Administering Medications With Foods

Just as anything else you have to consult with a professional such as a Physician or Pharmacist. A order has to be in place.

To help a consumer more easily take a medication, it is sometimes necessary to mix that medication with food. Sometimes the tablet is crushed or the capsule  contents are emptied into food in order to ease swallowing. Sometimes simply  putting the whole tablet into a tablespoon of food is enough to help the consumer swallow it. Foods often used are applesauce, pudding, and ice cream. Any food that is soft or can be mashed such as bananas can be used. However, do not mix medications with peanut butter as the consistency of peanut butter is difficult for many to handle and can cause choking. Also, if aspirated, peanut butter is not cleared from the airways easily. There have been instances of death  associated with choking on peanut butter.

When you mix medications with food, only use a small amount of food to be sure that the entire amount of medication is swallowed. Mixing it in a medicine  cup is best. The entire amount of food the medication is mixed with should be given and then followed with a glass of water to help make sure that the entire amount of medication gets to the stomach and is absorbed.

The food the medication was mixed with must be finished at the time you are assisting with medication administration. You cannot place a container of food  mixed with medication in the refrigerator hoping that the consumer will finish it later. This medication could accidentally be taken by another consumer or never  taken at all thus the consumer has missed his/her medication.





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