Case Report: The Quest for a Palatable Compounded Metronidazole (Base) Suspension

Pediatric patients are sensitive to bitter-tasting substances and often resist taking them orally; however, they do like sweet substances from birth through mid-adolescence. To improve compliance, compounding pharmacists need to consider the palatability of compounded medications in addition to stability, safety, and effectiveness. Metronidazole compounded oral suspension is commonly prepared with the benzoate ester because it does not have a bitter taste; however, it has been on backorder and unavailable for months. A palatable metronidazole compounded oral suspension needs to be developed using the metronidazole base in order to meet the treatment needs of pediatric patients and improve compliance during this shortage.