Fig 1.
Flow chart of research methodology.
Table 1.
Compiled sample of framework coding for focus groups and semi-structured interviews.
Table 2.
Details of the two focus groups for healthcare professionals.
Table 3.
Details of the semi- structured interviews for healthcare professionals.
Table 4.
Recommendations and improvements to ODTs formulations as reported by focus groups and semi-structured interviews healthcare professionals.
Table 5.
Details of healthcare professional’s respondents at Hospital 1 and Hospital 2, including number and percentage of each profession and years of experience with statistical significance also detailed in the final column.
Fig 2.
(A) Distribution of the types of dosage forms which are prescribed, supplied or given by healthcare professionals to paediatric patients indicating a massive preference for liquid oral dosage forms, then followed by tablets and (B) Distribution of the preferred oral dosage forms among healthcare professionals, indicating a preference for liquid dosage forms, which is then followed by ODTs and traditional tablets.
Fig 3.
(A) Distribution of factors which influence choice of formulations for paediatric patients indicating that patient age is the most influential factor that dictates the preference of dosage form and (B) Distribution of total respondents’ opinions regarding liquid formulations substitution with ODTs in paediatric patients, indicating that the participants would strongly agree that liquid dosage forms could potentially be replaced with ODTs.
Table 6.
Details of respondents regarding ODTs prescribing/ dispensing or administering and total number of prescribed ODTs over last 12 months.
Fig 4.
(A) Distribution of preferred ODTs tastes stratified by different professions indicating that sweet taste is preferred by all three sets of healthcare professionals, with neutral taste also being popular and (B) Distribution of preferred ODTs flavours by all respondents, with strawberry flavour being the most popular, followed by orange and banana.
Fig 5.
(A) Distribution of preferred ODTs sizes by all respondents clearly showing that a small dosage form would be preferable and (B) Distribution of preferred ODTs shapes by all respondents indicating that a round shape is massively preferred compared to any other tablet shape.
Fig 6.
(A) Distribution of preferred ODTs colours by all respondents showing that a white tablet is the most preferred colour amongst the healthcare professionals for paediatric administration and (B) Distribution of preferred ODTs disintegration times by all respondents showing that a rapidly disintegrating tablet would be seen as the ideal ODT by the healthcare professionals.
Fig 7.
Percentages distribution of the most important characteristics of ODTs.
Taste disintegration time and flavour appeared as the most important factors by the healthcare professionals when considering ODTs.