Market

difficulty swallowing medication

  • While it is well accepted that 5% of the population have dysphagia there are many people who experience difficulty in swallowing medication without otherwise being dysphagic.
  • Between 15% and 23% of residents in nursing homes have trouble swallowing their medication.1,2
  • In a survey of patients in community pharmacy over the age of 653
    – 62% had experienced difficulty in swallowing solid medication at some time
    – 58% had crushed tablets or opened capsules to aid administration of their medication.
  • Nationwide survey in the USA conducted by Harris Interactive for Schwarz Pharma found that 40% of adults experience difficulties in swallowing pills even though most had no difficulty in swallowing food or liquid.4
  1. Wright, D Medication administration in nursing homes. Nursing Standard 16:(42) 33-38 (2002)
  2. Stevenson, J. Meeting the challenge of dysphagia Nurse2Nurse 3: 2-3 (2002)
  3. Ferguson & Greener Pharmacy Magazine Vol XI No 3 44 (2005)
  4. http://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?NewsEntityId=14864620&source