What is Orasweet?

Orasweet is a citrus-berry flavored syrup vehicle used for flavoring and sweetening extemporaneous compounded oral suspension preparations. It is designed to enhance the palatability of oral medications, making them more acceptable to patients, particularly children.

Definition and Description

Orasweet is a sweetened, buffered suspending vehicle that helps maintain the stability of oral suspensions. It is formulated with a slightly acidic pH of 4.2 to prevent degradation of active ingredients and ensure optimal drug delivery. Orasweet retains its flavoring properties even when diluted up to 50% with water or other suspending vehicles, making it a versatile and convenient option for compounding pharmacists.

Benefits and Uses

Orasweet offers several benefits and practical applications:

  • Improved Palatability: The citrus-berry flavor of Orasweet masks the bitter or unpleasant taste of many medications, making them more palatable for patients.
  • Enhanced Compliance: By improving the taste of oral suspensions, Orasweet increases patient compliance, leading to better therapeutic outcomes.
  • Versatility: Orasweet can be used alone or in combination with other suspending vehicles, providing flexibility in compounding formulations.
  • Stability Enhancement: The buffered pH of Orasweet helps maintain the stability of compounded oral suspensions, extending their shelf life.

How It Works

Orasweet works by combining several mechanisms:

  • Flavor Masking: The citrus-berry flavor of Orasweet interacts with taste receptors on the tongue, blocking the perception of bitter or unpleasant flavors.
  • pH Buffering: The slightly acidic pH of Orasweet helps maintain the solubility and stability of active ingredients, preventing their degradation.
  • Viscosity Enhancement: The viscosity of Orasweet provides a uniform suspension, ensuring that the drug particles remain evenly distributed throughout the liquid.

Comparison

Compared to other oral suspending vehicles, Orasweet offers several advantages:

  • Superior Palatability: The citrus-berry flavor of Orasweet is highly preferred by patients, especially children.
  • Increased Stability: The buffered pH of Orasweet enhances the stability of compounded suspensions, reducing the risk of degradation.
  • Versatility: Orasweet can be used alone or in combination with other vehicles, providing flexibility in formulation design.

Case Studies or Examples

Numerous published stability studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of Orasweet in maintaining the stability of compounded oral suspensions. For example, a study by Medisca showed that Orasweet preserved the stability of an erythromycin suspension for up to 30 days.

User Reviews and Testimonials

Patients and healthcare professionals have consistently praised the benefits of Orasweet:

  • “My child loves the taste of Orasweet. It makes taking his medication so much easier.” – Parent of a young patient
  • “Orasweet has significantly improved the compliance of my patients with oral suspensions.” – Pharmacist

Potential Limitations

One potential limitation of Orasweet is its high osmolality (3240 mOsm/Kg), which may cause gastrointestinal discomfort in some patients.

Conclusion

Orasweet is a valuable tool for compounding pharmacists, offering a combination of superior palatability, stability enhancement, and versatility. By improving the taste of oral suspensions, Orasweet increases patient compliance and enhances therapeutic outcomes. Its unique formulation and proven effectiveness make it a preferred choice for compounding oral suspensions.

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FAQs

 

;What is Orasweet?

;
Orasweet is a citrus-berry flavored syrup vehicle used for flavoring and sweetening extemporaneous compounded oral suspension preparations. It is designed to enhance the palatability of oral medications, making them more acceptable to patients, particularly children.

 

;What are the benefits of using Orasweet?

;
Orasweet offers several benefits, including improved palatability, enhanced compliance, versatility, and stability enhancement.

 

;How does Orasweet work?

;
Orasweet works by combining several mechanisms, including flavor masking, pH buffering, and viscosity enhancement.

 

;What is the pH of Orasweet?

;
Orasweet has a slightly acidic pH of 4.2, which helps maintain the solubility and stability of active ingredients.

 

;Can Orasweet be used alone or in combination with other vehicles?

;
Orasweet can be used alone or in combination with other suspending vehicles, providing flexibility in compounding formulations.

 

;What is the osmolality of Orasweet?

;
The osmolality of Orasweet is approximately 3240 mOsm/Kg.

 

;Are there any limitations to using Orasweet?

;
One potential limitation of Orasweet is its high osmolality, which may cause gastrointestinal discomfort in some patients.

 

;Where can I find more information about Orasweet?

;
You can find more information about Orasweet on the Medisca website (https://www.medisca.ca/Pages/ProductDetails.aspx?StockCode=0744&C=B&C2=110) and the SpecializedRx website (https://specializedrx.com/products/ora%C2%AE-sweet-oral-syrup-vehicle).