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Most parents steer their children away from sugar. However this fall, parents might be thankful for sweeteners and artificial flavoring.
Tamiflu is the prescription drug most effective against swine flu. The children's liquid version of Tamiflu is scarce because Roche, the manufacturer, can produce 10 times the amount of the drug in adult strength for every single children's dose.
Adult Tamiflu can be used in smaller dosing for children by compounding the prescription. The compounding process adjusts the strength and is added to a sugary flavored syrup.
"This practice, known as compounding, evokes the origins of pharmacy, said Leanne Trela, director of retail clinical services at Walgreens, the big pharmacy chain. But with mass-manufactured pills now the norm, she said, compounding is used mainly for special needs like adapting adult medicines for children."