Healthcare Professionals

This section is designed to help you prescribe appropriately for patients with dysphagia and those with enteral feed tubes. In both instances, basic guidance on what should be considered is provided.

Additionally for those patients where you have decided that crushing is the only option available for you to recommend, we have provided information on different types of tablet, different coatings and modified formulations so that you can determine whether crushing may be appropriate or not.

Information on the effect of crushing in both clinical and legal terms is provided as well as information on other formulations which you may choose to prescribe instead.

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What does dysphagia mean to prescribers

Dysphagia creates difficulties for healthcare professionals when it comes to prescribing and administering medicines. This website is designed to provide an easy to use and up to date source of information for prescribing and administering medicines to patients with dysphagia, the availability of alternative formulations and guidance on the appropriateness of tablet crushing and dispersion.

If an alternative suitable formulation is available then the decision is relatively straightforward. Where there is no obvious formulation available then a discussion with your local pharmacist may be appropriate as they will be aware of unlicensed formulations of the medicine (specials). Where tablet crushing seems to be the only option available, the appropriateness of this should be carefully considered taking into account both the clinical and legal issues.