FLAVORx Inc, 9475 Gerwig Lane, Columbia, MD 21046 | 800.884.5771 | 1 SWALLOWING DISORDERS AND PILL GLIDE

FLAVORx Inc, 9475 Gerwig Lane, Columbia, MD 21046 | 800.884.5771 | www.flavorx.com 1

SWALLOWING DISORDERS AND PILL GLIDE

FLAVORx Inc, 9475 Gerwig Lane, Columbia, MD 21046 | 800.884.5771 | www.flavorx.com

SECTION SECTION TITLE SLIDE#

1 What is Dysphagia? 4

2 Etiology 5 & 6

3 Associations and Non Profits 7 & 8

4 To Crush or Not To Crush 9

5 Pill Glide Can Help! 10 & 11

6 Step By Step 12

7 Who Can Benefit From Pill Glide? 13 &14 &15

8 Final Thoughts 16 & 17

Table of Contents

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What is Dysphagia?

Difficulty swallowing is also called dysphagia.

It is usually a sign of a problem with your throat or esophagus, the muscular tube that moves food and liquids from the back of your mouth to your stomach.

Although dysphagia can happen to anyone, it is most common in older adults, premature babies, and people with problems of the brain or nervous system.

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Etiology

Any condition that weakens or damages the muscles and nerves used for swallowing may cause dysphagia. Dysphagia has many possible causes and happens most frequently in older adults. The following slide identifies possible conditions or disease states linked to swallowing difficulty:

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• People born with abnormalities of the swallowing mechanism may not be able to swallow normally.

• People with diseases of the nervous system, such as cerebral palsy or Parkinson’s disease, often have problems swallowing.

• Stroke or head injury may weaken or affect the coordination of the swallowing muscles or limit sensation in the mouth and throat.

• Cancer of the head, neck, or esophagus may cause swallowing problems and even sometimes the treatment for these types of cancers can cause dysphagia.

• Injuries of the head, neck, and chest may also create swallowing problems.

• Degenerative neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis, ALS, Huntington disease, and myasthenia gravis can cause swallowing difficulties.

• An infection or irritation can cause narrowing of the esophagus.

• People with dementia, memory loss and cognitive decline may find it difficult to chew and swallow.

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Etiology


Associations and Non Profits

The following groups, associations and websites listed on the next slide, are great sources of information for anyone having difficulty swallowing their medications and/or the people entrusted with their care.

•Dysphagia Research Society•National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

•American Stroke Association•American Cancer Society•Child Life Council•National Family Caregivers Association•American Speech-Language-Hearing Association•National Parkinson Foundation•Autism Society of America

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http://www.dysphagiaresearch.org/

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/

http://www.strokeassociation.org/

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/home/index.asp


To Crush or Not To Crush

Most patients who have trouble taking pills describe the sensation of having something stuck in their throat, having a bad smell and/or taste and aftertaste, or gagging due to the size of a pill. These sensations causes people to feel like they are helpless and choking which in turns leads to anxiety about taking medication.

People often resort to crushing tablets or opening capsules in order to take medicines. This can be dangerous! You should always check with the doctor and the pharmacist before crushing pills and opening capsules. Many pills or capsules have an enteric coating to prevent irritation or degradation of the medication from the acids in your stomach. Others are carefully designed to release medication at a very specific rate, and crushing or opening them defeats this purpose.

Please refer to the following link for a complete alphabetical list of oral dosage forms that should not be crushed published by the Institute For Safe Medication Practices (http://www.ismp.org/tools/donotcrush.pdf ).

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Pill Glide Can Help!

Pill Glide is a new solution to a universal problem. In order to avoid the need for crushing tablets or opening capsules, Pill Glide enables you to take the medication as commercially intended. Pill Glide helps overcome these hurdles or swallowing difficulties by combining two of FLAVORx’s top flavors, Strawberry and Grape, with a special formulation that allows pills to glide down the throat. Whether a patient is simply looking for a better way to swallow tablets and capsules, or cringes at the thought of the never ending task of staying on schedule with their medications, Pill Glide may be the solution.

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Pill Glide Can Help!• Pill Glide is a non-prescription flavored spray designed to help people swallow

tablets and capsules easily with no discomfort.

• It is a water-based lubricating spray that creates a frictionless barrier between pills and the tongue/throat. This helps prevent the “stuck in the throat” feeling many people experience, and it prevents bad tasting/smelling tablets from contacting the taste buds.

• There are no active ingredients in Pill Glide and no numbing sensation on the tongue or throat.

• Each 1 ounce bottle contains 200+ sprays, enough for 75 to 100 uses.

• Pill Glide is sugar-free, dye-free, and gluten-free.

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Groups that have found Pill Glide particularly useful in their lives:

•Children transitioning from liquid medications to tablets and capsules. Pill Glide can be a fun tool for parents to use as a way to get their children accustomed to swallowing tablets and capsules.

•People with specific medical conditions, or even treatments, that lead to swallowing disorders. Pill Glide is one potential way to alleviate the stress come medication time.

•People taking multiple medications daily. Pill Glide is a welcome addition to the daily routine of taking all your tablets and capsules.

•People taking medications, vitamins or supplements that are large or have a bad taste or smell.

•Caregivers. Pill Glide can make it easier for you to administer tablets and capsules to your loved ones.

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Who Can Benefits Pill Glide


Ted H.Pill Glide saved my life! As a throat cancer patient it became impossible for me to take any pills after my surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. The gagging and vomiting would leave me exhausted until I found Pill Glide. Now I spray Pill Glide into my mouth, take a glass of water, and I am able to swallow up to 6 pills at the same time. It’s changed my life…I recommend it to everyone that I know that has a problem swallowing pills.

Maureen S.My 9 year old daughter could never swallow pills. Each time we tried, she became anxious and upset. The very first time we tried Pill Glide, she was able to swallow medication with no problem at all. We were delighted that it was so easy! Now, whenever she has to take a pill, we give her two sprays of Pill Glide, and she swallows medication easily, without any concern. I highly recommend Pill Glide to any parent whose child has difficulty taking medication.

Judy S. Before purchasing Pill Glide, I could not swallow my pill that I have to take every night. I always had to crush the pill. Using Pill Glide I can swallow the pill with no problems. Would recommend Pill Glide to anyone who has problems swallowing pills.

Erica D.It is so nice to find a product which actually works as promised! I take a tablet every day which is odd shaped and has corners; it also starts dissolving immediately upon being placed on my tongue. Blech! I recently tried Pill Glide, and not only does the pill slide right down after a couple of sprays of the product, but Pill Glide tastes really yummy, too. I no longer dread the funky-shaped tablets. In fact, I look forward to my night time "dessert!"

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Testimonials


Final Thoughts

Promoting Pill Glide should become a routine part of retail pharmacy practice.

Merchandising is key. Merchandising activities may include display techniques (on the pharmacy counter or on a clipstrip near the vitamins/ supplements), shelf talkers, on-the-spot demonstrations, special pricing and/or special offers, and other point-of-sale methods.

Mentioning Pill Glide for specific medications like Metformin or Potassium Chloride would be beneficial to patients, given the large size and foul smell/taste of these known culprits. Over the counter medications like Multi-Vitamins, Calcium, and Fish Oil also pose a daily swallowing challenge to the average consumer.

Finally, identify customers that could benefit from the swallowing assistance provided by Pill Glide. As mentioned earlier on, chemotherapy patients, patients taking multiple medications daily, elderly patients, and children learning to take pills for the first time could all use a little help. Be proactive- Just Offer!

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Final Thoughts

Pill Glide is a flavored spray that makes swallowing tablets and capsules easier for you and everyone in your family.

Studies show that over 25% of the population and 40% over 65 years of age have some difficulty swallowing their medicine due to the size, taste, or smell of the tablets and capsules.

It's ideal for people taking multiple pills & supplements, children learning to swallow tablets and capsules, caregivers who administer medication, and people who suffer from dysphagia (difficulty swallowing).

Pill Glide was developed by a pharmacist and is brought to you by FLAVORx, the global leader in medicinal flavoring.

Our products are used in over 35,000 pharmacies worldwide, with over 47 million medications flavored to date.

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Documents

FLAVORx Inc, 9475 Gerwig Lane, Columbia, MD 21046 | 800.884.5771 | 1 SWALLOWING DISORDERS AND PILL GLIDE