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Acceptability of Mebendazole Chewable Tablet in Children Aged 2 to 4 Years in Peru

Fernando Perez1, Thibault Vallet2, Zarela Bravo1

  • 1INMED Partnerships for Children/INMED Andes, 21630 Ridgetop Circle, Sterling, VA 20166, USA.

Pharmaceutics
|January 21, 2022
PubMed

Insights

The 500-mg mebendazole chewable tablet is positively accepted by children aged 2-4 years for treating soil-transmitted helminthiasis. This new formulation is better accepted than conventional tablets, improving pediatric treatment adherence.

Area of Science:

  • * Parasitology and Tropical Medicine
  • * Pediatric Pharmacology
  • * Public Health Interventions

Background:

  • * Soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) is a prevalent parasitic infection disproportionately affecting children in tropical and subtropical regions.
  • * Mebendazole, a World Health Organization-recommended treatment, was reformulated from a conventional tablet to a chewable form to enhance pediatric acceptability.
  • * Acceptability of medication is crucial for treatment effectiveness, particularly in young children who struggle with swallowing conventional tablets.

Purpose of the Study:

  • * To evaluate the acceptability of the 500-mg mebendazole chewable tablet in children aged 2 to 4 years in Peru.
  • * To compare the acceptability of the chewable formulation against conventional mebendazole tablets in young children.
  • * To assess the influence of age on the acceptability of the chewable mebendazole tablet.

Main Methods:

  • * A data-driven approach using observer-reported outcomes for 182 medicine intakes.
  • * Application of the acceptability reference framework, a three-dimensional map for classifying medication acceptance.
  • * Study conducted in Peru with children aged 2 to 4 years.

Main Results:

  • * The 500-mg mebendazole chewable tablet was classified as "positively accepted" in the target pediatric population.
  • * Acceptability demonstrated a positive correlation with age, with younger children showing some remaining acceptability issues.
  • * The chewable formulation exhibited significantly higher acceptability compared to conventional mebendazole tablets.

Conclusions:

  • * The 500-mg mebendazole chewable tablet is a well-accepted alternative for STH treatment and preventive interventions in children aged 2 to 4 years.
  • * This formulation offers a practical solution for administering mebendazole to young children unable to swallow hard tablets.
  • * Improved acceptability of the chewable tablet can enhance adherence and effectiveness of STH control programs in endemic areas.

Keywords:
ClinSearch Acceptability Score Test (CAST)acceptabilitychewablechildrendewormingformulationmebendazolemedicinepediatricsoiltransmitted-helminthiasis

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