Palatability and cost comparison of five liquid corticosteroid formulations

Difficulty administering oral corticosteroids to young children who are required to take these medications as part of their cancer treatment has been a concern among health care providers for many years. This problem is due in part to the bad taste associated with these preparations. Palatability is important to consider when prescribing a liquid corticosteroid. Seven members of a nursing research group in an academic pediatric setting evaluated palatability based on taste, aftertaste, texture, smell, and overall reaction to five different liquid corticosteroid formulations. These formulations included Pediapred (Medeva Pharmaceuticals, Rochester, NY), Prelone (Muro Pharmaceuticals, Tewksbury, MA), prednisone oral solution, prednisone intensol, and prednisone 10-mg tablet crushed in 10 mL of cherry syrup. The cost of each formulation was based on the cost to the participating institution. The results showed that the most palatable corticosteroid liquid formulation was also the most cost efficient. The results of this simple study have the potential to influence prescribing habits and provide caregivers with a palatable, cost-efficient corticosteroid liquid formulation.