Officially flay-vor-are-ex. We think it’s important to pronounce the “Rx” as this links the service to pharmaceuticals. Do we occasionally slip and just say flay-vor-ex? Yeah, it happens. But it costs us $1 each time we do so that doesn’t last long. We also officially spell it “FLAVORx” in case you were wondering.
Yes they are, all the flavors are sugar free and will not increase blood glucose levels.
The Sweetening Enhancer is stevia-based. Stevia is an all-natural sweetener, commonly used in household sugar-free drinks and other liquids.
Yes both brand and generics are flavored with the same instruction. Flavor recipes are based on the active ingredient.
FLAVORx flavorings do not contain milk, eggs, soybean, peanut, tree nuts, gluten, wheat, grain, fish or seafood, shellfish, seeds, latex, or dyes in addition to being sugar-free and dye-free. Please note that while FLAVORx flavors do not contain the following allergens, our flavors may be processed on the same line and in the same facility with Milk, Eggs, Soy, Tree Nuts, Fish, Shellfish, and Wheat. None of our flavors are processed on the same line or in the same facility with Peanuts.
Yes. All FLAVORx flavors are dye free.
Yes the following flavors contains alcohol, however the quantity is extremely small when added to medications: banana, bitterness suppressor, bubblegum, cherry, lemon water soluble, mango, orange, sweetening enhancer, vitamin iron masking agent, and watermelon.
No. The addition of FLAVORx flavors to medications will not affect the BUD of the medication. We test the flavors to ensure they do not impact the stability of medications.
For powders that require reconstitution, the amount of water used is reduced to account for the addition of the flavoring ingredients. So there is zero change to the drugs concentration. For pre-made liquids, the flavoring amounts are kept under 5% of the total medication volume so that there is little to no change in the concentration of the medication. The amount of flavoring used in our formulary meets the standards set by the USP (USP 795 standard). This means that the changes in concentration after flavoring a medication are within the acceptable range.
Yes. If a medication has been mixed with water and the patient wants to flavor it afterwards you can still flavor it. The addition of flavor will never exceed 5% of a drugs total volume.
If your pharmacy dispensed the medication, it can be re-flavored at your pharmacy.
No. The original flavor will be masked as part of the flavoring, and the patient will only taste the new flavor.
With the recent publication of revisions to USP GC <795> and USP’s supplemental document concerning the flavoring of conventionally manufactured medications, many people understandably have questions about how those standards apply to flavoring in their pharmacy or pharmacies. What follows are our answers to a few of the most frequently asked questions. If you have a question that is not covered below, please do not hesitate to send an email to regulatory@flavorx.com. We will respond immediately.
According to the 25 State Boards of Pharmacy who have gone on record, ASHP, NABP, and many more, the answer to that question is a simple “No”. Flavoring of conventionally manufactured medications can be done safely and has been done safely in tens of thousands of pharmacies all across the country for decades WITHOUT onerous regulatory
oversight.
It is common knowledge that children struggle to take liquid medications. That frequently comes down to the taste ofthe medicine. Flavoring is one of the most effective tools pharmacists have at their disposal to improve pediatriccompliance. That’s why it is important that access to this service remain widely available. Flavoring with FLAVORx has proven to be safe and effective for decades and in millions upon millions of uses. Putting burdensome regulatory
hurdles in place to simply add a child’s preferred flavor to their medicine will cause most pharmacies to cease offering this service to their patients. That will severely limit access to a common, relied upon, and much needed pharmacy practice, which ultimately negatively impacts children’s health.
No, it is not. As stated in their recently published position statement, flavoring of conventionally manufactured medications has been within the scope of <795> since 2004. From 2004 to today, we estimate roughly 150 million medications have been flavored with FLAVORx all across the country in all types of pharmacies without a single incidence of harm being reported.
This map shows the current landscape of flavoring regulation at the state level.
Yes. Unequivocally. Here’s why:
The fact is, flavoring helps millions of parents each year get their children to take the medicine they need to get better. Without it, those same parents will be forced to resort to using untested, home-cooked methods to get the medicine down, which could very well impact how those medicines work, if they are even taken at all. As former Surgeon General C. Everett Coop so aptly stated, “Drugs don’t work in patients who don’t take them.”
No. Flavoring does not shorten or extend the BUD/expiry date of a conventional medication. Expiration dating remains consistent with the expiry date recommended by the manufacturer and as indicated by manufacturer labeling.
Not beyond what is acceptable to USP and, most often, not at all.
FLAVORx recipes never exceed 5% of a drugs total volume. USP allows for a ±10% variance from the labeled strength. Furthermore, when medications that require reconstitution are flavored, the amount of flavor ingredients being added is subtracted from the amount of water required so the strength of the medication is unchanged. The vast majority of medications that get flavored are reconstituted.
Please send an email to regulatory@flavorx.com so we can work with you to determine next steps.
Great question! Here’s why it’s still so important to offer flavoring to your patients:
You may be surprised to learn some of the best flavoring pharmacies in the country are in severely economically challenged neighborhoods. We were! We asked the staff in these pharmacies their secrets. It was amazing how consistent the feedback was. They just ask. That’s it. Regardless of whether they think a parent will pay extra for flavoring, the staff still asks. The results speak for themselves. Many parents (not all, but many), regardless of how rich or poor they are, will fork over a few bucks to help their kids take their medicine and so they can get better. So stop assuming, and just ask!
Some pharmacies are truly limited by demographics. If you have a predominantly older clientele, then consider flavoring the liquid preparations that they need to take, like… But here’s the thing. You may have more kids around your pharmacy than you think, parents just aren’t going to your pharmacy. We can’t tell you how many times a pharmacist told us they don’t have a large pediatric customer-base, only to go to the pharmacy LITERALLY ACROSS THE STREET who was flavoring a ton of pediatric liquids. Google search “pediatricans” around your pharmacy location. If there are any within a few miles, you have an opportunity, and flavoring is a great way to win those customers.
The Menu Pads are a great tool. You should place them by the drop-off and pick up areas in your pharmacy. They remind you to ask the patient what their favorite flavor is. Some pharmacies will even staple a single sheet to each flavorable medication to serve as a reminder to ask about flavoring when a prescription is picked up by the patient.
The FLAVORx Flavor Wheel is used to quickly consult customers on the 4 best flavors for the 7 most commonly dispensed liquid prescriptions. This tool should be kept at drop off and pick up, as well as at the drive-thru window. Additional options for flavoring can be obtained by scanning the prescription at the Fillmaster Auto, as all options are displayed at that time.
Display the tent stands and Flavorbot cling at drop-off, pickup, and at the drive thru window to increase awareness of the opportunity to flavor. Customers can scan the QR code to see which flavors work best with the medication they are picking up.
Your Fillmaster Auto reconstitutes and adds flavoring simultaneously. For a quick overview, watch these short videos. You may add flavor, utilizing the “flavor only” button, to already reconstituted or liquid prescriptions at any time. Practice all steps except the final steps of adding water/flavoring. (You can cancel out prior to these dispensing.)
Update the reminder to monthly by the following process: Menu – Reminder—Sanitation –Monthly.
Yes, Sweetening Enhancer is utilized during each flavoring, regardless of which flavor the patient chooses. Always keep a spare bottle of sweetening enhancer on hand, as the Fillmaster Auto will not work if Sweetening Enhancer runs out.
For any problems involved with the water filtration system, your first call should be to our 24/7 Customer Experience Support desk. That number is 888-284-7873. We will trouble shoot the issue with you and identify next steps needed to mitigate the issue. If we are unsuccessful in resolving your issue, we will send a technician out to resolve the issue.
Your Fillmaster Auto arrived with a supply of 12 tips under the hood on top. Pull the top straight out to see if the tips are there. If not, please call 888-284-7873 to order more tips.
Currently, you must call (800-530-2696), fax (877-224-4427), or e-mail (GMB-HomeHealthcare@cardinalhealth.com) your requested reorders into Cardinal HealthCare to place drop ship orders.
Easily turn your screensaver back on through the following process: Menu—Screensaver- Turn Screensaver On — hit on.