices, reconstitution techniques and medication related knowledge of mothers attending the antenatal clinic of Ahmadu Bello University Medical Center, Zaria, Kaduna state. Methods: A data collection instrument was used to interview 101 conveniently sampled women in October 2018. After answering the questions in three sections of the instrument, respondents were given a bottle of water and a medicine bottle containing flour. They were then asked to show the researchers how they would normally reconstitute a suspension, and asked to measure out specific doses using a measuring cup. Results: Almost 40% of mothers stored reconstituted medication in the fridge, and less than 20% would administer a forgotten dose when they remembered and continue with the previous dosing times. Regarding reconstitution techniques, 26.7% of mothers initially shook the bottle to loosen the dry powder before adding water, and 39.6% added water in two steps. Less than 10% of respondents could correctly measure 7.5 mL using a measuring cup. Over 40% of them could not accurately calculate medication dosing times in the hypothetical scenario provided to assess their medication related knowledge. Conclusion: The results show that some of the usage practices and reconstitution techniques of the mothers were sub-optimal. Pharmacists can help mothers reconstitute suspensions as part of their pharmaceutical care responsibilities. Keywords: Mothers, Nigeria, Pediatric suspensions, Reconstitution technique