Why learning how to swallow pills is good for patients, parents, and the planet

What you need to knowPills are likely to have a reduced environmental impact compared with an equivalent dose of liquid medication, with less packaging and less wasted medicinePill swallowing is an important life skill that can improve dosing accuracy and adherenceYoung patients often prefer pills to liquids. Pills contain fewer additives, need fewer doses, and have a longer shelf lifeChildren can successfully learn to swallow pills from the age of 4Healthcare professionals and patients often assume that liquids are the most suitable oral medicinal formulation for children and young people. However, swapping liquids to pills can be safer, more cost effective, more acceptable to patients and carers, and is likely to reduce the carbon footprint of prescribing.Why change is neededMedicines and chemicals account for 25% of the NHS England carbon footprint.1 Few environmental impact studies compare liquid and tablet medicines, although available evidence suggests that pills have a lesser carbon…
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